Question about two male tortoises

[decantella]

Good morning,

I have two male Sulcata tortoises. I have had them for many years, and I was under the impression they were both female, until recently the bottom shell of both them really started to show the curve...so, I have two males... I am starting to see off behavior from one of them...So is there anything I can do or will I have to adopt out one of them? Thank you so much!

 

[wellington]

You need to separate them ASAP or one will get injured, sick or die. Tortoises, even if they were both female, should never be kept in pairs.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

The question is quite simple: do you have the opportunity to build two big enough enclosures to house the tortoises separate?

 

[decantella]

Hi, If I would divide their enclosures, it would make their individual enclosures much smaller and I don't know if that is enough space for them also, if they know there is another tortoise near by, do you think they would try to break through, dig underneath the walls?

 

[wellington]

Hi, If I would divide their enclosures, it would make their individual enclosures much smaller and I don't know if that is enough space for them also, if they know there is another tortoise near by, do you think they would try to break through, dig underneath the walls?

How big exactly would each section be?
You would have to separate with a solid non see thru material
@Tom can answer the other part, he has or had many adult Sulcatas housed near each other.

 

[Tom]

Hi, If I would divide their enclosures, it would make their individual enclosures much smaller and I don't know if that is enough space for them also, if they know there is another tortoise near by, do you think they would try to break through, dig underneath the walls?

They don't dig under walls. When they dig, they dig down in one direction at about a 30-40 degree angle, and then use that tunnel as their burrow. They don't dig down in one direction and then back up in another. If they can see through the barrier, they will often hurt themselves trying to push through it, so just be sure to use a visual barrier that goes all the way to the ground.

P.S. I have a house in Senoia! I worked there intermittently for three years. Nic And Norman's has the best sweet tea in the entire South!

P.S.S. They all look female as juveniles. The secondary sexual characteristics, like the plastron concavity and the extended gular scutes, don't show up until they are larger and more mature. The usual earliest indicator is tail size. Males hove huge tails and females have little nubs.