Male or Female?

[herriotfan]

Hi guys
Wonder if you can give me your opinion on male/female russians. Are there many differences in character and temperament between the two? If 'yes' what are they?
All replies appreciated! Thanks.

 

[GBtortoises]

If kept as a solitary animal there is really no difference in character or temperament.
If a male is kept with another male one will become the dominant, more aggressive of the two and the submissive may suffer injuries, stress and constant badgering from the more dominant male. If a male is kept with a female he will often constantly attempt to mate with her regardless of whether she is receptive or not. This can also result in injury and stress to the female. If two females are kept together they will generally get along together fairly well. But it is not unusual for a female in an all female group to take on the role of the missing male and dominate other females. If the plan is to keep at least a male and female it would be better to keep 2-3 females with every one male. This ratio will take the aggressive attention away from any one female at a time.
When keeping more than one Russian tortoise it's aways advisable to provide as much space as possible with multiple hiding spots and visual barriers.