Maturity in Russians

[Sandy Martinez]

I'm thinking of getting a 2nd female Russian 10+ yrs old and keeping her in the same enclosure as my male but there is a divider In the enclosure of course. I don't think my male is sexually mature yet he's about 2 yrs but -- do males pick up female scent once male reaches maturity?

 

[Sandy Martinez]

OK
- I just read maturity has nothing to do with years but rather size. Female about 7" and my male is about 4". Same question though -- do males pick up female scent?

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a 110lb male sulcata and I run a tortoise rescue. If I ever get in a female sulcata my male goes crazy bumping the fences trying to escape. So, yes, they can smell a female.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Yvonne. Yes they can smell other tortoises at distance.

When bringing in any new tortoise be sure to observe a long quarantine period before any contact. Russians are still frequently imported from the wild and they are known to carry all sort of nasty contagions.

Also, I would not house the two females as a pair. They are not likely to get along. If your enclosure is large enough, your best chance of them getting along would be to have all three together after the quarantine period. Just keep in mind that russians are a scrappy, combative, territorial species and sometime they just will not get along, no matter how much we want them to. Have a plan to house all of them individually, just in case.

 

[dmmj]

a 4 inch male is on the small side have you verified his masculinity so to speak

 

[Sandy Martinez]

Yes hes a male...but id rather not drive him crazy by putting the female on the other side of the enclosure. ..they wouldn't have any contact because of the divider but if he can pick up her scent id rather not put him thru that. I don't plan on breeding. It just hit a soft spot when I saw her posted on Craigslist so I thought I would explore the idea of getting her but wanted to get advice first...thx

 

[Sandy Martinez]

I agree with Yvonne. Yes they can smell other tortoises at distance.

When bringing in any new tortoise be sure to observe a long quarantine period before any contact. Russians are still frequently imported from the wild and they are known to carry all sort of nasty contagions.

Also, I would not house the two females as a pair. They are not likely to get along. If your enclosure is large enough, your best chance of them getting along would be to have all three together after the quarantine period. Just keep in mind that russians are a scrappy, combative, territorial species and sometime they just will not get along, no matter how much we want them to. Have a plan to house all of them individually, just in case.

You say quarantine for a long time -- how long is that? Also, if there is a second male in the enclosure with my male but I house him in his own area with a divider would they sense the other male and try to get to the other side or would it more than likely not bother them?

 

[Tom]

You say quarantine for a long time -- how long is that? Also, if there is a second male in the enclosure with my male but I house him in his own area with a divider would they sense the other male and try to get to the other side or would it more than likely not bother them?

Some people quarantine for 90 days. My vet recommends 12 months for a russian of unknown origins, meaning likely wild caught.

Some russians wil care if they smell another male on the other side, some won't.

 

[Sandy Martinez]

Thanks Tom. Decided I will need to get a totally separate enclosure before I decide to get another tortoise. I'm thinking not a good idea to place in the same enclosure even if I insert a divider.