Enough room for 2?

[jjsull33]

So I have been planning an outdoor enclosure for my Russians and it turns out I have more room than originally thought, I can make 2 pens, one 8ft by 6ft for my male and the other 14ft by 8ft for my female. I want to get another female, which is why her enclosure would be bigger. Would 14x8 be big enough for 2? Will they get along well enough since they would both be females? And finally the indoor cage my female is currently living in for winters is 24 square ft, would this be large enough for 2 females for winter months?

 

[Yvonne G]

It sounds ok to me. Once you have it built and get the other female, you might even try keeping them all together in one pen. With lits of sight barriers and plants, the male probably will get along ok with the two females.

 

[Tom]

Its big enough, but most of the time two female russians are not going to get along without a male "boss" present. You might need to keep three females together if you want to keep the male separate. A lot of this will be trial and error. Any time you add a tortoise it will change the behavioral dynamics. Just hope for the best, but always have a plan B and C ready.

 

[jjsull33]

It sounds ok to me. Once you have it built and get the other female, you might even try keeping them all together in one pen. With lits of sight barriers and plants, the male probably will get along ok with the two females.

I want to put them all together but he's really aggressive last time he was with her he cut up her legs pretty bad she was bleeding and everything, since I separated them she's much better, all healed up.

Do you think another female would spread it out enough or will he likely keep this habit and just hurt both if them?

I will build the enclosure in a way in which I can separate into 3 different ones just in case.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

When getting your new female, you'll likely want to have her isolated for 6-8 months. This would require a separate outdoor pin for all three at least the first year depending on where you live. If you brumate them, then you'll be able to have them separated even longer. Then you turn the soil and and over plant with weeds to help “clean up" the soil. Next year, you can gradually introduce them all together while knowing if things get rough you can divide the enclosure.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I agree, size-wise it should be fine. I also agree that you will most likely be happiest (well, the tortoises will be) if there are 3 females and 1 male.

I have had several different combinations over the past years and have found (like you did) that 1 male + 1 female = hurt female. 1 female + 1 female = one dominant female mounting the other and hogging the food. 3 females together = peace and happiness (communal sunbathing!), and 1 male + 3 females = some mating and a bit of territorial display from the male, but overall actually things are really harmonious.

I think sometimes males get more territorial in a bigger enclosure... more territory to defend, and it is closer to natural habitat, so you see more of the natural behavior. I wonder if you can build it in a way that there is some sort of 'slide in'-divider? That way you can optionally have 3/2/1 pens.

It sounds ok to me. Once you have it built and get the other female, you might even try keeping them all together in one pen. With lits of sight barriers and plants, the male probably will get along ok with the two females.

I want to put them all together but he's really aggressive last time he was with her he cut up her legs pretty bad she was bleeding and everything, since I separated them she's much better, all healed up.

Do you think another female would spread it out enough or will he likely keep this habit and just hurt both if them?

I will build the enclosure in a way in which I can separate into 3 different ones just in case.

 

[jjsull33]

A 24 square foot enclosure is probably too small for 3 females during the winter months is it not? If they could comfortably live together in that one then I can probably get 2 new ones and keep them apart 6 months, the summer outside in their own pens, then combine to the one cage for the winter months. If that's too small then I probably have to wait as, I am not sure I can fit a 3rd table at this time...

 

[jjsull33]

So after talking to my room mates I do have enough room for a large new cage that I can hopefully house 3 females in during winter months.

It would be L shaped, 8ft along both back walls, 5ft along both inner walls and 3 ft wide, giving them approx 40square ft with the shape working as a sight barrier since they wouldn't see each other from the 2 sides. Do you think this is large enough for 3 of them?

 

[Russian tortoise rocs]

Will you have two of them together and one alone?

 

[jjsull33]

Will you have two of them together and one alone?

No it would be the 3 of them together, the male would be on his own for the winters in that scenario

 

[Tom]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Spn785]

Actually that sounds great! Do you plan to breed them? When everything is set up please post pictures!

 

[jjsull33]

Actually that sounds great! Do you plan to breed them? When everything is set up please post pictures!

I do plan on it eventually, but it will depend on the torts really lol.

I should have plenty of pictures to post, they are getting all new outdoor pens, as well as new indoor tables, so I should have quite a long show and tell thread later on.