Small Sulcata Being a BULLY!

[Sulcata Lover]

Hey Everyone,
Ok, My 6 year old and my 3 year old Sulcata's don't seem to get along anymore. Well, The big one (PEEK A BOO) is 12 pounds and doesn't bother anyone. He is a male. The smaller one (ROCKY) Is all of a sudden being a bully to the larger one. He(or she) is about 3 pounds. Im having to separate them for feeding, because Rocky bites peek A Boo...And let me tell Ya...He doesn't like it! Right now they are inside on their table...8' x 4'.. I put a barrier in the middle so they don't fight when I feed them. Otherwise they are OK...BUT, this morning I caught Rocky Ramming Peek a Boo...Repeatedly.
I mean, he cant hurt peek a boo, because of the size difference, Im just worried that the larger one is going to get fed up with this, and charge him..
(I've seen him do it) The little one doesn't care, and comes back for more.
Im thinking he may be a male also...What do you guys think?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think you need to permanently separate them. Even if the larger one is in no danger from being rammed, mental bullying happens and that can cause the bullied tort to stop eating. Your tortoises are pretty young to be having male dominance troubles, but it looks like that's what's happening...

 

[Sulcata Lover]

Hello,
This just started happening a few months ago..They seem fine when they are outdoors grazing during the warm months...But lately, They just cant get along. I think your right Maggie, they need to be apart!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Or you can put lots of sight breaks and hides so they can get away from each other for a while and see if that works...

 

[Tom]

Mine grew up together for ten years before they started this. Had to separate them. Remember these are solitary animals in the wild. They don't need or want company. They just tolerate it, sometimes, in captivity. I found my bigger one upside down, in the hot summer sun one day. If he had died that way, I'd still be crying years later. Don't let this happen to you! I was being naive and stupid. Learn from my mistake.

 

[dmmj]

It could also be a chihuahua complex.

 

[Livingstone]

Yah, definitely separate them. Lots of people who come to my place see Livingstone and ask if he/she is lonely, but they dont understand, tortoises are not social animals... Eat, sleep, poop.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yah, definitely separate them. Lots of people who come to my place see Livingstone and ask if he/she is lonely, but they dont understand, tortoises are not social animals... Eat, sleep, poop.

You left off, "...chase that other tortoise out of my territory!"