Sleeping Russian tortoise

[homesweethome]

I have a male and female Russian Tortoise and so far in there outdoor enclosure my male has been trying to mate with the female. For the past few days she's been burying herself very deep and doesn't come out unless i dig her out myself. Is she sick? Or is she just doing this to try and keep the male away?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ, USA . Russian torts don't do well in pairs they can be very very mean to each other and if you split them up you will see she will stop hide ing . Have a great tort day !


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[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

She's hiding to get away from the attention of the male. If you don't make a separate enclosure for her, she may just stay there and die. Male Russian tortoises are very aggressive breeders, pestering, biting and pushing the female, even causing bloody injuries to her. If you want to allow them to breed so you can raise baby tortoises, then I would allow a breeding, then separate them. He will never get enough of her.

 

[homesweethome]

Do you think introducing another female might help? I only have the space for one large enclosure not two.

 

[WillTort2]

I believe that for the health of your female you must either rehome one tortoise or split the enclosure.

How large is your enclosure? Can you add a second level?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

You'd need two more females to make this work, not one, and only if your enclosure is large enough. Then you'd have a breeding colony.

In the mean time, separate them right now, even if it means subdividing the habitat in a less than optimal way. Don't wait until she's stressed beyond recovery, ill, starved or injured.

If you don't actually want a breeding colony, or not yet, then you either need two permanent habitats or you need to rehome one of your tortoises. Females can bully each other, too, so whenever you have multiples you need to be ready to step in and separate them permanently, not just for a time out v