A friend

[Siren Nora]

I know you have said Leopard Tortoises shouldn't have friends but......
I placed a fake (real looking) tortoise in Nommie's outdoor enclosure to trick a cat that's been in the area. I do not let Nommie outside without supervision. and yes the decoy has worked. That cat is miffed. Nommie is too! She cuddles it! She runs to it! She tells it sweet nothing's with her eyes. Are you 100% sure they don't need friends?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The cuddling would likely be bullying.Running up to it could be a failed intimidation tactic. If your tort is still tiny, maybe it's just curious. Yes. They don't want or make friends. The behavior does sound kinda cute..........

 

[Tom]

Yes. We are sure. Everything you just described sounds like tortoise aggression and intimidation tactics.

Its amazing to me. No one would consider putting two male un-nuetered pit bulls loose in a back yard together. If this were done with 100 pairs of pitties, what percentage would rip each other up? It would be a high percentage, I can tell you. But putting two tortoises together is essentially the same thing and most people just go ahead with it anyway.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

This seems to be a super common misunderstanding. That most tortoises want a friend.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I had an episode like that between a snapping turtle and my kayak paddle when I was hanging out in "the lagoon." It's lust or dominance or bullying or territoriality. It's not friendship.

 

[tortdad]

I had an episode like that between a snapping turtle and my kayak paddle when I was hanging out in "the lagoon." It's lust or dominance or bullying or territoriality. It's not friendship.

Lust + paddle = dominatrix



0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Siren Nora]

Thank you everyone for your knowledge. I'm glad her and the fake tort can be "friends." No harm there. If it wasn't for you, I would have a back yard FULL of torts.

 

[Tom]

Thank you everyone for your knowledge. I'm glad her and the fake tort can be "friends." No harm there. If it wasn't for you, I would have a back yard FULL of torts.

Nothing wrong with that. Back yards full of tortoises are awesome! You've just got to house and group them in ways that are most likely to work. Leopards get along well in groups most of the time, just not pairs. As they mature, it is sometimes necessary to have a single male with multiple females per enclosure. With leopards in a large enough enclosure often multiple males will get along within a group too.

 

[Siren Nora]

Best fake friends forever!!! BFFFFs

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Or mannequin sparring partner...lol

 

[Lyn W]

My tortoise spotted herself in a broken mirror that was propped up outside last summer and spent quite a lot of time admiring herself at every opportunity - She looked behind it but think she must have worked out that it wasn't competition as she was quite calm.

 

[peasinapod]

My tortoise spotted herself in a broken mirror that was propped up outside last summer and spent quite a lot of time admiring herself at every opportunity - She looked behind it but think she must have worked out that it wasn't competition as she was quite calm.

Lucky you! I once roped off a part of the enclosure, where I was trying to grow some things, with some plastic material used to keep the lawn edges neat. Peter usually respects roped off areas very well.

He spent almost one hour rammimg and biting at the plastic until I figured out that it was quite refletive and was making him really mad.

 

[newCH]

Dont feel bad, I did the same thing. No wonder Sheldon kept walking over to the small fake tort ! The figures have no smell though.
I've read that redfoots can have friends, but I want Sheldon all to
myself ! LOL