Tortoise biting other tortoise

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My yellow foot has recently started to take an interest on biting my red foot .. my yellow foot is a bigger male and the small red food is also a male and there’s a female red foot should I be concerned in any way that hell actually try to harm him?? Because I haven’t seen any sort of marks on the red foot but yellow foot keeps doing this is this supposed to be some sort of trying to look better? Please let me know! Thank you
 

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wellington

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Yes, you should be very concerned and get the two males separated asap! If you only have one female then all three need to be living in their own space.
Two males likely will never get along.
One male with one female is also bad as the male will harass the female to illness or death
The right way is one Male to two or more females.
 
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Yes, you should be very concerned and get the two males separated asap! If you only have one female then all three need to be living in their own space.
Two males likely will never get along.
One male with one female is also bad as the male will harass the female to illness or death
The right way is one Male to two or more females.
Hmm it’s odd though because before my large red foot passed away recently they never had these problems I think I’d have to separate my big male but the little ones have never had a problem they’re currently together and im not home so I will try to find a way to separate them ASAP thank you
 

wellington

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There is other types of aggression that most don't notice.
99% of the time 2 males will never be able to live together. If they were in a giant enclosure outside, with lots of sight barriers, feeding and water stations and hides it possibly could work.
2 males should never be with one female. That's instant hell for her and she will become stressed, I'll and possibly die.
Two males together is very stressful to the two males also.
They live alone in the wild. They come across another tortoise and it's either a fight or mating and then they move on to be alone.
 

Tom

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Hmm it’s odd though because before my large red foot passed away recently they never had these problems I think I’d have to separate my big male but the little ones have never had a problem they’re currently together and im not home so I will try to find a way to separate them ASAP thank you
Do you know why the one died? It could be that the stress of territorial dispute with another male contributed to his death. If not, if he died for some other obvious reason like he was hit by a car, then its possible that his presence was keeping the dominant tendencies of the other male(s) at bay.

In any case, species should never be mixed, and tortoises should never be kept in pairs. Most people miss the signs of territorial behavior in tortoises, but you are actually seeing overt attacks. Separate them ASAP. Like today.
 
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There is other types of aggression that most don't notice.
99% of the time 2 males will never be able to live together. If they were in a giant enclosure outside, with lots of sight barriers, feeding and water stations and hides it possibly could work.
2 males should never be with one female. That's instant hell for her and she will become stressed, I'll and possibly die.
Two males together is very stressful to the two males also.
They live alone in the wild. They come across another tortoise and it's either a fight or mating and then they move on to be alone.
This is very stressful I’m not sure how I’d possibly seperate them but I understand thank you I have noticed she is very stressed it’s so upsetting to me that this is happening because during the day they all live together and eveything seems fine it’s only when I’m trying to put them in the grass that he starts doing this .. weird
 

Toddrickfl1

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My yellow foot has recently started to take an interest on biting my red foot .. my yellow foot is a bigger male and the small red food is also a male and there’s a female red foot should I be concerned in any way that hell actually try to harm him?? Because I haven’t seen any sort of marks on the red foot but yellow foot keeps doing this is this supposed to be some sort of trying to look better? Please let me know! Thank you
If your talking about the two pictured, those are both Redfoots.
 
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If your talking about the two pictured, those are both Redfoots.
Hi I have recently been informed that he is in fact not a yellow foot when I purchased him they claimed he was so this is very shocking why does he appear to look like a yellow foot? Could you go more into detail please I know how he is a redfoot from a subspecies
 
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Do you know why the one died? It could be that the stress of territorial dispute with another male contributed to his death. If not, if he died for some other obvious reason like he was hit by a car, then its possible that his presence was keeping the dominant tendencies of the other male(s) at bay.

In any case, species should never be mixed, and tortoises should never be kept in pairs. Most people miss the signs of territorial behavior in tortoises, but you are actually seeing overt attacks. Separate them ASAP. Like today.
She died from a health condition which the vet yet couldn’t diagnose properly after countless exams ...
 

