Why not to keep 2 tortoises together - a lesson learned the hard way

Sa Ga

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Nov 19, 2019
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653
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MN
Females especially mine for some reason sleep together and go together and eat. It all depends on tortoise personality but if male and female together bet your sorry butt seperation is a must or the female get hurt.
I hear and seen females show dominance for food or territory or to show whos boss but rarely mine. If keeping more than one you must have great knowledge and experience and have multiple set ups for the tortoises incase seperation is necessary. Breeding attempts should not be tried unless very experienced and carefully thought out and care taken for the tortoises not to be harm in process.

Anys hi everyone !:) im back
If there's some, that's enough. (And if there are two or more, there is some.) Never mind that a person can't watch them 24/7 so you don't really know what other nonviolent but equally stressful events are occurring bc u see no blood...

Be kind. Be responsible. Anyone housing these solitary creatures together when it IS NOT good for them, should spare them the stress--and since we are actually aware that this isn't the way they should be housed, there is no excuse for them to continue like this.
 
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Sa Ga

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I have been keeping a close eye on them all and right now I'm going to keep those two together. They are both very active and seem to share their space well. From what I was told, all three had been sharing a very small space for their entire lives without an incedent. But I was told this by the guy selling them to me so who really knows. I will have to wait and see.

The outdoor enclosure that I am going to build will be very large. Is the bullying still as much of an issue with a big space for them to roam in? I was going to put dividers in it but I'm just wondering if I should try them out in it with the ability to section it off if needed or just section it off from the start?
Please separate them until they have huge spaces and lots of places to hude/get away from each other. Now that the one is gone, they will most likely start on each other.
 

willee638

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Feb 16, 2020
Messages
283
Location (City and/or State)
HK
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a thread on the TFO that has the article. @Tom and others have been saying this for a long time - this is nothing new, I've just added fun pictures. :)

Today I would like to write about an important lesson that I learned the hard way a few years ago: it is not a good idea to keep 2 tortoises together (yes, there are exceptions).

When tortoise owners ask me if I think they should get a second tortoise, I tell them: only if they plan to get a second enclosure. Then I advise them to spend the money on spoiling their 1 tortoise first: build a big outdoor enclosure, enlarge the indoor enclosure, upgrade the lighting. Put some money into savings for emergency vet care (you'll need it at some point during your tortoise's 80 or so years of life!).

...."But she's so.... lonely!"

Believe me, I've been there. Humans seek companionship, as do many other mammals. We like to project our own feelings onto our pets, and so, we assume that our tortoise would be happier with a 'friend.' Please know that I am not judging you for wanting to get another tortoise. Getting a little 'friend' for a tortoise can be so tempting. The truth is: (except for a few species like redfoot torts, aldabras, or pancake torts), most tortoises are loners in the wild. They roam several acres, and only occasionally encounter other tortoises. If a tortoise encounters another, they will fight, mate, or both. Then they wander apart again (or one is chased away by the other).



If you are thinking of getting your pet tortoise a 'buddy' then I hope you read my story first, and put some serious thought into your decision after reading about my experience. Keeping 2 tortoises together (especially of the testudo species) is NOT a cake walk.


In reality, it will look like this... *BITE!* ... a lot of the time.

If you get a male and a female, after much biting and bullying, there will be plenty of mating too. More than there would ever be in nature. Enough mating to kill the female.



If the female can't get away from the male, he will seek her out again and again (more than in nature, since there she CAN get away). My friend rescued a tortoise female earlier this year whose vent was terribly infected and torn and chafed and ripped from all the mating. It took her a long time to heal.


The infected, oozing, puss-filled tail of my friend's rescued female that was mated too much.
(I'm posting a small picture just so it's not too gross)


Here is how I learned my lesson:

I started out with one female Russian tortoise, Timmy. After I had her for a few years, I decided I'd like to get a second tortoise. A few knowledgeable people on the tortoise forums advised against this. They warned me that tortoises, especially the testudo species (to which Russian tortoises belong) are very territorial. They told me that the tortoises would compete for food, for the basking spot, for space. They told me that they would bite and ram, and one would become stressed, hurt, and might die.


"Timmy needs a friend. My tortoises will be different and won't fight."

For some reason, I was convinced that 'my' tortoises would be different. I set up a my enclosure with lots of site barriers. I soon adopted a little male, Roz. For the first 18 or so months, everything went well. There were NO signs of aggression, both tortoises ate together, basked together, slept together. Yay! My tortoises were the exception!


