Hello everyone, I have just joined! I have two 3/4year old horsfield tortoises who i have just found out are both male. One started dominating the other, chasing him & biting him & not letting him have any rest. I have of course separated them but now they do not have the space i would like them to have, as i do not have the space to give them, having to have two enclosures. They are both indoors in tortoises table like enclosures & go out in a run in warm weather. I would like to know if anyone else keeps horsfields together, if so how old are they & do they get on o.k? Ideally would love to find Herbi (the one who was being bullied) a new & bigger home with someone experienced, that way i could keep my other one on his own & build a bigger enclosure. I feel Herbi would live quite happierly with others?... as he did not attempt to fight back. Where as Sheldon is obviously happier on his own, dominating his own kingdom! Any advise greatly received. tasha3711
My x2 Russian/horsfield tortoises fighting -help
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Hi Tasha and welcome to the forum. If you post Herbie in the Adoption section I am sure you may find a good home for him.
Its a dominance thing. The more dominant tortoise has to assert his dominance over the submissive one. Problem being the submissive one has to admit that he IS the submissive one. Until he does, they will keep fighting. But if you give them a chance they will eventually get it sorted out and can live together. You need to watch them carefully and if one looks like he might be getting injured you can step in. Provide many sight barriers, and lots of places for the submissive tort to escape from the dominant one. It might take a couple of weeks, but I think eventually they can live together peacefully (that is, until or unless you add a female. Then all bets are off!).
Yvonne
Yvonne
emysemys said:
Hi Yvonne, I was watching them very closely but ended up separating them as Herbie ended up with a nasty cut/bite on his nose(healed up now) thats when i thought enough was enough & bought Herbie his own set up but have only just managed to squeeze him in the dinning room don't really have the space for two tables. Even when i first separated them i let them come out together in the conservatory to exercise on rainy days, which worked o.k at first but not now... because sheldon just belines for Herbie & starts to attack him again & Herbie just sits there & takes it. Think Herbie deserves a new home with better company & more space. tasha
Tasha sad reading your story. I guess either I have been very lucky or maybe it's because I am fortunate enough to have plenty of expansion room, so none of my Russians have these kinds of problems.
What Yvonne told you is true, usually they do settle down once the "king" feels his throne is his alone. Sounds tho like you might have one of those torts (either male or female) who simply is best living a solitary life. Really sorry you have to come to this tough choice. *hugs*
What Yvonne told you is true, usually they do settle down once the "king" feels his throne is his alone. Sounds tho like you might have one of those torts (either male or female) who simply is best living a solitary life. Really sorry you have to come to this tough choice. *hugs*
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