Tortoise sitting (take 2)

[QRoseC]

I have an adult Russian and my friend wants me to watch his juvenile Sulcata (they're about the same size). I'm obviously not going to house them together, but do I need to worry about parasites or anything with using the same habitats (inside and out) for both? Alternating their time in each?

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes. They should never occupy the same space, even if it's only one at a time.

 

[QRoseC]

May I ask why? Is it the parasite issue? Or a weird pheromone thing?

 

[mike taylor]

It multiple things . Tortoise poop and pee . They can pass things back and forth that way . Plus tortoise can smell . You will stress them out by making them smell the other in your tortoises area . But mostly it's pathogens that can make one or both sick . If you're going to babysit for your friend have him setup a temporary enclosure for you . Better safe than sorry .

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoises have little pathogens in their bodies that they have evolved to live with. When you add a tortoise from a different continent into the mix whose bodies have not lived with these same pathogens the tortoise can become sick or even dead.

 

[QRoseC]

Thank you guys so much! My friend "provided" space for him (which is not ideal, play sand, ugh) but I'll keep him in there, then.