Wait. What?! My male is biting my female?! Oh no!

Then one day, Roz matured. Roz discovered that he was a rapist little man-tortoise with needs and urges. Roz discovered that he didn't like sharing his food. Roz discovered that he could boss Timmy around, in spite of being half her size. Roz became a big, mean, bossy, biting bully. Timmy lost scales on her legs, and even got a bite wound on her face once. Roz got to spend a lot of time in the time-out bin until I separated him permanently.

Watch this video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy (which is territorial behavior), and then circling her and biting her:

In the wild, this is 'normal' courting behavior. However, in the wild, the female can get away! In captivity, while both tortoises were kept in the same enclosure, Roz wanted to mate with Timmy 15+ times each day. He spent his spare time bullying her away from the food or the basking spot. Timmy started to become withdrawn, and wanted to hide and sleep all the time. I separated the two, and she started eating again, thank goodness.

Now, the 'easy' solution would have been to re-home Roz. This, however, was not an option for me. I had made a commitment to care for him, and did not want to break this commitment. The 'harder' solution was to a) separate my male, b) build a larger enclosure, and c) get a little harem of female tortoises for him. It took me nearly a year to find females, since in the pet trade, most tortoises are male. I finally got Mila and Jill, and then Lady.



I know that some people will advise that two female tortoises will get along fine. I disagree: one will always be the underdog. At least for testudo species, if you want to keep multiple females together, you should get 3 or more. This way they are less likely to fight, and the bullying will be divided a little among them.
During the Summer, the tortoises happily (and peacefully) lived outside in the large tortoise garden I built them. They will be divided over several indoor tortoise tables for the winter.


They spread out over the entire tortoise garden, except to eat.

IF you decide you want more than 1 tortoise, please avoid keeping 2 males together, or 1 male and 1 female. Either 3 females (with LOTS of space) or 1 male and 3+ females might work... but even then, you may find yourself needing a degree in tortoise diplomatics!

IF you decide to keep multiple tortoises, please remember that the enclosure size must adjust accordingly for multiple tortoises! If the absolute minimum size for 1 tortoise is 2'x4', then each additional tortoise will need at least that much more space. As always, larger is better when it comes to tortoise enclosures!
Excellent topic & article, this was my first subject of interest when I first joined this forum. Your personal experience in keeping more than 1 tortoise & advice was useful in avoiding possibly the same mistakes, I'm a first time tortoise owner & have had her a red foot for under a month. Learnt a wealth of knowledge on how to care for my tortoise on this forum, I would like to know is, are there absolutely no benefits in keeping 2 same spices or "similar" spices of tortoises in the same enclosure? Do tortoises get no stimulations from having some kind of competition between the 2 of them? Would competing for shelter, food etc... can only cause 1 to be very aggressive & attack the other or each other even both are females? Are there absolute no positive reasons to keeping 2 tortoises?
 

Sa Ga

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Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
653
Location (City and/or State)
MN
Excellent topic & article, this was my first subject of interest when I first joined this forum. Your personal experience in keeping more than 1 tortoise & advice was useful in avoiding possibly the same mistakes, I'm a first time tortoise owner & have had her a red foot for under a month. Learnt a wealth of knowledge on how to care for my tortoise on this forum, I would like to know is, are there absolutely no benefits in keeping 2 same spices or "similar" spices of tortoises in the same enclosure? Do tortoises get no stimulations from having some kind of competition between the 2 of them? Would competing for shelter, food etc... can only cause 1 to be very aggressive & attack the other or each other even both are females? Are there absolute no positive reasons to keeping 2 tortoises?
No advantage. Stimulation and enrichment are not synonymous. Being put in a constantly upsetting situation (think an uninvuted guest in your home that you can't get to leave) is stimulating....but hardly enriches the life of the sufferer.
 

willee638

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Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
283
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HK
No advantage. Stimulation and enrichment are not synonymous. Being put in a constantly upsetting situation (think an uninvuted guest in your home that you can't get to leave) is stimulating....but hardly enriches the life of the sufferer.
I guess there's no more convincing answer than this, space seems to be the key to keeping more than 1 tortoise sharing an enclosure. I total agree if you must keep 2 or more tortoises they must be able to get away from each other like in the wild, I guess even more sociable like those of red foots still don't live in groups as adults & only come together to breed & eat in a common feeding ground. I did hear a friend who owned two adult turtles one ended up dead...
 

willee638

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Messages
283
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HK
Ok thank you, I just wanted some opinions on it as I was considering getting another before reading this thread. I just thought my tort was lonely as it always goes and cuddles into the little tortoise ornament I have as decoration for the table, didn't realise they were so vicious to one another haha.

