House different species aquatic turtles together

[Millerlite]

You should keep turtle species seperate too. Risk is just as high. I know people that mix species too both tortoises and turtles no problems. But personally I would keep them seperate. Quarantine is also a important step. Even if it's te same species you gotta be careful when adding to a group. I have seen on the forums people losing groups for not quarantine the same speices. I know people that say they lost groups due to mixing speices but they only were assuming idk if they ever got vet work done. Either way you gotta be careful, but excellent thread, good to be aware

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, Kyle, you make a good point. Everyone should be aware that there might be a danger and act accordingly. You all can make up your own mind, but look at both sides of any question before you jump in with both feet. In my opinion, even though I have no first hand or scientific knowledge of this subject, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Once they're sick or dead it's too late to say, "Oops...guess I shouldn't have done that."

 

[tglazie]

I feel that this is an incredibly complicated situation when it comes to mixing species. Pathogen exposure is a risk, but I feel even greater risk is behavioral incompatibilities. And this can occur even within the same species. For instance, I babysat a pair of Ocadia sinensis for a friend who was engaged in an overseas deployment. They were two inch juveniles when he first handed them over, but they quickly grew into five inch little monsters over eight months. They always got along as youngsters, and as someone who has fostered cooters and sliders for years, I figured things would stay that way, so long as they were of comparable size. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The male started voraciously attacking the female, leaving a nasty wound on the top of her neck that required veterinary attention. He also bit off the tip of her tail. I separated them immediately. I know that for tortoises, this is truly troublesome. Some eight years ago, my family and I were planning on a vacation to Yellowstone, so we left my sulcata Jerry (God rest him) with my uncle, who owns a big colony of redfoots. He had assembled a fenced area for Jerry on one side of the yard, and I trucked Jerry with his winter box to my uncle's place. Jerry was, needless to say, upset about the move, so the first day in my uncle's care, he smashed through the inadequate fencing, easily smashed through the redfoot paddock, and started mounting and beating up all the redfoots, all of whom were barely half his size. Neither I nor my uncle realized how strong Jerry would become when agitated, but he pushed the bound garden timbers aside like they were toothpicks.

Mixing species is also a matter of concern when one considers environmental differences. For instance, every time I've kept eastern painted turtles and red ears together, the painted turtles would inevitably suffer skin or shell discoloration, a few of them even suffered ulcerative shell disease. I initially thought this was due to mixing the species, and it may be so. However, once I isolated the painted turtles into their own environment and treated their water with peat to increase acidity (water in Texas is notoriously alkaline), they started doing much better.

Ultimately, I think species can be mixed so long as one carefully considers all the variables. But me, I'm lazy. I don't want to consider all of those variables, so I just go for the single housing option. No mixing of species, no mixing of individuals with a history of aggressive behavior except for breeding purposes.

T.G.

 

[Turtlepete]

This is a really interesting thread….

Personally, the only time I've housed aquatics of different species together was with species that were native to the same areas, or occur in the same areas (not always natives….). Cooters, RES, and the like. Never had an issue with it.

I think the Manouria and I. elongata question was very interesting as well….It's tortoises, of course, but it is an example of two species of two different genus….(genuses? Haha) that occur, or at least we think, in the same area in the wild. @Benjamin were the animals you had WC or CB in origin?

 

[Anthony P]

We keep talking about this like it is a blanket idea, since we all have our own idea of what this means.

However, I think the size of the enclosure is as important as anything here. The Bronx Zoo has Carettochelys insculpta and Geoclemmys hamiltonii together in the same enclosure. Might I add, that the enclosure is larger than any of our houses.

That's a bit different than keeping different species in a 10 gallon tank, no? Or should the Bronx Zoo rethink their enclosure that has housed those species since I was a kid?

 

[turtlemanfla88]

I have turtles and tortoises and I have mixed certain species of turtles together never inside I live in Florida so, I am luck to keep most of my animals outside all year long. I also, will say i lost certain animals mostly captive born babies not adults of different species. not trying to start anything ,but I know there are a lot of wild caught animals/imports that were house horrible in their countries with who knows what and yes alot died ,but where did all of breeder stock come from. food for thought.I do not mix any tortoises ,but there is a great German publication in English that some members are very successful with not just mixing turtles from one country ,but two to three countries. We all know Europe is more advanced and have more experience with this then any of us.

 

[enchilada]

what about sea turtles? Sea World San Diego keeps hawksbill and logger head together. They seems fine

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Might I add, that the enclosure is larger than any of our houses.

That's a bit different than keeping different species in a 10 gallon tank, no?

I would argue that they are indeed different. Confined quarters (like your 10gallon tank reference) is apples when compared to the oranges of setting up large natural plots of land.

Good job pointing that out.

 

[tglazie]

Anthony makes a good point. Afterall, isn't the world just a giant enclosure?

T.G.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I house an RES and YBs together... two different types of painted turtles together... does that count? See, I don't worry much because they are colonial in thew wild and share territory, and I also know they are healthy&germ free. Unlike my torts, I take my turtles to vet regularly because I believe there are more opportunities for sickness to appear in the water vs on land...

 

[Benjamin]

This is a really interesting thread….

Personally, the only time I've housed aquatics of different species together was with species that were native to the same areas, or occur in the same areas (not always natives….). Cooters, RES, and the like. Never had an issue with it.

I think the Manouria and I. elongata question was very interesting as well….It's tortoises, of course, but it is an example of two species of two different genus….(genuses? Haha) that occur, or at least we think, in the same area in the wild. @Benjamin were the animals you had WC or CB in origin?

Both cb and wc.

 

[Benjamin]

Here's what I've heard about mixing aquatic species.

It has plenty to do with water storage internally. Aquatics will regulary drink/pass water through their system while land turtles store their water. This would give bacteria and such much more time to proliferate internally.