Tom said:
And what if it is not? :$
Doing something wrong?!
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And what if it is not? :$
the big one could 'bully' the smaller, it wont eat and it will become sick and weak. Add some barriers, maybe two humid hides, two food bowls and make seperate areas in the One enclosure. That might help.
The bulb.. it isnt coil type is it? that will hurt the eyes.
The bulb.. it isnt coil type is it? that will hurt the eyes.
Laura said:
The bulb is okay. I'll try to devide the enclosure in two areas.
But strange. In the reptile shop they were also sharing one enclosure, and there was nothing going on. Are you sure that the smaller one not just needs a little bit more time to get used to his new enclosure?
Greetings and welcome!
Many pet stores only truly know the care for dogs and cats. Good pet stores know good care for birds and the tropical fish they sell. Finding a pet store that has workers that know good information about reptiles is rare indeed. Continue to ask questions on this forum. Tom has very good information that he has learned from breeding his tortoises for many years, you can trust his information. Here is a picture of my 6 month sulcata tortoise I acquired from Tom 5 months ago. This little guy weighs about 250 grams.
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Many pet stores only truly know the care for dogs and cats. Good pet stores know good care for birds and the tropical fish they sell. Finding a pet store that has workers that know good information about reptiles is rare indeed. Continue to ask questions on this forum. Tom has very good information that he has learned from breeding his tortoises for many years, you can trust his information. Here is a picture of my 6 month sulcata tortoise I acquired from Tom 5 months ago. This little guy weighs about 250 grams.
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Menno said:
Is this the same reptile shop that told you they were desert animals?
One doesn't necessarily have to "do" anything. Tortoises are solitary creatures and would prefer to be alone. Some species more than others. Most of them will do fine in small groups with the right age and sex ratios, but pairs are usually problematic. Even if the one is not overtly bullying, just his presence is enough to induce long term chronic stress in the tortoise who can't leave the area due to your enclosure walls. Group behavior dynamics are different than pair dynamics.
When I just looked at their enclosure, they were together at rest under the heat lamp! :-D But if the big one is bullying, how can I notice it?
The reason you see many tortoises in one enclosure in the pet store and they seem to be getting along is because no one tortoise has been able to claim that space as his own territory. They probably came together in a group of tortoises and were dumped in there in a group.
Tortoises are territorial. It is very stressful for tortoises, especially a more docile tortoise, to be in a territory where there is another, more forceful tortoise that is telling him to get out of his territory. He has no place to go to get away from the other tortoise. Just because they are under the light together doesn't mean they are getting along. It just means that is where the warmth is and they both needed to warm up.
Baby tortoises can live in the same habitat for a while. Your original worry was that they sleep a lot. That's what babies do. Also, the rubbing the eyes or face on a front leg means there is something bothering the baby about either his eyes or his face. Are his eyes open all the way? Do you soak the babies daily? What kind of substrate do you use? You said beech, but is is finely ground, maybe causing some eye irritation because it is so fine? Does he maybe have something stuck in his mouth?
I really doubt you will see bullying yet. It usually starts to happen when the tortoises get bigger and closer to sexual maturity.
Tortoises are territorial. It is very stressful for tortoises, especially a more docile tortoise, to be in a territory where there is another, more forceful tortoise that is telling him to get out of his territory. He has no place to go to get away from the other tortoise. Just because they are under the light together doesn't mean they are getting along. It just means that is where the warmth is and they both needed to warm up.
Baby tortoises can live in the same habitat for a while. Your original worry was that they sleep a lot. That's what babies do. Also, the rubbing the eyes or face on a front leg means there is something bothering the baby about either his eyes or his face. Are his eyes open all the way? Do you soak the babies daily? What kind of substrate do you use? You said beech, but is is finely ground, maybe causing some eye irritation because it is so fine? Does he maybe have something stuck in his mouth?
I really doubt you will see bullying yet. It usually starts to happen when the tortoises get bigger and closer to sexual maturity.
emysemys said:
Only the small one was rubbing his eye, but it's a while since I saw it. Indeed, his eyes are closed the most time of the day. I think it doesn't bother the big one. The beech chips are not very fine, aren't they? See the photo.
I have not washed the babies yet. Do you think that is necessary?
There is nothing in his mouth
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Be careful with the humidity for them can cause shell and respiratory problems if too high
Logan J said:
What is too high?
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