George just wants cuddles! :tort:
View attachment 85610
It might have thought the ornament tortoise is nothing other than a stone, my red foot always tries to hide behind or get under a stone. I think tortoises also treats other tortoises like something to hide behind & not huddle together to show any kind of affection, I think they like human companions more than their own kind. We always see pet shops put several or more tortoises or turtles in the same display enclosures is giving consumers a big misconception they're sociable animals & the pet store salesman even encouraged me to get 2 tortoises, but fortunately I wasn't considering until later but after reading this article definitely not. Even I get a next one there's no definitive way to determinate the sex till 8-10 years old & that's too great a risk of getting the wrong sex....
 

willee638

Active Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
283
Location (City and/or State)
HK
Females especially mine for some reason sleep together and go together and eat. It all depends on tortoise personality but if male and female together bet your sorry butt seperation is a must or the female get hurt.
I hear and seen females show dominance for food or territory or to show whos boss but rarely mine. If keeping more than one you must have great knowledge and experience and have multiple set ups for the tortoises incase seperation is necessary. Breeding attempts should not be tried unless very experienced and carefully thought out and care taken for the tortoises not to be harm in process.

Anys hi everyone !:) im back
I guess tortoises like people not all get along, the problem I would face in getting a second tortoise is determining the exact sex of them as babies or hatchlings or even young juveniles. So if 2 females does get along or tolerate each other I can't be sure if I can get the sexes right, it isn't practical for me to setup a new enclosure to segregate them if things go wrong.
 

Sa Ga

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Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
653
Location (City and/or State)
MN
I guess tortoises like people not all get along, the problem I would face in getting a second tortoise is determining the exact sex of them as babies or hatchlings or even young juveniles. So if 2 females does get along or tolerate each other I can't be sure if I can get the sexes right, it isn't practical for me to setup a new enclosure to segregate them if things go wrong.
And the boys are...welll... boys...so they can overwhelm, stress, or even injure a female with their...exuberance...

Either way, if they are not a social species, for their own health and safety, they need to be separated. If you cannot do that, you may need to rehome one. It's a damn hard decision to make, but it the rsponsible and kind thing to do. You don't keep a pet you can't properly care for with a clean conscience.
 

Jennw30

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Mar 10, 2020
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Chattanooga
Thank you for posting this! I was thinking of getting a "Harry" for my "Hermione" and that would have been a horrific experience!
 

Jacob.smith

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Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
2
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London
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a thread on the TFO that has the article. @Tom and others have been saying this for a long time - this is nothing new, I've just added fun pictures. :)

Today I would like to write about an important lesson that I learned the hard way a few years ago: it is not a good idea to keep 2 tortoises together (yes, there are exceptions).

When tortoise owners ask me if I think they should get a second tortoise, I tell them: only if they plan to get a second enclosure. Then I advise them to spend the money on spoiling their 1 tortoise first: build a big outdoor enclosure, enlarge the indoor enclosure, upgrade the lighting. Put some money into savings for emergency vet care (you'll need it at some point during your tortoise's 80 or so years of life!).

...."But she's so.... lonely!"

Believe me, I've been there. Humans seek companionship, as do many other mammals. We like to project our own feelings onto our pets, and so, we assume that our tortoise would be happier with a 'friend.' Please know that I am not judging you for wanting to get another tortoise. Getting a little 'friend' for a tortoise can be so tempting. The truth is: (except for a few species like redfoot torts, aldabras, or pancake torts), most tortoises are loners in the wild. They roam several acres, and only occasionally encounter other tortoises. If a tortoise encounters another, they will fight, mate, or both. Then they wander apart again (or one is chased away by the other).



If you are thinking of getting your pet tortoise a 'buddy' then I hope you read my story first, and put some serious thought into your decision after reading about my experience. Keeping 2 tortoises together (especially of the testudo species) is NOT a cake walk.


In reality, it will look like this... *BITE!* ... a lot of the time.

If you get a male and a female, after much biting and bullying, there will be plenty of mating too. More than there would ever be in nature. Enough mating to kill the female.



If the female can't get away from the male, he will seek her out again and again (more than in nature, since there she CAN get away). My friend rescued a tortoise female earlier this year whose vent was terribly infected and torn and chafed and ripped from all the mating. It took her a long time to heal.


