Housing two different tortoise?

[jinmin17]

Hello. I need help in this.

Can I house a pancake tortoise and a star tortoise together? both are male.
I did not try cause I afraid they may fight. Is it possible to place two tortoise of different species together? or 3 different species as I am thinking of getting a radiated as well.

Can I oil my tortoise to make it look more shiny?

Thank you

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't recommend either. Mixing or oiling, that is.

 

[Kristina]

No and No.

Reasons why not to cohabitate:

Torts are solitary by nature, and any tortoise that is introduced into their habitat is seen as one of two things: A potential mate, or a threat/competition. Even the act of mating can be violent and potentially injurious, with male tortoises showing their wish to mate by ramming, flipping or biting the female.

Mites can be passed onto other reptiles by simply jumping to a new host. There are parasites and other diseases, that while possibly tolerated by one species, can prove deadly to another. I have seen countless instances of tortoises being introduced to another tortoise or group, without a proper quarantine, resulting in the death/illness of individuals or the ENTIRE group.

I's hard to tell which tank mate may have defecated, urinated, produced gritty urates or bladder stones, if there is more than one reptile in an enclosure.

If the tortoises are not of the same species/size, do not cohabitate. Larger tortoises can cause injury and immense stress to smaller tortoises, and different species have different care requirements. Humidity, diet, and lighting are just a few examples of care issues that vary from specie to specie.

Introducing a new tortoise to an established one without a minimum 6 month observation of the new tortoise's health and behavior can quickly prove injurious or deadly to your established tortoise. It is important to have new tortoises examined by a qualified reptile veterinarian, and tested for parasites. This is simply and inexpensively done with a fecal examination, and the cost is minor compared to the initial investment of a tortoise.

As to the shell question, the shell needs to breathe, just like any other part of the body. If you coat it in oil, it can potentially be injurious. Tortoises were not made to be shiny. They live on the ground, dig, and are dirty. That is just how they are. You can bathe your tortoise in warm water, but no oils or creams on the shell.

Kristina

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi jinmin17

to the forum!!

We've been talking about the star tortoise recently in the Star forum. What we've come to realize is that almost every single star tortoise comes into the pet trade ill. Seems they all have respiratory infections. This is just one reason to not put him together with the pancake. You have two very valuable tortoises. Please don't risk losing them to illness and death by putting them together. Take the time to establish each one in his own little habitat. You will be rewarded with many hours of pleasure if you do.

 

[samstar]

Hi jinmin17

to the forum!!

We've been talking about the star tortoise recently in the Star forum. What we've come to realize is that almost every single star tortoise comes into the pet trade ill. Seems they all have respiratory infections. This is just one reason to not put him together with the pancake. You have two very valuable tortoises. Please don't risk losing them to illness and death by putting them together. Take the time to establish each one in his own little habitat. You will be rewarded with many hours of pleasure if you do.

and most reporting sick Stars in this forum are from Singapore and Malaysia. They come from Malaysia into Singapore and the shopkeepers are really useless at taking care of them, it's purely for profit.