Hi,
This is my first post other than to say Hello in the Intro section.
I understand that for the most part, tortoises are not social animals in that they group together, but in a few instances. I'd like to feel that I am not asking potential pets to be something that is not in their nature.
Galops at a water hole, Aldabras in the shade of a tree I would consider social behavior - but I don't really want to keep any of these giants - fun to see and I hope to travel to these places, but...
So, some of the burrowing species may be social for the same reasons, limited resource, but not shade or wallows, but burrows. However I do not find many references that indicate that burrowing species are found together with much regularity.
Then I have found a few accounts where pancake tortoise are found together frequently. Again it seems to be based on a resource need, rock crevices, but that would tend to indicate it is in their nature, that they can deal with more or less constant close proximity to other pancake tortoises.
I'm figuring this is a debatable topic as it relates to general interest to co-house like species, but aside from the wants of the person owning the animals, within tortoises' own nature, don't you all think pancakes may qualify as social tortoises? Like Galops and albabras, but not several hundred pounds.
Alice
This is my first post other than to say Hello in the Intro section.
I understand that for the most part, tortoises are not social animals in that they group together, but in a few instances. I'd like to feel that I am not asking potential pets to be something that is not in their nature.
Galops at a water hole, Aldabras in the shade of a tree I would consider social behavior - but I don't really want to keep any of these giants - fun to see and I hope to travel to these places, but...
So, some of the burrowing species may be social for the same reasons, limited resource, but not shade or wallows, but burrows. However I do not find many references that indicate that burrowing species are found together with much regularity.
Then I have found a few accounts where pancake tortoise are found together frequently. Again it seems to be based on a resource need, rock crevices, but that would tend to indicate it is in their nature, that they can deal with more or less constant close proximity to other pancake tortoises.
I'm figuring this is a debatable topic as it relates to general interest to co-house like species, but aside from the wants of the person owning the animals, within tortoises' own nature, don't you all think pancakes may qualify as social tortoises? Like Galops and albabras, but not several hundred pounds.
Alice