The infected, oozing, puss-filled tail of my friend's rescued female that was mated too much.
(I'm posting a small picture just so it's not too gross)


Here is how I learned my lesson:

I started out with one female Russian tortoise, Timmy. After I had her for a few years, I decided I'd like to get a second tortoise. A few knowledgeable people on the tortoise forums advised against this. They warned me that tortoises, especially the testudo species (to which Russian tortoises belong) are very territorial. They told me that the tortoises would compete for food, for the basking spot, for space. They told me that they would bite and ram, and one would become stressed, hurt, and might die.


"Timmy needs a friend. My tortoises will be different and won't fight."

For some reason, I was convinced that 'my' tortoises would be different. I set up a my enclosure with lots of site barriers. I soon adopted a little male, Roz. For the first 18 or so months, everything went well. There were NO signs of aggression, both tortoises ate together, basked together, slept together. Yay! My tortoises were the exception!


Wait. What?! My male is biting my female?! Oh no!

Then one day, Roz matured. Roz discovered that he was a rapist little man-tortoise with needs and urges. Roz discovered that he didn't like sharing his food. Roz discovered that he could boss Timmy around, in spite of being half her size. Roz became a big, mean, bossy, biting bully. Timmy lost scales on her legs, and even got a bite wound on her face once. Roz got to spend a lot of time in the time-out bin until I separated him permanently.

Watch this video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy (which is territorial behavior), and then circling her and biting her:

In the wild, this is 'normal' courting behavior. However, in the wild, the female can get away! In captivity, while both tortoises were kept in the same enclosure, Roz wanted to mate with Timmy 15+ times each day. He spent his spare time bullying her away from the food or the basking spot. Timmy started to become withdrawn, and wanted to hide and sleep all the time. I separated the two, and she started eating again, thank goodness.

Now, the 'easy' solution would have been to re-home Roz. This, however, was not an option for me. I had made a commitment to care for him, and did not want to break this commitment. The 'harder' solution was to a) separate my male, b) build a larger enclosure, and c) get a little harem of female tortoises for him. It took me nearly a year to find females, since in the pet trade, most tortoises are male. I finally got Mila and Jill, and then Lady.



I know that some people will advise that two female tortoises will get along fine. I disagree: one will always be the underdog. At least for testudo species, if you want to keep multiple females together, you should get 3 or more. This way they are less likely to fight, and the bullying will be divided a little among them.
During the Summer, the tortoises happily (and peacefully) lived outside in the large tortoise garden I built them. They will be divided over several indoor tortoise tables for the winter.


They spread out over the entire tortoise garden, except to eat.

IF you decide you want more than 1 tortoise, please avoid keeping 2 males together, or 1 male and 1 female. Either 3 females (with LOTS of space) or 1 male and 3+ females might work... but even then, you may find yourself needing a degree in tortoise diplomatics!

IF you decide to keep multiple tortoises, please remember that the enclosure size must adjust accordingly for multiple tortoises! If the absolute minimum size for 1 tortoise is 2'x4', then each additional tortoise will need at least that much more space. As always, larger is better when it comes to tortoise enclosures!

Hi,
I currently have a spur thigh tortoise (aka Greek) and he’s apparently part of the testudo species too (he’s called Bolt) , I have been thinking about getting him a female friend hence why I read your post carefully, Bolt lives out side all year round with access to the whole garden .... hibernating throughout winter in my shed, do you think the fact that Bolt and the female tortoise (if bought/adopted) would be ok together as they have the whole garden and that there’s therefore perhaps more space for them to avoid each other if that’s what they wanted to do.
I found your response really interesting and well written thank you for taking the time to post!
 

Coraleaf0

New Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2020
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
Washinton
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a thread on the TFO that has the article. @Tom and others have been saying this for a long time - this is nothing new, I've just added fun pictures. :)

Today I would like to write about an important lesson that I learned the hard way a few years ago: it is not a good idea to keep 2 tortoises together (yes, there are exceptions).

When tortoise owners ask me if I think they should get a second tortoise, I tell them: only if they plan to get a second enclosure. Then I advise them to spend the money on spoiling their 1 tortoise first: build a big outdoor enclosure, enlarge the indoor enclosure, upgrade the lighting. Put some money into savings for emergency vet care (you'll need it at some point during your tortoise's 80 or so years of life!).

...."But she's so.... lonely!"

