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[Diane Sarvela]

Hi, today I adopted a large Spur Thigh African Tortoise for a classroom where it spent the last 4 years wandering with kids. He's a sweetheart. I also have a small Russian tortoise and was wondering if they could hang out together in the back yard? Will Buddy hurt my small Ivan do you think? Also he seems to be making sounds? I think he is letting me know he wants out any help would be great. Thanks much!

 

[Jacqui]

Hi! Glad your here. As to if the two should be out together, they could give each other germs and parasites that could be dangerous to each other. The worse part is a large sulcata, can do a lot of damage to another smaller tortoise. So no, I would not advise putting them together. If your going to do so, atleast first isolate the new one for atleast a one month quarantine first.

 

[Diane Sarvela]

Thank you very much! I think it is best to just keep them apart. Ivan my Russian has his own summer home we built in the back yard. So we will keep him in there. Now we need to built Buddy a large home for himself. He is large enough to just roam but I caught him eating little rocks out of the flower bed. How good could rocks be? lol

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Diane. Just a word of advice, we normally refer to your type tortoise as "sulcata," because there is a Greek tortoise that is usually called a spur thigh. We don't want anyone to be confused. The sulcata is actually called an African spurred tortoise, not a spur thigh. At any rate, he's lucky you've adopted him and will give him a life outside, where he belongs.

 

[Diane Sarvela]

Welcome to the Forum, Diane. Just a word of advice, we normally refer to your type tortoise as "sulcata," because there is a Greek tortoise that is usually called a spur thigh. We don't want anyone to be confused. The sulcata is actually called an African spurred tortoise, not a spur thigh. At any rate, he's lucky you've adopted him and will give him a life outside, where he belongs.

Good to know! Thank you!!

 

[Jacqui]

How good could rocks be? lol

Over all one or two will not likely hurt him, BUT (isn't there always a but?) too many or too large of rocks, if ingested can cause blockages and even death, so we advise not allowing them to get rocks if possible.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[blafiriravt]

Welcome

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[cemmons12]

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on the new kid. My Sulcata Cooper went on this spell of trying to eat rocks for awhile. So everytime we were outside I didnt leave his side and if I saw him go after 1 I would touch his nose and he would stop of course. Now, he just seems to not even notice them anymore! Had me worried for awhile though...

 

[Diane Sarvela]

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on the new kid. My Sulcata Cooper went on this spell of trying to eat rocks for awhile. So everytime we were outside I didnt leave his side and if I saw him go after 1 I would touch his nose and he would stop of course. Now, he just seems to not even notice them anymore! Had me worried for awhile though...

I think I will fence the flower beds so he can not get in them. There is certainly plenty of good stuff to eat in my yard that he does not need rocks. They were tiny pebbles but still not happening he's such a big boy

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Hello and welcome!