Tortoise love

[TURTLEGIRL73]

Hi,

I've got 2 tortoises named 'Bernard and Manny'. One is 3 years and the other one is 2 and a half years. One is a mini dwarf tortoise herman and the other one a herman.

Currently worried as Bernard the big one is always trying to have Tortoise love with little Manny, now I've noticed 3 holes in the shell of Manny. Should I be worried?


What can I do to heal the holes and is there any way to put Bernard off Manny?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Turtlegirl73: Welcome to the forum. I could be wrong, because I have no experience with the Hermann's tortoise, but I don't think there is such a thing as a "dwarf Hermann's." The only thing you can do to protect the smaller tortoise is to set up another habitat. It is very stressful for the smaller one to be treated this way. In the wild, the "owner" of the territory fights off the interloper, and the more submissive tortoise then gets out of that territory. In captivity, the more submissive tortoise has no place to go. So eventually he will stop eating and just stay out of the other tortoise's sight.

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you can post pictures of Manny's shell that would be helpful.

 

[micki]

hi and welcome to the forum from another Hermanns owner.

 

[jlyoncc1]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Crazy1]

TURTLEGIRL73, Welcome to the forum.

 

[TURTLEGIRL73]

Thank you very much for the welcome

Here us a link to a manny and bernard photo

I've ended up getting another tank, and it's the 'bad boy's tank', so when ever Bernard gets a bit lustrous, I can put him in the time out tank..lol..hoping the holes sort themselves out


http://www.flickr.com/photos/59175070@N00/3196572138/

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum

Yvonne sometimes Western Hermanns, Testudo hermanni hermanni are known as dwarf Hermanns.

If you post plastron pictures we can tell you for sure what subspecies and probably their sexes.

Danny

 

[TURTLEGIRL73]

All my photos are on Twit pic

http://twitpic.com/1u4hg

 

[egyptiandan]

Do you have any pictures of their bottom shells (plastron)?

Danny

 

[TheTortbaby]

You should the seperate them and take your tort a vetenarian.
make suure its an exotic one.

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Meg90]

It looks like both your tortoises have overgrown beaks as well. And a little pyramiding. Can you post pictures of your set up?

And what is the diet of your pair?

I think that moving Bernard to a different enclosure when he exhibits his natural behavior, is cruel.

In the wild tortoises have their own territories. They don't have time out spots. As a keeper, you are not even supposed to rearrange their enclosures alot if you can help it, as a change of scenery is hard for them to cope with.

The truth of the matter is, that you have a male and female. And as Danny said, they are two different subspecies that should not be bred. I think it would be best for both tortoises if you separated them into their own decent sized enclosures. It would save Manny the stress of constantly being chased down and mounted, and Bernard the stress of having to be moved when he behaves normally given his situation.

You should take a closeup of the holes. Why let something sort itself out, when you were worried enough to ask about it in the first place?

 

[TURTLEGIRL73]

What's the best thing for their beaks?

Thank you for the feed back

 

[Meg90]

Do you have cuttle bone in the enclosure? That helps...also, its a good idea to feed them on a piece of slate tile (you can get it at Menards, Home Depot etc) or on a brick or something rough

 

[TURTLEGIRL73]

Cheers for that, I'll think I will try that Meg90