Believe me, I've been there. Humans seek companionship, as do many other mammals. We like to project our own feelings onto our pets, and so, we assume that our tortoise would be happier with a 'friend.' Please know that I am not judging you for wanting to get another tortoise. Getting a little 'friend' for a tortoise can be so tempting. The truth is: (except for a few species like redfoot torts, aldabras, or pancake torts), most tortoises are loners in the wild. They roam several acres, and only occasionally encounter other tortoises. If a tortoise encounters another, they will fight, mate, or both. Then they wander apart again (or one is chased away by the other).



If you are thinking of getting your pet tortoise a 'buddy' then I hope you read my story first, and put some serious thought into your decision after reading about my experience. Keeping 2 tortoises together (especially of the testudo species) is NOT a cake walk.


In reality, it will look like this... *BITE!* ... a lot of the time.

If you get a male and a female, after much biting and bullying, there will be plenty of mating too. More than there would ever be in nature. Enough mating to kill the female.



If the female can't get away from the male, he will seek her out again and again (more than in nature, since there she CAN get away). My friend rescued a tortoise female earlier this year whose vent was terribly infected and torn and chafed and ripped from all the mating. It took her a long time to heal.


The infected, oozing, puss-filled tail of my friend's rescued female that was mated too much.
(I'm posting a small picture just so it's not too gross)


Here is how I learned my lesson:

I started out with one female Russian tortoise, Timmy. After I had her for a few years, I decided I'd like to get a second tortoise. A few knowledgeable people on the tortoise forums advised against this. They warned me that tortoises, especially the testudo species (to which Russian tortoises belong) are very territorial. They told me that the tortoises would compete for food, for the basking spot, for space. They told me that they would bite and ram, and one would become stressed, hurt, and might die.


"Timmy needs a friend. My tortoises will be different and won't fight."

For some reason, I was convinced that 'my' tortoises would be different. I set up a my enclosure with lots of site barriers. I soon adopted a little male, Roz. For the first 18 or so months, everything went well. There were NO signs of aggression, both tortoises ate together, basked together, slept together. Yay! My tortoises were the exception!


Wait. What?! My male is biting my female?! Oh no!

Then one day, Roz matured. Roz discovered that he was a rapist little man-tortoise with needs and urges. Roz discovered that he didn't like sharing his food. Roz discovered that he could boss Timmy around, in spite of being half her size. Roz became a big, mean, bossy, biting bully. Timmy lost scales on her legs, and even got a bite wound on her face once. Roz got to spend a lot of time in the time-out bin until I separated him permanently.

Watch this video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy (which is territorial behavior), and then circling her and biting her:

In the wild, this is 'normal' courting behavior. However, in the wild, the female can get away! In captivity, while both tortoises were kept in the same enclosure, Roz wanted to mate with Timmy 15+ times each day. He spent his spare time bullying her away from the food or the basking spot. Timmy started to become withdrawn, and wanted to hide and sleep all the time. I separated the two, and she started eating again, thank goodness.

Now, the 'easy' solution would have been to re-home Roz. This, however, was not an option for me. I had made a commitment to care for him, and did not want to break this commitment. The 'harder' solution was to a) separate my male, b) build a larger enclosure, and c) get a little harem of female tortoises for him. It took me nearly a year to find females, since in the pet trade, most tortoises are male. I finally got Mila and Jill, and then Lady.



I know that some people will advise that two female tortoises will get along fine. I disagree: one will always be the underdog. At least for testudo species, if you want to keep multiple females together, you should get 3 or more. This way they are less likely to fight, and the bullying will be divided a little among them.
During the Summer, the tortoises happily (and peacefully) lived outside in the large tortoise garden I built them. They will be divided over several indoor tortoise tables for the winter.


They spread out over the entire tortoise garden, except to eat.

IF you decide you want more than 1 tortoise, please avoid keeping 2 males together, or 1 male and 1 female. Either 3 females (with LOTS of space) or 1 male and 3+ females might work... but even then, you may find yourself needing a degree in tortoise diplomatics!

