Two boy babies?

[Shaif]

Hi Tort Besties!

I have a baby black greek hatchling. Is is a bad idea to get another hatchling? Double the joy?

I will not do anything that could be dangerous or harmful, but I see that many people have successfully had pairs.

Any thoughts?

 

[MPRC]

Generally pairs DO NOT do well together. Some breeds do alright in groups, but I have no idea if this applies to Greeks. Most people with pairs have them because they 'oopsed' and didn't know that they aren't usually okay in pairs.

I have 6 redfoots who do well as a group, but if they are separated into smaller groups we have issues. This is in a 30ft x 60ft yard with dozens of hiding spots, watering holes and feeding stations.

Do you have room for 2 adult enclosures? If not enjoy your little baby and wait until you can set another up separately.

 

[wellington]

I second not doing pairs. Your tortoise doesn't want a buddy anyway, he'd rather be king or queen of it all.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I third it....your guy alone won't have competition for the food or the best sleeping place, and some will bully another sometimes and the one will stop eating and it can just be a bad scene. YOU are your tortoise's buddy, or should be....

 

[Guggie]

I have two Greeks - they cannot be in the same place for more than 30 seconds before one starts biting and ramming the other DO NOT by two, unless you have the room to have two totally separate enclosures.

 

[Kristoff]

Hi Shaif,
How's baby Zeus doing?
I have two Greeks because I "oopsed" as the previous poster said. I tried various arrangements for them but the only thing that really works is to keep one in the front yard and the other one in the backyard. By nature, they have to complete for scarce resources in the wild, only occasionally running into other torts... Having said that, it's great to have both of them, to observe them. They have such different personalities! So if you have space to keep them separate, it could be very rewarding.

 

[JoesMum]

Generally pairs DO NOT do well together. Some breeds do alright in groups, but I have no idea if this applies to Greeks. Most people with pairs have them because they 'oopsed' and didn't know that they aren't usually okay in pairs.

I have 6 redfoots who do well as a group, but if they are separated into smaller groups we have issues. This is in a 30ft x 60ft yard with dozens of hiding spots, watering holes and feeding stations.

Do you have room for 2 adult enclosures? If not enjoy your little baby and wait until you can set another up separately.

I think "oopsed" might become my phrase of choice for this mistake

 

[MPRC]

I think "oopsed" might become my phrase of choice for this mistake

Oopsed -TM, ©, All rights reserved by me....use it a lot so I can send you an invoice for royalties.

It's my "go-to" for uninformed well intentioned mistakes.

Also - OP if you have room for two, and you will for the next 50-100 years then there's no reason you can't have two that I kept completely separate.

At this point with 6 Redfoots they will dictate my living situation for the rest of my life. It's a choice I made as soon as people started dumping them in my lap.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I live in a country where Greeks live in the wild.
They keep well apart and when they do meet, they mostly mate or fight.

 

[dmmj]

I live in a country where Greeks live in the wild.
They keep well apart and when they do meet, they mostly mate or fight.

sometimes both

 

[Tom]

Its unanimous. Tortoises should not be kept in pairs.

I totally understand wanting more tortoises , so if you really want another one, make separate enclosures indoors and out, and let them live separately.

Or, if you wanted to go really crazy, buy 2 or 3 more, do a proper quarantine period of a few months, and then attempt to introduce them all in neutral territory. You'll have to be prepared to eventually separate all of them into separate enclosure if it doesn't work out though...

 

[Shaif]

You guys are awesome. Thank you for talking me out of it. It would have been a bad decision.
I'm happy to be Zeus's buddy for the next several decades.

These little guys are just so adorable!

 

[Pearly]

Oopsed -TM, ©, All rights reserved by me....use it a lot so I can send you an invoice for royalties.

It's my "go-to" for uninformed well intentioned mistakes.

Also - OP if you have room for two, and you will for the next 50-100 years then there's no reason you can't have two that I kept completely separate.

At this point with 6 Redfoots they will dictate my living situation for the rest of my life. It's a choice I made as soon as people started dumping them in my lap.

Love the "OOPSING". I "oopsed" as well. My 2 are still together at night but during a day they are outside in their BIG tortoise garden where they can literally get lost. I know I may have to partition it off and make 2 enclosures put of the one I have now. There are also plans and lots of room for extensions, and i live a "boring life" haven't moved for 20 years! My kids will inherit the torts. I'd say, if you have stable life situation and means to keep more than one tort happy, healthy and safe, go for it! Knock yourself out! Heck, get more! It's do much fun to watch them. But if money is tight, space limited, moving to different locations on the horizon, i say ; keep it simple!

 

[Shaif]

Hi Shaif,
How's baby Zeus doing?
I have two Greeks because I "oopsed" as the previous poster said. I tried various arrangements for them but the only thing that really works is to keep one in the front yard and the other one in the backyard. By nature, they have to complete for scarce resources in the wild, only occasionally running into other torts... Having said that, it's great to have both of them, to observe them. They have such different personalities! So if you have space to keep them separate, it could be very rewarding.

 

[Shaif]

Hi Shaif,
How's baby Zeus doing?
I have two Greeks because I "oopsed" as the previous poster said. I tried various arrangements for them but the only thing that really works is to keep one in the front yard and the other one in the backyard. By nature, they have to complete for scarce resources in the wild, only occasionally running into other torts... Having said that, it's great to have both of them, to observe them. They have such different personalities! So if you have space to keep them separate, it could be very rewarding.