horsfield biting

[Merlin M]

ok, so one of my tortoises has been biting the other, not that frequent, and generally not that bad, mostly getting shell.
But to day the littler one had a small cut on her head (am guessing a bite).
will I definatly need to separate them or is there hope of this getting better?

 

[JoesMum]

Horsfields are solitary in the wild and don't generally share nicely. They don't need or want company.

Please don't let the smaller one suffer further and separate them. Things are unlikely to improve and could get a lot worse.

 

[Merlin M]

Don't worry I wont let her suffer! has been doing fine till today, but will get her a table of her own I think!

 

[ascott]

Things don't usually get better....I too would set up a second enclosure...I know we just wish they would get along...but they don't ration in the same way we do...

 

[Merlin M]

thanks!
Oh and any suggestions about the little cut to keep it clean?

 

[ascott]

Soak the little one and if you need to use a qtip and soak it in warm water and rub it on the area...and just essentially keep it clean and it should heal...now you are not talking about a big chunk missing right...?

 

[Merlin M]

No, tiny like a millimeter at most!
cool thanks I will do that, I did wipe it with a cotton bud at the time

 

[Tom]

Spring is in the air....

All the Russians are having at each other....

 

[Merlin M]

So, not a problem? They are only little (Amber), small one 7cm bigger one 7.5cm (Misha) (its the bigger one being mean)
I also now think that Misha is a boy and Amber is a girl...
I have separated them for now (temp measure of splitting the 4 foot table in half)
Misha is still happy but Amber wants to be over with Misha...

 

[ascott]

If I am reading cm to inches correctly..you are saying one tort is just under 3 inches and the other is a little over 3 inches? Is this correct? If yes, there is not much chance that their sexes are visually able to be determined by the naked eye...however they certainly already know what one another is....at that size it is not possible to know their sex by looking at them...

What leads you to believe that the bullied one is wanting to be back with the one bullying?

 

[Merlin M]

If I am reading cm to inches correctly..you are saying one tort is just under 3 inches and the other is a little over 3 inches? Is this correct? If yes, there is not much chance that their sexes are visually able to be determined by the naked eye...however they certainly already know what one another is....at that size it is not possible to know their sex by looking at them...

What leads you to believe that the bullied one is wanting to be back with the one bullying?

I am not certain about the sexes, just guesses really.

she keeps trying to get over to the other side, also liked to follow Misha a bit when they were together...

 

[ascott]

Hmmmm well let's look at the behavior a different way....okay

So you start out with one enclosure..they begin to get use to it and begin to settle in
Now that the stress level is going down you begin to see their personalities...the bigger ones begins to bump and nip at the smaller one...nothing personal at all, just a tortoise being a tortoise.. so you separate by placing a dividerinto the enclosure and place one on either side...so here is where I request you to look at this behavior differently;

A change has occurred..a barrier is suddenly in place which to a tortoise naturally become a quest to get through or over or around it--nothing to do with the tortoise having a longing to be in the company of the other tort....also, now they have their space and the littler one is feeling less of a threat and is now going to likely be more outgoing you will begin to see different confident behavior....

Sometimes humans have a hard time understanding and believing that reptiles do not humanize their behaviors..however we do....so sometimes if we try to separate the human emotion from the actual raw behavior....and while I do humanize some behaviors I do this strictly for fun and totally understand that I am doing it.....

 

[JoesMum]

I agree with ascott. The attempt to get through the barrier is most likely because the barrier didn't used to be there, not because she wants company.

Now she's not being hassled she wants all the table!

 

[Merlin M]

yes I know you are right!! I get a but daft when stressed...