IF you decide to keep multiple tortoises, please remember that the enclosure size must adjust accordingly for multiple tortoises! If the absolute minimum size for 1 tortoise is 2'x4', then each additional tortoise will need at least that much more space. As always, larger is better when it comes to tortoise enclosures!
Hey uh... I already have 2 male Russian torts (have had em for 2 years) and I only joined this forum recently, discovering that I've been doing SO many things wrong... uh oh. What should I do right away? I probably need to start working on separate tortoise tables for them but is there anything that should be done meanwhile? How bad would it be to keep them together until I can get at least a bigger table built for both of them, and then another to separate them? (which may take a couple months, since we're in full quarantine in Washington state and my parents won't go to Home Depot for wood or anything)
 

TechnoCheese

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Hi,
I currently have a spur thigh tortoise (aka Greek) and he’s apparently part of the testudo species too (he’s called Bolt) , I have been thinking about getting him a female friend hence why I read your post carefully, Bolt lives out side all year round with access to the whole garden .... hibernating throughout winter in my shed, do you think the fact that Bolt and the female tortoise (if bought/adopted) would be ok together as they have the whole garden and that there’s therefore perhaps more space for them to avoid each other if that’s what they wanted to do.
I found your response really interesting and well written thank you for taking the time to post!
Tortoises should never be kept in pairs regardless of gender, space given, or hides available. In pairs, there is always a dominant and a subordinate. One is constantly being bullied, and the other can never get the intruder out of it’s territory. In pairs, they only have each other to focus on, and it never works in the favor of either tortoise.

In groups, however, the aggression is spread out and a pecking order can be formed. It doesn’t always work out and the tortoise will always be happier alone, but if you want multiple tortoises in the same enclosure, it has to be a group of 3 or more. Remember, tortoises don’t need or want friends, and putting more in the enclosure is only to our benefit.
 

Steviemonty

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Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Messages
25
Location (City and/or State)
Norwich uk
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a thread on the TFO that has the article. @Tom and others have been saying this for a long time - this is nothing new, I've just added fun pictures. :)

Today I would like to write about an important lesson that I learned the hard way a few years ago: it is not a good idea to keep 2 tortoises together (yes, there are exceptions).

When tortoise owners ask me if I think they should get a second tortoise, I tell them: only if they plan to get a second enclosure. Then I advise them to spend the money on spoiling their 1 tortoise first: build a big outdoor enclosure, enlarge the indoor enclosure, upgrade the lighting. Put some money into savings for emergency vet care (you'll need it at some point during your tortoise's 80 or so years of life!).

...."But she's so.... lonely!"

Believe me, I've been there. Humans seek companionship, as do many other mammals. We like to project our own feelings onto our pets, and so, we assume that our tortoise would be happier with a 'friend.' Please know that I am not judging you for wanting to get another tortoise. Getting a little 'friend' for a tortoise can be so tempting. The truth is: (except for a few species like redfoot torts, aldabras, or pancake torts), most tortoises are loners in the wild. They roam several acres, and only occasionally encounter other tortoises. If a tortoise encounters another, they will fight, mate, or both. Then they wander apart again (or one is chased away by the other).



If you are thinking of getting your pet tortoise a 'buddy' then I hope you read my story first, and put some serious thought into your decision after reading about my experience. Keeping 2 tortoises together (especially of the testudo species) is NOT a cake walk.


In reality, it will look like this... *BITE!* ... a lot of the time.

If you get a male and a female, after much biting and bullying, there will be plenty of mating too. More than there would ever be in nature. Enough mating to kill the female.



If the female can't get away from the male, he will seek her out again and again (more than in nature, since there she CAN get away). My friend rescued a tortoise female earlier this year whose vent was terribly infected and torn and chafed and ripped from all the mating. It took her a long time to heal.


The infected, oozing, puss-filled tail of my friend's rescued female that was mated too much.
(I'm posting a small picture just so it's not too gross)


Here is how I learned my lesson:

I started out with one female Russian tortoise, Timmy. After I had her for a few years, I decided I'd like to get a second tortoise. A few knowledgeable people on the tortoise forums advised against this. They warned me that tortoises, especially the testudo species (to which Russian tortoises belong) are very territorial. They told me that the tortoises would compete for food, for the basking spot, for space. They told me that they would bite and ram, and one would become stressed, hurt, and might die.


"Timmy needs a friend. My tortoises will be different and won't fight."

For some reason, I was convinced that 'my' tortoises would be different. I set up a my enclosure with lots of site barriers. I soon adopted a little male, Roz. For the first 18 or so months, everything went well. There were NO signs of aggression, both tortoises ate together, basked together, slept together. Yay! My tortoises were the exception!


Wait. What?! My male is biting my female?! Oh no!

Then one day, Roz matured. Roz discovered that he was a rapist little man-tortoise with needs and urges. Roz discovered that he didn't like sharing his food. Roz discovered that he could boss Timmy around, in spite of being half her size. Roz became a big, mean, bossy, biting bully. Timmy lost scales on her legs, and even got a bite wound on her face once. Roz got to spend a lot of time in the time-out bin until I separated him permanently.