Toddrickfl1

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Hi I have recently been informed that he is in fact not a yellow foot when I purchased him they claimed he was so this is very shocking why does he appear to look like a yellow foot? Could you go more into detail please I know how he is a redfoot from a subspecies
This is the best way to tell. qJUpWZQ.pngRedfoots that are all yellow usually come from Colombia.
 

wellington

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But I will make sure to seperate them asap

i seperated them thank you but the small ones don’t have issues thanks for your help !
Small ones as in hatchlings?
Just please understand. They are solitary animals. Two males will fight/bully each other. One male and one female, the female will always be stressed and harrassed.
If you have a yard to dedicate to them, then you might get away with one big enclosure. But it's still a might. Granted, you do have one of the less aggressive species but you still have to have the correct amount of room.
You could rehome a Male and get another one or two females and then one larger enclosure probably would work.
 

Tom

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She died from a health condition which the vet yet couldn’t diagnose properly after countless exams ...
This sounds exactly like the kind of thing caused and furthered by chronic stress.
i seperated them thank you but the small ones don’t have issues thanks for your help !
If the small ones are now being housed as a pair, they do have issues. Because they are not outright attacking each other, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Pairs are always a problem because one will always be dominant and want the other to leave. The other can't leave because they are in an enclosure and this causes long term chronic stress, which can lead to difficult-to-diagnose health problems, sickness, and death.

Groups can usually work with RFs in a large outdoor enclosure, but there are regular exceptions to this generality. Some tortoises are just more territorial than others and don't play well, which is exactly what you are experiencing with your group.
 
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Small ones as in hatchlings?
Just please understand. They are solitary animals. Two males will fight/bully each other. One male and one female, the female will always be stressed and harrassed.
If you have a yard to dedicate to them, then you might get away with one big enclosure. But it's still a might. Granted, you do have one of the less aggressive species but you still have to have the correct amount of room.
You could rehome a Male and get another one or two females and then one larger enclosure probably would work.
Oh no of course not I would never keep a hatchling with my big tort the “small ones” are not really small they’re medium ish so they’re almost his size but not exactly jm not very sure how to word it
 
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Oh no of course not I would never keep a hatchling with my big tort the “small ones” are not really small they’re medium ish so they’re almost his size but not exactly jm not very sure how to word it
This sounds exactly like the kind of thing caused and furthered by chronic stress.

If the small ones are now being housed as a pair, they do have issues. Because they are not outright attacking each other, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Pairs are always a problem because one will always be dominant and want the other to leave. The other can't leave because they are in an enclosure and this causes long term chronic stress, which can lead to difficult-to-diagnose health problems, sickness, and death.

Groups can usually work with RFs in a large outdoor enclosure, but there are regular exceptions to this generality. Some tortoises are just more territorial than others and don't play well, which is exactly what you are experiencing with your group.
The small ones were hatched together and have been living together for five years and I have an outside and inside enclosure I take them in inside due to raccoons and etc I have separated the bigger one not to worry I’m considering maybe rehoming him but I live in south Florida and I haven’t heard very good things about the places here . I assure you though that the medium torts have never had issues it’s just the big one I’m worried about hes been very agressive
 
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This sounds exactly like the kind of thing caused and furthered by chronic stress.

If the small ones are now being housed as a pair, they do have issues. Because they are not outright attacking each other, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Pairs are always a problem because one will always be dominant and want the other to leave. The other can't leave because they are in an enclosure and this causes long term chronic stress, which can lead to difficult-to-diagnose health problems, sickness, and death.

Groups can usually work with RFs in a large outdoor enclosure, but there are regular exceptions to this generality. Some tortoises are just more territorial than others and don't play well, which is exactly what you are experiencing with your group.
But I do understand your concerns it’s just my big one I’m worried about
 

pacific chelonians

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I believe the male you thought was a yellow foot is actually a Columbian redfoot I attached a photo of my female Columbian redfoot
 

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