Suddenly Fighting?

Sydney Husseman

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I have a pair of male and female Russian tortoises who have happily lived together for 8 years. During the winter and spring months they live in a large wooden box together. Today I put them outside for the first time (in an old dog run that's now full of tortoise safe plants). When I checked on them, the female was ramming the male, and biting his leg--and had created a wound.

I immediately brought the female back inside, but I'm not sure what to do. They have been companionable for eight years!!! Help???
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome.
Maybe they have reached sexual maturity but that's usually the male harassing the female to mate.
However pairs of torts rarely work even with a male/female mix. One of the torts becomes dominant and can very subtly bully the other. This could have been happening for a long time but maybe it wasn't aggressive so you didn't notice it - could have just been following or pushing (often mistaken for snuggling which torts don't do) even looks can intimidate the weaker tort. Torts don't like or need friends as they are territorial. Best to keep them separate because the bully can stress the other to death or seriously injure it.
If you do a search for 'pairs' you will find lots of posts with good advice and information on why torts should not be kept together.
You need to treat the wound asap or get a vet to look at it as infection or flies can cause very serious problems.
 
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wellington

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Most likely the female is sick of the male who might be trying to mount her all the time. As said, pairs never do good, specially the Russians. Keep separate or get a couple more females to add to the group
 

JoesMum

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I agree that they are solitary animals that don't get lonely and don't want a friend. What you have seen is entirely normal and to be expected. Pairs of Russians never work out.

Separation is the only way - permanently - otherwise you will have a death on your hands. If you want to breed in future, introduce them to mate and then separate them again.

Please see these
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/
 

Yvonne G

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You're new here, so you haven't seen all the posts we've made about tortoises not living in pairs. All of the above advice is good stuff. You'll need to make two separate enclosures for the tortoises.
 
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Tom

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Hello and welcome. All good advice from each poster before me. In addition to the links Joe's Mum posted, read this one too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/bad-day-for-baby.114328/

Tortoises just should not be kept in pairs. Most people don't see the signs, but the signs are there long before the open hostility you are seeing. They have not been "happy" or compatible for the last 8 years. They have simply managed to survive a situation that is less than ideal. Even if somehow these two settle down and stop the open hostility, they still need to be separated.

More insight:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

I hope we can help.
 

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