Watch this video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy (which is territorial behavior), and then circling her and biting her:

In the wild, this is 'normal' courting behavior. However, in the wild, the female can get away! In captivity, while both tortoises were kept in the same enclosure, Roz wanted to mate with Timmy 15+ times each day. He spent his spare time bullying her away from the food or the basking spot. Timmy started to become withdrawn, and wanted to hide and sleep all the time. I separated the two, and she started eating again, thank goodness.

Now, the 'easy' solution would have been to re-home Roz. This, however, was not an option for me. I had made a commitment to care for him, and did not want to break this commitment. The 'harder' solution was to a) separate my male, b) build a larger enclosure, and c) get a little harem of female tortoises for him. It took me nearly a year to find females, since in the pet trade, most tortoises are male. I finally got Mila and Jill, and then Lady.



I know that some people will advise that two female tortoises will get along fine. I disagree: one will always be the underdog. At least for testudo species, if you want to keep multiple females together, you should get 3 or more. This way they are less likely to fight, and the bullying will be divided a little among them.
During the Summer, the tortoises happily (and peacefully) lived outside in the large tortoise garden I built them. They will be divided over several indoor tortoise tables for the winter.


They spread out over the entire tortoise garden, except to eat.

IF you decide you want more than 1 tortoise, please avoid keeping 2 males together, or 1 male and 1 female. Either 3 females (with LOTS of space) or 1 male and 3+ females might work... but even then, you may find yourself needing a degree in tortoise diplomatics!

IF you decide to keep multiple tortoises, please remember that the enclosure size must adjust accordingly for multiple tortoises! If the absolute minimum size for 1 tortoise is 2'x4', then each additional tortoise will need at least that much more space. As always, larger is better when it comes to tortoise enclosures!
 

Luke_SL

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
Wakefield
I know this was posted a long long time ago but it will be helpful for a very long time. I got red foot tortoises and 2 female and 1 Male and they seem to be fine for now. Obviously who knows whether it will work out but if worst comes to worst, they will need separating!
 

Jon c

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Messages
99
Location (City and/or State)
Williamsville
This is a copy/paste of an article I wrote on my blog last year. I've seen several new keepers ask the question of whether they should get a 'friend' for their tortoise, and so rather than keeping on linking to my blog (which feels kinda self-promoting, which is not my intent), I am creating a thread on the TFO that has the article. @Tom and others have been saying this for a long time - this is nothing new, I've just added fun pictures. :)

Today I would like to write about an important lesson that I learned the hard way a few years ago: it is not a good idea to keep 2 tortoises together (yes, there are exceptions).

When tortoise owners ask me if I think they should get a second tortoise, I tell them: only if they plan to get a second enclosure. Then I advise them to spend the money on spoiling their 1 tortoise first: build a big outdoor enclosure, enlarge the indoor enclosure, upgrade the lighting. Put some money into savings for emergency vet care (you'll need it at some point during your tortoise's 80 or so years of life!).

...."But she's so.... lonely!"

Believe me, I've been there. Humans seek companionship, as do many other mammals. We like to project our own feelings onto our pets, and so, we assume that our tortoise would be happier with a 'friend.' Please know that I am not judging you for wanting to get another tortoise. Getting a little 'friend' for a tortoise can be so tempting. The truth is: (except for a few species like redfoot torts, aldabras, or pancake torts), most tortoises are loners in the wild. They roam several acres, and only occasionally encounter other tortoises. If a tortoise encounters another, they will fight, mate, or both. Then they wander apart again (or one is chased away by the other).



If you are thinking of getting your pet tortoise a 'buddy' then I hope you read my story first, and put some serious thought into your decision after reading about my experience. Keeping 2 tortoises together (especially of the testudo species) is NOT a cake walk.


In reality, it will look like this... *BITE!* ... a lot of the time.

If you get a male and a female, after much biting and bullying, there will be plenty of mating too. More than there would ever be in nature. Enough mating to kill the female.



If the female can't get away from the male, he will seek her out again and again (more than in nature, since there she CAN get away). My friend rescued a tortoise female earlier this year whose vent was terribly infected and torn and chafed and ripped from all the mating. It took her a long time to heal.


