I know you are not supposed to mix species, but a guy at work has raised a baby russian and baby desert tortoise together since they were babies. They have been living together outside year round for over five years now in southern Nevada.
I was surprised by this and thought they would get one another sick being different species and told him that is not a good idea. He said they both inhabit similar habitats in the wild and both species hibernate and they actually hibernate together as well. Don't know if they are male or female but his enclosure is pretty big with several hides and two burrows.
So, this left me questioning everything I have read about mixing species, these two torts seem to live together without issue. My russian tortoise is now just over a year old and still living in his zoomed box and growing like a weed and I will be moving him to an outdoor enclosure this spring, and he will remain a solitary animal.
Anyone else ever hear of a desert tortoise and russian tortoise living together or any other type tortoises living together? Who knows maybe its just a one in a million occurrence that these two species of tortoises seem to do well living outdoors year round.
I was surprised by this and thought they would get one another sick being different species and told him that is not a good idea. He said they both inhabit similar habitats in the wild and both species hibernate and they actually hibernate together as well. Don't know if they are male or female but his enclosure is pretty big with several hides and two burrows.
So, this left me questioning everything I have read about mixing species, these two torts seem to live together without issue. My russian tortoise is now just over a year old and still living in his zoomed box and growing like a weed and I will be moving him to an outdoor enclosure this spring, and he will remain a solitary animal.
Anyone else ever hear of a desert tortoise and russian tortoise living together or any other type tortoises living together? Who knows maybe its just a one in a million occurrence that these two species of tortoises seem to do well living outdoors year round.