hatchling with a yearling?

[un-loco]

I currently have a yearling and have been shopping around for a partner in crime for my little tort friend. If I got a hatchling would there be danger involved or bullying for the little one? or the other way if I got a 5-6" would my 4" get bullied?

I am assuming that a cherry head with a redfooted would not increase the chances of an issue either way, as, if I am correct, they are just a color variant from different areas?

 

[Mgridgaway]

I've heard the general rule is that you shouldn't put any two redfoots together in a situation where one is more than twice the size of the other. I plan on putting my 3" in with my 4" after the 4" passes quarantine, and I don't expect any problems... but I'll paying a close eye to how they get along.

From what I recall, there shouldn't be an issue mixing regular redfoots and cherry heads. I hear that male cherryheads can be more territorial though.

 

[ascott]

I would suggest against housing a hatchling with any larger/older tortoise. I would also suggest that for every new tortoise you bring in to care for you have the ability to have an individual enclosure set up in the event they do not get along. While it may take awhile for us to id a male/female I am confident that they will know straight away.....while it is shared that there are a couple tortoise species that are less aggressive than most....thriving pairs are a hard thing to achieve....IMHO and personal experience....

 

[Madkins007]

Cherry-heads are not just a color-morph, they are a color morph of a specific regional group that may be declared a sub-species or even a full species at some point.

That said- cherry-heads are generally considered more aggressive than 'northern' red-footeds, but I am not sure that is much of an issue when they are young. The real concern would be that the bigger one would unintentionally bully the smaller one by doing things like walking over it, blocking access to food/water/basking sites/hides, etc.

I rarely see aggression in my small group of yearlings, but when I had a 'big guy' in with several younger than him, I saw a lot of that sort of thing in the indoor habitat. One way to deal with it is to move them to a space so big they rarely have to interact and there are several good hides, basking sites, etc.

 

[Kasper2reds]

I house a 3 year old red foot at about 7 inches and a baby 9month old cherryhead together and they get along just fine. I have 2 hides even though most of the time I catch them sleeping together. There has never been competition for food, even though the baby cherry head eats more than the older rf. sometimes they bask together and sometimes they don't. Overall I have had no problems. They seem to enjoy each others company.

 

[un-loco]

Thank everyone for the responses, and for clearing up the redfoot/cherry head relation. I was thinking vaguely along those same lines, but I am glad you cleared it up for me.
I am in no hurry and want to make sure I get a good tort and have the setup ready before he gets here, unlike my last time before I found this forum and ordered my redfoot without seeing the one I was going to get... Butterz was hurtin with no humidity but eating at least lol. Stupid google and listing horrible tort information for noobs.

So I have read I would need a quarantine for a few weeks, (of course) more space, and observation for awhile to make sure one isnt hostile.
Thanks again!

 

[stuntdouble]

My bigger guy would actually bite at my hatchling when I first got him. I did end up putting the smaller guy in his own enclosure. I just got one of those under bed storage bins they're like $20 at target the fold up lid works perfect with the heat rope underneath to get the humidity up to 90%! My guys are thriving in there new homes. Good luck.

 

[bobbymoore]

I put a 8 month old with my 2 year old and they are fine together

 

[Kasper2reds]

They Get along just fine... Duke is 3 years, Dutch will be one year in April.