HI tortoise people, I probably ask the same/dumb questions over and over but now I have yet another...
So I have 4 Baby Redfoots (the 4th-the baby is living in her own enclosure)
I've had 3 now for 1-1.5 years all living together somewhat peacefully...
So let me explain "peacefully":
I first got a baby redfoot and he lived alone for a month or 2 until I got another, they lived together fine for about 3-4 months with no issues...than came my baby cherry head...she was smaller then the other 2 but fit in well size wise and had no issues for months until I noticed my 2nd redfoot was not eating or gaining weight.
I determined it was the new cherryhead being a bully...so I separated my 2nd redfoot to allow her to eat and gain weight which she did.
so recently I put all 3 back together and everything has been fine and great until tonight my cherryhead bit my oldest and 1st redfoot in the neck while they were eating. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or she thought he was a mushroom but it scared the bejesus out of me and luckily my redfoot was not harmed....
so enough was enough, my cherryhead was a bully to my 2nd redfoot the first time and now a bully to my 1st redfoot for the last time so she is now in a separate blocked off area within the enclosure until I build her a separate one.
.....so with my cherryhead in solitary, that bring me to my 2nd redfoot (the one I had separated for a few months to gain weight after getting bullied by the cherryhead) I know tortoises will compete over food, I have seen this from the start and normally watch them eat just in case, but sometimes I dont' but tonight I noticed the bite so I'm glad I was watching..anyway...
When my 2nd redfoot is eating, she sits in the middle of the dish and block the other torts from eating (which is ironic since they did that to her months ago....)
She does this with all of them and now I'm worried she will start to bite my 1st redfoot...
I feel like I'm confusing everyone...or maybe I'm nuts or both...but I see other people with multiple baby torts living together "peacefully" and I'm confused as to why mine can't live this way. I know I would have issues like this in the future when they get older but my oldest tortoise is only 1.5-2 years old!!! I don't know what normal behavior looks like!! What is normal, what is aggression, bullying?? Should I keep all of my BABY tortoises separate ALREADY!!?
HELP! *cries*
So I have 4 Baby Redfoots (the 4th-the baby is living in her own enclosure)
I've had 3 now for 1-1.5 years all living together somewhat peacefully...
So let me explain "peacefully":
I first got a baby redfoot and he lived alone for a month or 2 until I got another, they lived together fine for about 3-4 months with no issues...than came my baby cherry head...she was smaller then the other 2 but fit in well size wise and had no issues for months until I noticed my 2nd redfoot was not eating or gaining weight.
I determined it was the new cherryhead being a bully...so I separated my 2nd redfoot to allow her to eat and gain weight which she did.
so recently I put all 3 back together and everything has been fine and great until tonight my cherryhead bit my oldest and 1st redfoot in the neck while they were eating. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or she thought he was a mushroom but it scared the bejesus out of me and luckily my redfoot was not harmed....
so enough was enough, my cherryhead was a bully to my 2nd redfoot the first time and now a bully to my 1st redfoot for the last time so she is now in a separate blocked off area within the enclosure until I build her a separate one.
.....so with my cherryhead in solitary, that bring me to my 2nd redfoot (the one I had separated for a few months to gain weight after getting bullied by the cherryhead) I know tortoises will compete over food, I have seen this from the start and normally watch them eat just in case, but sometimes I dont' but tonight I noticed the bite so I'm glad I was watching..anyway...
When my 2nd redfoot is eating, she sits in the middle of the dish and block the other torts from eating (which is ironic since they did that to her months ago....)
She does this with all of them and now I'm worried she will start to bite my 1st redfoot...
I feel like I'm confusing everyone...or maybe I'm nuts or both...but I see other people with multiple baby torts living together "peacefully" and I'm confused as to why mine can't live this way. I know I would have issues like this in the future when they get older but my oldest tortoise is only 1.5-2 years old!!! I don't know what normal behavior looks like!! What is normal, what is aggression, bullying?? Should I keep all of my BABY tortoises separate ALREADY!!?
HELP! *cries*