Sexing 2 adoptees

[Melistopher]

These two girls are 7 year old half sisters so I know they're young to sex. I was told they’re looking like girls but I previously had to give one back because it turned out to be a male at 15. My family is trying not to get attached in case one turns out to be male… what do these two look like to you?

 

[Tom]

These two girls are 7 year old half sisters so I know they're young to sex. I was told they’re looking like girls but I previously had to give one back because it turned out to be a male at 15. My family is trying not to get attached in case one turns out to be male… what do these two look like to you?

Two females should not be housed together either. Tortoises should not be housed in pairs ever and this is one of the worst species to do it with. Groups can sometimes works, but not pairs.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Both look like females.

 

[Melistopher]

Two females should not be housed together either. Tortoises should not be housed in pairs every and this is one of the worst species to do it with. Groups can sometimes works, but not pairs.

Thank you but I was asking about gender. These two have been together since they were born and I don’t plan on separating them unless one turns out to be a male. They crawl in the same burrows together, eat nicely together and sleep in the same house at night, in their respective corners. I legally adopted them together through the tortoise and turtle club and I will be keeping them together.

 

[wellington]

Thank you but I was asking about gender. These two have been together since they were born and I don’t plan on separating them unless one turns out to be a male. They crawl in the same burrows together, eat nicely together and sleep in the same house at night, in their respective corners. I legally adopted them together through the tortoise and turtle club and I will be keeping them together.

Everything you are seeing is bullying. You are harming and stressing them by not separating them!
Give one back now then you won't get attached. If you get attached then why wouldn't you want to give them a safe life?
If you have enough room, like an acre, then get a couple more females, add a bunch of sight barriers, hides, water bowls, etc and you could possibly keep the 4 together.
Yea they both look female so far. That being said, them being housed together, stressed the whole time, they are likely under sized and possibly not showing their true sex yet.

 

[wellington]

In fact for 7 years of age they look very small. A lot of Sullies at 3 years are that size or larger.
Living in a pair is doing its damage!

 

[OliveW]

These two girls are 7 year old half sisters so I know they're young to sex. I was told they’re looking like girls but I previously had to give one back because it turned out to be a male at 15. My family is trying not to get attached in case one turns out to be male… what do these two look like to you?

You gave a tortoise back after 15 years? That's extremely intriguing to me. ANYTHING I had cared for that length of time I would have some sort of emotional attachment to.

With every ounce of my being, I genuinely hope your current two are girls. You certainly came to the right place to ask.

 

[Melistopher]

In fact for 7 years of age they look very small. A lot of Bullies at 3 years are that size or larger.
Living in a pair is doing its damage!

They came to me with a bit of history stopping at 2019. Their shells were soft but since they’ve been in my care, their shells are hardening and they are growing. They are under the care of a vet and I assure you they are perfectly fine together with no bullying.

 

[Melistopher]

You gave a tortoise back after 15 years? That's extremely intriguing to me. ANYTHING I had cared for that length of time I would have some sort of emotional attachment to.

With every ounce of my being, I genuinely hope your current two are girls. You certainly came to the right place to ask.

Ugh. It was an awful experience. We adopted 2 girls and named them Ginger and Basil who were approx. 10 y/o. One day we found Basil being a little aggressive with Ginger. We were told it was a dominance thing but we didn’t think so… we asked them to pick up Basil to make sure it was a girl and if it was, we’d figure it out. Long story short, they gave her back saying the biologists are sure it’s a girl… and we believed them until we saw Basil on our patio and freaked out thinking she broke her leg… until we got closer and realised it WASN’T A LEG... and that was that.

 

[Melistopher]

In fact for 7 years of age they look very small. A lot of Sullies at 3 years are that size or larger.
Living in a pair is doing its damage!

They aren’t sulcatas.

 

[wellington]

They came to me with a bit of history stopping at 2019. Their shells were soft but since they’ve been in my care, their shells are hardening and they are growing. They are under the care of a vet and I assure you they are perfectly fine together with no bullying.

You can find many threads on here about bullying with two tortoises being together.
Many years of tortoise experience that will tell you, you are wrong and the small size and other things you say they do is not the act of love or friendship, that's human perception.
But I guess you know more then the years of experience. Good luck to them!

 

[wellington]

They aren’t sulcatas.

You're right on that. I didnt blow the picture up.

 

[ColumbiaJane]

Girls. Short tails.
That’s about the size mine were when they killed their sibling. It’s an awful thing to come home and see…

 

[Tom]

Thank you but I was asking about gender. These two have been together since they were born and I don’t plan on separating them unless one turns out to be a male. They crawl in the same burrows together, eat nicely together and sleep in the same house at night, in their respective corners. I legally adopted them together through the tortoise and turtle club and I will be keeping them together.

That's sad for them. You are not doing right by them. Some people have to learn the hard way.

 

[ColumbiaJane]

That's sad for them. You are not doing right by them. Some people have to learn the hard way.

That was 25 years ago and I have learned a lot since then.
Still learning, thanks to all of you on the Forum.

 

[wellington]

That was 25 years ago and I have learned a lot since then.
Still learning, thanks to all of you on the Forum.

He wasn't replying to you.
He was replying to the OP of this thread.

 

[ColumbiaJane]

He wasn't replying to you.
He was replying to the OP of this thread.

I know. Thank you.