The infected, oozing, puss-filled tail of my friend's rescued female that was mated too much.
(I'm posting a small picture just so it's not too gross)


Here is how I learned my lesson:

I started out with one female Russian tortoise, Timmy. After I had her for a few years, I decided I'd like to get a second tortoise. A few knowledgeable people on the tortoise forums advised against this. They warned me that tortoises, especially the testudo species (to which Russian tortoises belong) are very territorial. They told me that the tortoises would compete for food, for the basking spot, for space. They told me that they would bite and ram, and one would become stressed, hurt, and might die.


"Timmy needs a friend. My tortoises will be different and won't fight."

For some reason, I was convinced that 'my' tortoises would be different. I set up a my enclosure with lots of site barriers. I soon adopted a little male, Roz. For the first 18 or so months, everything went well. There were NO signs of aggression, both tortoises ate together, basked together, slept together. Yay! My tortoises were the exception!


Wait. What?! My male is biting my female?! Oh no!

Then one day, Roz matured. Roz discovered that he was a rapist little man-tortoise with needs and urges. Roz discovered that he didn't like sharing his food. Roz discovered that he could boss Timmy around, in spite of being half her size. Roz became a big, mean, bossy, biting bully. Timmy lost scales on her legs, and even got a bite wound on her face once. Roz got to spend a lot of time in the time-out bin until I separated him permanently.

Watch this video of Roz bobbing his head at Timmy (which is territorial behavior), and then circling her and biting her:

In the wild, this is 'normal' courting behavior. However, in the wild, the female can get away! In captivity, while both tortoises were kept in the same enclosure, Roz wanted to mate with Timmy 15+ times each day. He spent his spare time bullying her away from the food or the basking spot. Timmy started to become withdrawn, and wanted to hide and sleep all the time. I separated the two, and she started eating again, thank goodness.

Now, the 'easy' solution would have been to re-home Roz. This, however, was not an option for me. I had made a commitment to care for him, and did not want to break this commitment. The 'harder' solution was to a) separate my male, b) build a larger enclosure, and c) get a little harem of female tortoises for him. It took me nearly a year to find females, since in the pet trade, most tortoises are male. I finally got Mila and Jill, and then Lady.



I know that some people will advise that two female tortoises will get along fine. I disagree: one will always be the underdog. At least for testudo species, if you want to keep multiple females together, you should get 3 or more. This way they are less likely to fight, and the bullying will be divided a little among them.
During the Summer, the tortoises happily (and peacefully) lived outside in the large tortoise garden I built them. They will be divided over several indoor tortoise tables for the winter.


They spread out over the entire tortoise garden, except to eat.

IF you decide you want more than 1 tortoise, please avoid keeping 2 males together, or 1 male and 1 female. Either 3 females (with LOTS of space) or 1 male and 3+ females might work... but even then, you may find yourself needing a degree in tortoise diplomatics!

IF you decide to keep multiple tortoises, please remember that the enclosure size must adjust accordingly for multiple tortoises! If the absolute minimum size for 1 tortoise is 2'x4', then each additional tortoise will need at least that much more space. As always, larger is better when it comes to tortoise enclosures!
Great read. Lmao at Roz being a rapist.
 

idcowden

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Walton-on-Thames
Out of interest, do you think there is any difference if the tortoises have been together from birth (i.e. brood siblings)?

Am asking as we have two spur-thighed tortoises which are female siblings. They are about a year old now and seem fairly happy sharing the same table. They will sometimes sleep together and sometimes apart, but I haven't seen any signs of aggression particularly.
 

willee638

Active Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Messages
283
Location (City and/or State)
HK
Yes, there're exceptions a few species like red foots, aldabras etc... can be kept together I read on the article. Mine is a red foot tortoise & I learn a smaller one would follow a larger of the same species around & can tolerate each other more than other breeds, you might be very lucky to have a pair that gets along well possibly because they're siblings & both females being the case. I'm reluctant to get another for my tort as a companion because he/she is only a yearling & sex undetermined, I don't want to risk the chance of having both males would be a nightmare scenario.
 

The Tortoise Tree

Active Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
102
Location (City and/or State)
Venus
Yes, there're exceptions a few species like red foots, aldabras etc... can be kept together I read on the article. Mine is a red foot tortoise & I learn a smaller one would follow a larger of the same species around & can tolerate each other more than other breeds, you might be very lucky to have a pair that gets along well possibly because they're siblings & both females being the case. I'm reluctant to get another for my tort as a companion because he/she is only a yearling & sex undetermined, I don't want to risk the chance of having both males would be a nightmare scenario.
and that is why I have a redfoots and pancakes!
 

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