mixing the species

[Diana Stone]

I was having a discussion with a fellow today about mixing the different tortoises. He has Leopard torts (youngsters) and Russian torts and he keeps them in the same area. I was telling him it was not a good idea and he said it was ok due to the fact that they are captive bred. I have always read and thought it was not a good idea even if they are CB. Is it or isn't it?

 

[Crazy1]

Torts4me, like anything in the tort world there are differences of opinions.
Here I am assuming we are talking of torts that have similar habitat and nutritional needs, and that no one would try and combine those that have diverse habitat and nutritional needs. Like a DT and a RF, This I hope has been agreed upon.

I know of owners that keep torts that need similar habitats together (like Russian and Leos) and they do fine WC, WC/CB and CB. Then I have known some that have mixed species and lost one or both of the species.
Please understand this is just my personal opinion-so please take it for what it is worth-If you mix species you could be playing Russian roulette with your torts. They may be fine-Then again maybe not. I am not willing to risk my torts lives or any suffering of them for this convenience.

 

[Diana Stone]

I read somewhere, probably on this forum that the reason is the different immunities to different bacteria or something. This guy has had his torts together for quite some time now. I also remember seeing someone here who had a three toed and a red foot together. And yes they are torts that have the same requirements. I was looking for something to back up the "its not a good idea". As you say some do it and have no problems and some may have a problem. I would definately understand in the wc situation because you just don't know what they have been in contact with but in the cb situation, I guess I am really undecided. So if its working for him, great. I like you would not want to take the chance.

 

[Yvonne G]

I started off keeping the different species separate because of the micro-organism thing...one might make the other sick. But as the years wore on, I realize how much I like my different habitats. I like the fact that when I'm giving "THE TOUR," I can say, "This is the Russian tortoise pen." and, "This is the leopard tortoise pen." How boring it would be to come up on one pen with several types of tortoises in it and have to stand there and try to find each kind. I really like having a rain forest for the Manouria...a savannah for the leopards...etc. I know its convenient when you only have two or three kinds to see if you can keep them in the same pen, but trying to build a pen that looks like a natural setting for that particular type of tortoise is one of the things that makes this a great hobby for me.

Yvonne

 

[Diana Stone]

Thanks Yvonne, thats what I was looking for, the micro-organism thing. I just could not put my finger on it. Thats another great reason for having them seperate, the different looking habitats. BTW, it is our UPS delivery guy that delivered my Russian baby who I am having this conversation with. Found out he has torts too.

 

[terrypin]

hi i have been breeding testudo graeca graeca and hermanni boettgeri for about 20 years and in the early days i would keep all my hatchlings together and only seperated any that i kept for myself as they got older and started to display sexually dominant behaviour and i did this to reduce stress and avoid disease.in the last 10 years or more i have been concentrating on diet for these little guys in an attempt to establish a feeding programme that will result in well grown sexually viable adults who look as close to their wild counterparts shape as possible.i have found that there is no way they can be kept together while controlling their diet and nutrition.they tend to feed at different times and some are more aggressive feeding than others and at different ages.i think i have had a certain degree of success and am sure this would have been impossible had i continued to house and feed them together as mixed species even at a young age .this all aside from as has been mentioned playing russian roulette with species specific pathogens.
terry
home bred female hermanni at 8 years and home bred graeca graeca at 4 year old.

 

[agiletorts]

I agree with Crazy1 on the line that the habitat should be similar. There's higher risk that your tortoise may get sick easier due to different immunities, but hey if you made the choice then deal with it .

 

[Diana Stone]

hi i have been breeding testudo graeca graeca and hermanni boettgeri for about 20 years and in the early days i would keep all my hatchlings together and only seperated any that i kept for myself as they got older and started to display sexually dominant behaviour and i did this to reduce stress and avoid disease.in the last 10 years or more i have been concentrating on diet for these little guys in an attempt to establish a feeding programme that will result in well grown sexually viable adults who look as close to their wild counterparts shape as possible.i have found that there is no way they can be kept together while controlling their diet and nutrition.they tend to feed at different times and some are more aggressive feeding than others and at different ages.i think i have had a certain degree of success and am sure this would have been impossible had i continued to house and feed them together as mixed species even at a young age .this all aside from as has been mentioned playing russian roulette with species specific pathogens.
terry
home bred female hermanni at 8 years and home bred graeca graeca at 4 year old.

Hey Terry, you mention about the different feeding times and aggressive habit. Within my small group of adult RTs I see that very thing to a degree. I have one female who trys to sit on as much of the food as possible maybe in an attempt to save it all for herself (she is the fat one too) and I have noticed that they eat at different times too. I think its due to being more patient than the others maybe?

 

[terryo]

I have been keeping my Three Toed and my Cherry Head together since they were hatchlings. They are both juvies now. The eat at the same time....dawn and dusk. They are both active at the same time, and I used to keep their hides on oposite sides of the vivarium, until I saw that they were in the big hide together all the time, so I took out the other one. I know at some point they will have to be seperated, but for now it is working out OK, since they both require the same kind of habitat as they would in the wild. Warm, humidity, filitered light as they would both be on the forest floor. I will probably seperate them next Spring, as the Three toed will stay outside and hibernate. They are not agressive toward each other, as they have been together since they were only a few weeks old.

 

[Diana Stone]

I have been keeping my Three Toed and my Cherry Head together since they were hatchlings. They are both juvies now. The eat at the same time....dawn and dusk. They are both active at the same time, and I used to keep their hides on oposite sides of the vivarium, until I saw that they were in the big hide together all the time, so I took out the other one. I know at some point they will have to be seperated, but for now it is working out OK, since they both require the same kind of habitat as they would in the wild. Warm, humidity, filitered light as they would both be on the forest floor. I will probably seperate them next Spring, as the Three toed will stay outside and hibernate. They are not agressive toward each other, as they have been together since they were only a few weeks old.

What a great pair you have! Nice pic's. Do you think they will miss each other when you seperate them?