tortoise companion?

[kit-cat]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and I'm super excited to hear everyones thoughts and feed back!

I currently have a russian tortoise, Elwood, that lives in my back yard. I have had him for a year now and everthing is going great. I have a friend that cannot keep her desert tortoise anymore and needs to find it a good home. I have plenty of room with lots of plants and good hiding places and would love to take him in, however, would that cause issues with Elwood? Would my russian be okay with a desert tortoise in the back yard too?

 

[dmmj]

Would he be ok? probably. Would he be happy? more than likely not. Russians are very aggressive, and even with the size difference would probably attack the desert tortoise. I would advise against mixing them, you can acquire the desert, just make separate enclosures.

 

[arotester]

you should not mix the different tortoise species and also you have to give both russian and the desert tort separate territory.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Kit Cat:

No, you should not mix species. One might make the other sick, or even dead.

 

[kit-cat]

Okay, thanks for the feed back! I was just hoping that with having the whole back yard they would just leave each other alone. Ill work on maybe sectioning it off then.

 

[Tom]

Behavioral compatibility is one issue. A big issue.

Disease potential is another. Each species is adapted to deal with the parasites and pathogens from its own native area. They are not so well adapted to dealing with pathogens from other parts of the world.

Please build separate enclosures with at least a solid wall between them. Even better would be to have the enclosure with a minimum 6' gap between them and then be very careful about cross contamination from shoes, hands, water vessels, hoses etc... Each of my enclosures has its own dedicated water hoses, food dishes and equipment. I don't share anything between two enclosures.

Also, tortoises, especially the two species you are considering, do NOT like or want "companions". Other tortoises are seen as intruders, competition, rapists (I know it sounds bad, but that is life for some tortoise species...), and combatants... They are much happier as the sole king of the castle.

... and hello and welcome.

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome...some good advise you have gotten already.

 

[kanalomele]

I completely agree with the advice others have already offered so I will just say Welcome to TFO!