Fecal testing

[Laurie]

Hi, I've had my adult RT for almost a year now. I also have two babies rt's living separately. Ive never had a fecal done on the adult, he is WC. He shows no signs or symptoms of having a parasite infestation. Next summer, I may try connecting my outdoor enclosures to make one 16 ' x 8' pen, for all three.

Isn't it normal for a tortoise to have low levels of parasites? Is it beneficial to them in anyway, like human gut bacteria? Are they better off, immunity wise, to have a small amount of parasites in their intestines?

Brains is doing so well, I would hate to have to medicate him without good reason. It's just an idea I'm toying with, I don't have to put any of them together, I just thought it would make a make a nice big space for them..

What do you guys think?

[Yvonne G]

I would do a fecal. Not only on the older one, but on the smaller ones too.

[Eweezyfosheezy]

I would get a fecal check on the adult but not for the two babies, unless they have come into contact with your adult or other adult tortoises. It is good for them to have certain parasites at a low level, but those CB babies most likely dont have any parasites and introducing them to a tortoise that does have them could mean death or sickness. Another thing to think about when introducing them is he will pester them to death because he is a male russian and they will be much smaller than him and wont be able to do anything about it. I have had an 8" female killed in just one afternoon because she had bled to death from one of her wounds caused by one of my males. If you do want to introduce them in the future I wouldnt do it for another couple of years.

[Carol S]

I am so sorry about the loss of your female Russian. Did the male do the injuries to her because of mating or is the male just very aggressive and mean?

I get upset when I see my male nipping and biting at my females during mating. He was getting just to rough the other day so I put him in another pen so he would quit bothering them. He seems to really pester one of my females (Natasha). I don't know why he singles her out as there are other adult females to mate with. I saw a little blood spot on a scale by her eye and I know he did it so he was banned to another pen.