Thinking about adding a third tortoise

[Melonero]

Hello everyone,

I currently keep two Testudo graeca marokensis. They are around two years old and measure approximately 7 cm. I’ve had them for a year now. At the moment, they are housed separately in a temporary outdoor enclosure, as I’ve read that keeping tortoises in pairs is not recommended due to potential compatibility issues.

I’m in the process of designing and building their permanent enclosure, which will have the same conditions as their current setup—appropriate humidity levels, a variety of shelters, and lots of vegetation grown from tortoise-safe seed mixes.

I’ve been considering adding a third tortoise to avoid having to divide the new enclosure in two, and to allow them more space overall. My questions are:

1. Would adding a third tortoise actually help reduce the need for separation, or would the same issues with pairs still apply?
2. Would it need to be another T. g. marokensis, or would any other Testudo graeca subspecies be compatible?
3. Should the third tortoise be around the same age and size as the current ones?
4. In general, is this a good idea, or would you advise against it?

I would really appreciate any insights from those with experience keeping this species. Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

A third tortoise would reduce the need for separation if you would end up with two females and one male. And yes, the same size would be preferred, not sure if age matters that much.

As for the subspecies, the best case scenario would of course be a tortoise of the same subspecies, for purity sake if you plan on breeding.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, two females to one male would be best.

 

[Tom]

Hello everyone,

I currently keep two Testudo graeca marokensis. They are around two years old and measure approximately 7 cm. I’ve had them for a year now. At the moment, they are housed separately in a temporary outdoor enclosure, as I’ve read that keeping tortoises in pairs is not recommended due to potential compatibility issues.

I’m in the process of designing and building their permanent enclosure, which will have the same conditions as their current setup—appropriate humidity levels, a variety of shelters, and lots of vegetation grown from tortoise-safe seed mixes.

I’ve been considering adding a third tortoise to avoid having to divide the new enclosure in two, and to allow them more space overall. My questions are:

1. Would adding a third tortoise actually help reduce the need for separation, or would the same issues with pairs still apply?
2. Would it need to be another T. g. marokensis, or would any other Testudo graeca subspecies be compatible?
3. Should the third tortoise be around the same age and size as the current ones?
4. In general, is this a good idea, or would you advise against it?

I would really appreciate any insights from those with experience keeping this species. Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards.

1. Maybe. It depends on how well they all get along. I prefer 3 females to one male for Testudo.
2. Yes. It needs to be the same species and subspecies.
3. Similar size will help.
4. I like groups of tortoises and I like them to reproduce, so I would advise in favor of getting more. Adding more does create the possibility of introducing diseases and having behavioral problems. Quarantine new comers for several months to be sure they are healthy. So I wouldn't advise against, but I would make you aware of the risks and potential problems you could be bringing on.

 

[TammyJ]

If you decide to get more than one extra tortoise, quarantine them each separately, even if they come from the same source/breeder.

 

[Melonero]

1. Maybe. It depends on how well they all get along. I prefer 3 females to one male for Testudo.
2. Yes. It needs to be the same species and subspecies.
3. Similar size will help.
4. I like groups of tortoises and I like them to reproduce, so I would advise in favor of getting more. Adding more does create the possibility of introducing diseases and having behavioral problems. Quarantine new comers for several months to be sure they are healthy. So I wouldn't advise against, but I would make you aware of the risks and potential problems you could be bringing on.

Okay, so I have to wait until I can tell the sex of my tortoises — at 7 cm, it's still too early to be sure.

 

[Tom]

Okay, so I have to wait until I can tell the sex of my tortoises — at 7 cm, it's still too early to be sure.

Not really. At 7cm it is still a juvenile and this is a good time to be mixing them and getting them used to the presence of other tortoises. It's best to do this BEFORE the sex hormones start raging at adolescence. You may end up having to separate them later if you have more than one male, but mixing immature juveniles or babies is much easier than mixing adults.

Because you can't know the sex until they are older, its a bit of a gamble.

 

[Melonero]

Not really. At 7cm it is still a juvenile and this is a good time to be mixing them and getting them used to the presence of other tortoises. It's best to do this BEFORE the sex hormones start raging at adolescence. You may end up having to separate them later if you have more than one male, but mixing immature juveniles or babies is much easier than mixing adults.

Because you can't know the sex until they are older, its a bit of a gamble.

I'm thinking of mixing them now, but I might end up finding out they're two or even three males. That would mean I'd need to set up separate enclosures instead of just one bigger one. Do you think introducing them now would increase the chances of them getting along later, even if they all turn out to be males?

 

[Tom]

I'm thinking of mixing them now, but I might end up finding out they're two or even three males. That would mean I'd need to set up separate enclosures instead of just one bigger one. Do you think introducing them now would increase the chances of them getting along later, even if they all turn out to be males?

Adult male Testudo do not get along. In a very large well planted outdoor enclosure, multiple males can sometimes be kept in the same enclosure, but there will be a dominant, and the subordinate(s) will have to hide from him and they will suffer to a degree though they may survive. So yes, you'd have to house multiple adult males separately.