Thoughts on keeping baby tortoises of different species together?

[Totally_Tortoise]

Was just wondering peoples thoughts and opinions on keeping babies of different species together. I know it is not recommended by a lot of people but from my understanding many baby tortoises have very similar care. This also refers only to baby torts.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!

I guess, you need to look at this post:

Keeping different species together. Where is the line drawn.

Hi all I am wondering when people talk about not keeping different species together. Totally get that and I have no intention of ever mixing my reds with my hinges. But where is the line drawn. Can I keep different species in the same room in different enclosures. Can I keep different...

www.tortoiseforum.org

And maybe to scarcely read the whole thread.

"Hybridization" argument is of course is not applicable for hatchlings. But behavioural - certainly does. Considering different growth rates and personality traits of species it seems logical to me to keep them separate (at least with a fence).

 

[TammyJ]

You actually can keep anything together with other things that are not the same and don't have the same diet, temperature and humidity needs, activity schedule, growth rate, etc. etc. Just like at most pet shops. But I think most of us here really care about the health and comfort of our tortoises, and want to know that we are keeping them in the best way we know how.

 

[wellington]

The answer of most on this forum you already know, as you said not recommended. That goes for the babies too who are the most vulnerable. Why would you want to risk the babies health, except to save money! A good breeder of any animal, does what's best for the animals. Animal breeding is only a big money maker for those that cut corners, like puppy mills.
Even if you are not breeding them,but buying different species hatchlings, that's likely even a bigger risk.

 

[Tom]

There are a lot of tortoise diseases in circulation right now. Some species are more susceptible to some of them than others. TINC, herpes, Austwikia chelonae, cryptosporidium, etc... NEVER mix species. You could be putting asymptomatic carriers with a species that is sensitive to one of these or many other pathogens. Don't be part of the problem.

 

[enchilada]

i dont recommend it . but ive done it . Here are the rules I follow 1) Must be CB 2) similar size 3)similar diet/ humidity/ temp requirement 4) 30 day quarantine 5) No red foot tortoise

 

[TammyJ]

i dont recommend it . but ive done it . Here are the rules I follow 1) Must be CB 2) similar size 3)similar diet/ humidity/ temp requirement 4) 30 day quarantine 5) No red foot tortoise

Why no Redfoot?

 

[dd33]

i dont recommend it . but ive done it . Here are the rules I follow 1) Must be CB 2) similar size 3)similar diet/ humidity/ temp requirement 4) 30 day quarantine 5) No red foot tortoise

1) CB doesn't reduce the risk of disease much, you could make the argument that the risk is greater with a CB animal since there are diseases in captive tortoises that have not yet been found in wild populations.
4) 30 day quarantine is nowhere near long enough to be effective. TINC that can take longer than that to show symptoms post infection (~45days iirc) or an infected animal can hide it, possibly for years but documented as long as 14 months now.

Don't mix species. Don't buy animals from mixed species collections.

 

[enchilada]

Why no Redfoot?

Seen many cases of Red foot eats other tortoise 😂