Why does my Female Russian bite/attack my Male?

[Oscar_Smith]

I have two Russian tortoises, one male and one female. Recently, I have started seeing some biting from the female. The male didn't do anything to provoke her. Yes, I am 100% sure that the biter is a female, and that the tortoise receiving bites is male. Is the female acting up because she is about to lay eggs?

 

[Jacqui]

Females can be the aggressive tortoise in the mix. She may be doing it to try to get him to breed her. It may just be that she wants him to leave her area and food. So many possibilities. Male tortoises get the rap for being the "bad guys", but as your finding out, there are "bad girls", too. You may end up having to separate them. How big is their enclosure and how well planted or with visual barriers? Those things help to keep peace in the family.

 

[Oscar_Smith]

Females can be the aggressive tortoise in the mix. She may be doing it to try to get him to breed her. It may just be that she wants him to leave her area and food. So many possibilities. Male tortoises get the rap for being the "bad guys", but as your finding out, there are "bad girls", too. You may end up having to separate them. How big is their enclosure and how well planted or with visual barriers? Those things help to keep peace in the family.

Their enclosure is an indoor 7' x 2' Zoo Med tortoise house. They do have hides such as a large log they like to climb on, and there are separate rooms on each end of the cage. I don't have any plants in there though. (Thanks for replying so fast btw )

 

[Jabuticaba]

I have two Russian tortoises, one male and one female. Recently, I have started seeing some biting from the female. The male didn't do anything to provoke her. Yes, I am 100% sure that the biter is a female, and that the tortoise receiving bites is male. Is the female acting up because she is about to lay eggs?

It happens when the female gets fed up with the male pursuing her constantly. Torts are solitary animals and don't do well together in pairs, in confined spaces. They do better when you have 2-3 females for one male.

I highly recommend separating them before they hurt each other. Good luck.


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[ascott]

Tortoise are very rough, especially this species and extra especially with a pair....please do offer them each their own space. They will and do bite and tear pieces of one another off when they are biting....this can lead to stress and infection due to injury....