Please help! I"ve had a tortoise for 3 years. I think he's a herman's but not sure. I've wanted him to have company and saw a very cute Russian Tortoise at the pet shop and brought him home. The guys at the store told me they'd get along and should have company. After 5 minutes n the roomy zoo-med habitat, my older tortoise started ramming the younger one repeatedly. The younger one retreated to the covered part of the habitat and is burrowing. What's going on? What can I do?
Aggressive Tortoise!
- Thread starter LisaMazz
- Start date
A very warm welcome to the forum!
Please separate the torts so as to stop bullying immediately. Torts are known for one thing: they do NOT like company; and are not at all sociable animals. Pet stores never give the right info: there ONE objective is MONEY. They'd be willing to sell you 100 torts for the money, without taking into consideration that these cute animals would end up at 'war' with one another!
Please read the different care sheets, and posting pics of your torts would enable members here to help you and give you advice.
Please separate the torts so as to stop bullying immediately. Torts are known for one thing: they do NOT like company; and are not at all sociable animals. Pet stores never give the right info: there ONE objective is MONEY. They'd be willing to sell you 100 torts for the money, without taking into consideration that these cute animals would end up at 'war' with one another!
Please read the different care sheets, and posting pics of your torts would enable members here to help you and give you advice.
Three rules come into play here:
1. Pet store clerks seldom know how to care for the animals they sell. They are in business to sell stuff.
2. Never mix species of tortoises. Tortoises that come from different continents or areas where they wouldn't contact each other in the wild might make each other sick or even dead. They have different microorganisms in their bodies than each other.
3. Tortoises are solitary creatures. They want to be king of their territory and they'll fight, sometimes to the death, to get rid of any other tortoise in their territory.
So, after all that... Hi, Lisa, and welcome to the Forum!!
1. Pet store clerks seldom know how to care for the animals they sell. They are in business to sell stuff.
2. Never mix species of tortoises. Tortoises that come from different continents or areas where they wouldn't contact each other in the wild might make each other sick or even dead. They have different microorganisms in their bodies than each other.
3. Tortoises are solitary creatures. They want to be king of their territory and they'll fight, sometimes to the death, to get rid of any other tortoise in their territory.
So, after all that... Hi, Lisa, and welcome to the Forum!!
This is 'business' and this is how they make money. Sorry to say it: by being DISHONEST.
Sorry you'll have to return the Russian...
I'm not sure but your tortoise looks like a Greek to me, definitely not a Hermann's. Anyway, he's really beautiful!
But in my opinion the zoo-med tortoise house is way too small for a big guy like him.
I'm not sure but your tortoise looks like a Greek to me, definitely not a Hermann's. Anyway, he's really beautiful!
But in my opinion the zoo-med tortoise house is way too small for a big guy like him.
Hi and welcome Lisa,
Sorry you were sold the tort in such an unscrupulous way just to boost their sales figures, but you're not the first and you won't be the last for that to happen to, so don't feel bad.
If you don't have the room for 2 enclosures the kindest thing would be to return him, as sad as that is.
Please listen to the other advice - Yvonne is a very experienced keeper who knows what she's talking about.
Your original tort is lovely - I hope you stay with the forum to ID him and learn all about the correct care for his species.
Sorry you were sold the tort in such an unscrupulous way just to boost their sales figures, but you're not the first and you won't be the last for that to happen to, so don't feel bad.
If you don't have the room for 2 enclosures the kindest thing would be to return him, as sad as that is.
Please listen to the other advice - Yvonne is a very experienced keeper who knows what she's talking about.
Your original tort is lovely - I hope you stay with the forum to ID him and learn all about the correct care for his species.
Bogie=babyDINO
Active Member
I work at Petsmart and I've literally had my managers tell me to sell animals as fast as I can. It's a business to them. Of course I try to sell them but I'm not going to lie to get them sold. Plus I won't sell them unless they have a proper enclosure and know all the proper care. But many employees do lie to sell animals so be careful. Probably best to take him back and tell that guy how messed up he was.
Yes we shouldn't tar all pet store employees with the same brush, it is good to be reminded that some do have animal welfare at heart even with pressure from management to sell. Thanks Boogie=babydino!
Hello, Lisa, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
i'm so sorry that you have received such bad advice from the pet store, but not surprised.
It's so sad you have to give the new one back, i'm sure you would have given it a good home.
Also have you seen http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/
Useful to look at in case you've missed something.
Careful of the cat! Maybe just being playful, but a tortoise on the forum lost an eye to a playful cat a couple of months back.
i'm so sorry that you have received such bad advice from the pet store, but not surprised.
It's so sad you have to give the new one back, i'm sure you would have given it a good home.
Also have you seen http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/
Useful to look at in case you've missed something.
Careful of the cat! Maybe just being playful, but a tortoise on the forum lost an eye to a playful cat a couple of months back.
Alaskamike
Well-Known Member
Lisa
Very nice tortoise
If you decide to take the new tortoise back to the pet store , maybe if you explain what happened and what you've learned , it could be a teachable moment for the staff there.
I hope you stay part of the Forum here and share.
Very nice tortoise
If you decide to take the new tortoise back to the pet store , maybe if you explain what happened and what you've learned , it could be a teachable moment for the staff there.
I hope you stay part of the Forum here and share.
Yes, all the advice on offer here is correct, and what you have there is a Greek tortoise. Greeks are incredibly aggressive animals, especially the males, and their go to offensive tactic is the battering ram, though they will bite and gouge if given the opportunity. I've had one male for over two decades, and he is the meanest little beast I've ever encountered (and I've kept a lot of tortoises in my twenty five years of keeping).
Put simply, you should never introduce a new tortoise to your current one, ever. Some folks keep tortoises in groups of three or more, and for them, this works, but this only works if you've had all the animals for over a year and the initial introductions go nicely. Fighting can resolve issues, ending in the animal's having mutual respect for one another's space, but this involves some creative enclosure design. Bottom line, if you're starting out, keep one animal. Maintain membership on this forum, learn everything you can. Then, if you want other tortoises, set them up in their own habitats. Certainly, you can't afford to do this now. But you never know where your interest in tortoises will take you. One day, you may live on acres of land with dozens of animals. You never know.
T.G.
Put simply, you should never introduce a new tortoise to your current one, ever. Some folks keep tortoises in groups of three or more, and for them, this works, but this only works if you've had all the animals for over a year and the initial introductions go nicely. Fighting can resolve issues, ending in the animal's having mutual respect for one another's space, but this involves some creative enclosure design. Bottom line, if you're starting out, keep one animal. Maintain membership on this forum, learn everything you can. Then, if you want other tortoises, set them up in their own habitats. Certainly, you can't afford to do this now. But you never know where your interest in tortoises will take you. One day, you may live on acres of land with dozens of animals. You never know.
T.G.
aundreagwen
Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2015
- Messages
- 46
I'm sorry the pet store gave you such terrible advice! That is so disheartening.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 29,970
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Hopefully it was just a general lack of knowledge than an out right lie to sell an extra tortoise.
