biting tortoises

[angelakeir]

Hi everyone. Am desperate for advice. I have 2 Hermann torts and a spur thighed. They have been living happily inside the house this winter in an enclosure which is 6ft in length. However when we have put them outside this last couple of weeks. The spur thigh chases after either of the Hermanns and actually bites them on the back or the back legs. Its horrible. We are obviously keeping him seperate when they are outside, but they are perfectly fine when we put them together inside. Thank you.

 

[egyptiandan]

They are growing up and trying out their new found hormones. Like your finding, it's not a good idea to mix species. This is especially true once they start to become adults, as Greeks and Hermanns have different breeding rituals.
I think your going o have to keep them seperate from now on, outside and inside.

Danny

 

[angelakeir]

Hi everyone. Am desperate for advice. I have 2 Hermann torts and a spur thighed. They have been living happily inside the house this winter in an enclosure which is 6ft in length. However when we have put them outside this last couple of weeks. The spur thigh chases after either of the Hermanns and actually bites them on the back or the back legs. Its horrible. We are obviously keeping him seperate when they are outside, but they are perfectly fine when we put them together inside. Thank you.

Thanks for your reply. The place where we bought the two Hermann's had different types of torts living together in the garden of all different ages. Then we bought the spur thighed from a shop, we told him we had Hermann's and he had mixed torts living together in an enclosure in the shop. He never said there would be a problem. Thanks again.

 

[Chipdog]

Wait a second here

Are you saying someone lied to you so you would buy something from them?

What is this world coming to????

No really you should not mix species for more reasons then just mating. They can also cross contaminate internal "bugs".

Sorry but you cant trust someone who is looking to make a buck. Just think used car salesman.

 

[richyrich777]

Yep, I wouldn't mix different species or even the same species together for the same reasons that they are probably going to start some nasty trouble. And so I have read everywhere.

 

[TanknTurbo]

Our bigger male Greek tortoise (who was supposed to be a female!) exhibited the same aggressive behavior toward our littler (but same age) Greek male. We set up some sight barriers and we feed them separately and out of sight, and it has really helped with the bullying. I was at the Walmart garden center one day, and stumbled across these good size red brick garden border things (like to trim your garden with), and they are a great height and weight to use as sight barriers. Plus it breaks the enclosure up a bit more and I think the tortoises find it more interesting in there.

Does anyone have good advice on how to handle a tortoise bite (to another tortoise) after it has happened? I know preventative measures are key, but just in case there is a run in.

 

[angelakeir]

Hi, are you saying that they are not totally seperate but partly by the bricks, so they can be out of sight of each other if they wish?

Thanks

 

[bikerchicspain]

Are greeks not illegal where you guys live?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, are you saying that they are not totally seperate but partly by the bricks, so they can be out of sight of each other if they wish?

Thanks

I think what is being described is just using the brick borders as sight barriers. That is to say, setting them up around the habitat so it breaks the line of sight. The tortoises can still walk around the whole habitat, but they have to actually walk around the sight barriers.

Yvonne

 

[Crazy1]

bikerchicspain (yvonne) In the US and England Greeks are legal.

 

[desertsss]

I definitely wouldn't even have them together inside because as everyone has said they can make eachother sick. Even I, I have two desert torts that are maybe a year and a half to two years old, and I am probably going to have to separate them soon due to bullying. Sometimes they just won't get along.