New tortoise need help!!!

[rosie20]

Help I have a Herman tortoise who is 2 years old and have just bought a spur thigh who is a year and a half I have put them both in the enclosure and my Herman keeps biting the spur thigh leg and trying to hump it the Herman won't leave the new one alone I'm really hoping this is normal for tortoises who have just been introduced to each other

 

[Jodie]

It is normal enough, but will likely not get better. It will get worse. They will have to be kept in seperate enclosures to be healthy and happy.

 

[leigti]

You must separate them. They will not be able to stay together ever. You have just introduced an intruder into the old tortoises territory and he will kill the new one possibly.

 

[rosie20]

Right okay they seem to have left each other alone now they are both eating

 

[phebe121]

Separate them before you know it one wont let the other one eat just not good

 

[rosie20]

But you can keep tortoises together there both eating and there still young

 

[Heather H]

They should be separated. Also when you get a new tortoise it should be quarantined for about 6 months so they don't pass illnesses. Two species should not be kept together. Please separate them before something horrible happens.

 

[phebe121]

Somtimes you can and sometimes you cant mine are together never bite.eachother they leave eachother alone if i saw that id separate for sure

 

[Heather H]

But you can keep tortoises together there both eating and there still young

There is a debate about this.

 

[Heather H]

Your Hermanni is already showing dominance it's his space.

 

[phebe121]

Tortoies are territorial i know ill have to.separate mine when older

 

[johnsonnboswell]

How much of a disaster do you want to have before you gain experience the hard way? Separate them now and keep them separate. Your best choices are to return the new one or to set up a second enclosure and never let them meet again.

It's too easy to turn a hopeful blind eye to how miserable one or both are. Stress kills. We're trying to save you from having to bury a dead tortoise in your garden. It can take a few years to go that far. That hopeful feeling that it's okay now, not so bad, not a constant problem is not how tortoises view the situation. By the time the signs are too obvious to ignore it is often too late to save the poor animal.

 

[Yvonne G]

But you can keep tortoises together there both eating and there still young

Rosie: Please listen to those who have more experience than you. You cannot keep those two tortoises in the same space. Your Hermanni will eventually kill the Graeca. You are seeing what you want to see, not what is really happening. Trust us.

So many things wrong with your post:

1 - new tortoises should be quarantined for at least 3 months before adding to your existing group of tortoises
2 - never mix species. This could lead to sickness or death.
3 - indoor tortoises need a very large space and aquariums usually aren't big enough

Please listen to the voice of experience and set your new Graeca up in his own habitat before it's too late.

 

[leigti]

You cared enough to come here for help. Many people have given it to you. Your situation is not a "maybe, we'll see, it's a possibility" situation. it is extremely obvious and dangerous. There is no subtlety and how your tortoises are acting. Please consider the welfare of your animals. I thought my tortoise needed a friend also at first, but I'm glad I did not make that mistake. tortoises are addicting and like potato chips one is never enough but that means separate enclosures, large spaces etc. I do not want to see a post in a few days or a few weeks or a few months saying that one of you tortoises is dead. I just don't want to see that. make the change now, don't wait it will not get any easier to wait.

 

[Killerrookie]

I have a Spur Thigh and a Leopard and they both live together but then lately been separated because one has a Respiratory Infection but he is looking so much better!!! But if one is showing dominance to the other one it's better to separate them. I don't wanna see the submissive one get hurt!!!

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Any tortoise that seems submissive is the target of bullying.

 

[Killerrookie]

Any tortoise that seems submissive is the target of bullying.

True

 

[TacoTortoise]

You should not keep any different species of tortoise with another species this will cause bullying and maybe death. You should seperate them as soon as you can

 

[rosie20]

I have taken her back to the shop it was heartbreaking but the right thing to do

 

[Jodie]

Sorry you had to do that. It was the right thing, if you can't provide seperate enclosures. You made the best decision for both tortoises.