2 breeds in same viv

Status
Not open for further replies.

ginge

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
11
Hi every1 I recently looked to purchase a horsefield tort to keep in the same viv as my Herman tort I have.I was advised against this but wasn't given any reason why I shouldn't do this.I hav a friend that has a large red foot tort and a Herman in the same viv and she has no problems with them together.I would be very grateful for any info as to y I shouldnt jeep to breeds together.many thanks
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,698
Location (City and/or State)
CA
I would suggest your friend separate them they have different dietary needs from each other. Tortoises as a rule are solitary especially russians. They tend not to do well with others especially in indoor enclosures. Tortoises view each others as competition for food and basking spots. They tend to get together only to mate and or fight. You could probably keep 2 different species together with no problems, but I tendoto look how the tortoise feels about other tortoises.
 

jaizei

Unknown Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
9,056
Location (City and/or State)
Earth
How big of a vivarium are you talking about, and what are your reasons for wanting to keep them together?
 

JoesMum

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,610
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
Russians and red foots have very different care requirements in feed, humidity and temps. If you get it right for one, it will be all wrong for the other which will lead to illness.

Generally species should not be mixed as they carry different pathogens. What one tolerates may prove fatal to another.

Most species of tortoise are solitary in the wild and do not share territory and food nicely, particularly as they get older. The ensuing fighting can lead to blood being drawn and the losing tortoise becomes withdrawn and ill and could die. This happens regardless of gender.

Testudo (Greeks, Russians, Hermanns, Marginated) are particularly bad at this with Russians being the nastiest fighters.

So different species shouldn't share and, if you have two tortoises, you must accept that sharing may well not be a permanent arrangement.

A new tortoise must be kept entirely separately in quarantine from yours for at least 6 months in any case.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Your friend with the redfoot and hermann in the same viv is caring for a time bomb. Eventually one or the other of them is going to start to show symptoms of poor/wrong care. The redfoot requires it to be humid, while the Russian requires a dry habitat.

If the two actually were "breeds" that would mean they were the same species, however, different tortoises are not breeds, they are totally different SPECIES from each other. And its never a good idea to mix species.

Regardless of what WE want to do, I think Captain Awesome said it best...do what the tortoise wants. In the words of famous Greta Garbo, "I vant to be alone!"
 

ginge

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
11
Iv been wanting anotha tort for a while as company for Herman I have already.the places round my area are asking silly money for a hermans tort.
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
Your Tortoise does not get lonely in the same sense of meaning as our species uses that word....a tortoise can and does live a content...healthy life as an only tort...:D
 

ginge

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
11
Everyday shelby paces up and down his viv backwards and forwards as if he's trying to dig his way out.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,655
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
What size viv do you have him in? He may be pacing, etc because it is too small for him. Give us some more info on your viv set up and the size of your tort. It could explain a lot.
 

ginge

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
11
wellington said:
What size viv do you have him in? He may be pacing, etc because it is too small for him. Give us some more info on your viv set up and the size of your tort. It could explain a lot.

Shelbys viv is 4ft x 2 ft he has a 150 watt komodo heat lamp and a 4ft repti glo uv lite.hope this helps.
 

Michael Bird

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Messages
243
Location (City and/or State)
Salt Lake City, Utah
2x4 feet really isn't big enough for a single adult tortoise, even for a small species like a Hermann's. It definitely isn't big enough for two tortoises of any size (except maybe hatchlings). As others have said, your tortoise doesn't really need companionship. If you simply want to have more tortoises (nothing wrong with that) then you'll need to provide more space so that they have room to wander in their own separate enclosures.
 

Terry Allan Hall

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
4,009
Location (City and/or State)
The Republic O' Tejas
ginge said:
wellington said:
What size viv do you have him in? He may be pacing, etc because it is too small for him. Give us some more info on your viv set up and the size of your tort. It could explain a lot.

Shelbys viv is 4ft x 2 ft he has a 150 watt komodo heat lamp and a 4ft repti glo uv lite.hope this helps.

For a solitary Hermann's, I'd like to suggest 6' X 4' for an indoor enclosure, and 8' X6' outside, minimally....really, you can't give a tortoise too much room.

And, mixing species, even two as close as a Hermann's and a Russian, is risky...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top