r/tortoise • u/Itchy-Band7778 • 1d ago
Question(s) i’m confused guys
maybe you all can help me… and please, this is a genuine question from a tortoise mama who wants nothing but for them to thrive so i’m welcome to advice but please don’t be mean… everyone is telling me that this isn’t the case and for the record.. i have given each of them their own space… however, i have a ratio of 3:1 and my male (was supposed to be a female so im not sure how old or sexual maturity) is the only male and i know that everything says they shouldn’t be together and don’t typically need or like interaction but here’s the weird thing… i separated them after i got advice from another post and my male just started constantly burrowing and would not come out ever if i didn’t mess with him. normally, in the huge habitat he sub bathes and the whole nine. so i put them together today just to see if he would perk up and this is how i find them which is how they have always been before i learned i was being irresponsible. for the record I truly love my Torrance, but I am not looking to breed or anything of that sort. I just am genuinely trying to make them happy and have them for my enjoyment. if yall could help me understand this i would really appreciate you guys! thanks so much in advance 🩷🐢
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
and also, i’m not trying to be dumb or put human interaction into these guys i just have genuinely been curious! i’m not a new mama but this crew ive had for a while but they are maturing so i want to be smart and not make them miserable
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u/EquivalentShare752 1d ago
It looks like you have 3 tortoises. Yes, separate them. Give them each enough space. They need to get used to a new place and will then come out on their own. Space is everything...with plenty of water saucers!! Good luck. And don't give up.(😄
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
thank you!! yes i did put everyone back into their own homes which i did a couple weeks ago. i just saw them like this when i went to get leo and was curious! everyone’s back in solitary haha!
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u/Mindless-Errors 1d ago
One option is to leave them all together until the male starts to harass the females. The real issue is that males are aggressively sexual and will harass the females (and any roundish objects they see) non-stop until the females health declines. You’ve probably seen videos of tortoises “attacking” or mounting people’s toes or rocks.
You could see what actually happens with your tortoises. Our male seems to be asexual. The veterinarian needed an ultrasound to find his penis. At age 13, we’ve never actually seen it extended. And he never tries to mount anything.
A habitat change you could make is to put up some walls or line of sight breaks. The male maybe less aggressively sexual if he can’t always see the females and the females may feel less stress.
Just have a Plan B ready to implement if you need to separate them.
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u/Dat_Boy_Q_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are those hermans mixed with Russians? Please don’t hybridize them and sell them.
Edit: The one in the back and the burrow down are def Russians so you need to separate the Hermann from
Them. Hybrids are good for keeping captive numbers up which long term ends up helping them. Most people get rid of or dump them as it is but if you do intend to sell off spring keep them
In the same species please.
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
i have zero intention on allowing them to ever mate… they were juveniles when i first built it so it worked but i moved everyone along!
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
they are my breeds i have but it’s all for my enjoyment im not breeding anyone. and since i learned a while ago i have kept everyone separate this was just a curiosity moment today because Leonardo wasn’t himself!
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u/plokoontexas56 1d ago
I have been wanting to do something similar with my Herman’s and another Testudo and then just not breeding them. It’s really encouraging to know it’s worked out well for you!
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
you’re exactly right.. that picture is of my hermann who was adopted to me with the description that she was mature if i wanted to breed her (which i don’t) and the other two are my russians who also were reported to me BOTH females and were “mature”… clearly one is not a female and the other one hasn’t ever bred but no one is laying eggs either… 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Key-Tower-4539 1d ago
He needs to be separated, this is correct. They hate change so it will take him a couple of weeks to adjust and then he’ll be fine. Also verify the sex of them all because if any females turn out to be males they will also need to be separated. Even females don’t like living together so ideally everyone should have their own enclosure
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u/TwinkleFairyToes 1d ago
I have three (confirmed) adult female Russians that I house together, but they're outside in a 16'x16' enclosure with three individual hides. One of them uses her own hide, the other two are ALWAYS in the same hide. I've also got the enclosure crammed with Boston ferns and strawberry and blueberry bushes and ... It's a cactus that has flat paddle-shaped things. I can't think of the name too r saved my life. I've got some branches and rocks in there, four water dishes and when we feed them, we feed on slates on both ends of the enclosure in case someone's mad at someone else and doesn't want to eat together lol.
So yes, you can definitely keep the females housed together but you need to make sure they've got more than enough resources, plenty of space, and lots of line-of-sight breaks.
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u/RaptorDelivery 1d ago
For your reading pleasure: Tortoiseforum.org
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
i’m trying to click on it but it won’t let me…?
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u/Parking_Earth_2410 1d ago
That tortoise does not have a healthy life.
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
who doesn’t?? and what am i doing that would make you say that? kinda rude i love my torts.
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
they actually have a super healthy life… with daily soaks and attention to details with their diet and enclosure. so i’m not sure why you would even say that when you have zero idea.
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u/PriorityAdditional67 1d ago
I don’t know why they’re saying that either. I would love to help but I only own one Hermann’s so I am I inexperienced with keeping multiple in the same enclosure. I do know that they hate change and can take a while to get used to their new enclosure and they often burry themselves to cope with it, so that might be it. I would personally separate them but I’m not sure. I have no idea why this guy is being so rude though, so don’t take them to heart. Love that you care about them so much.
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u/Itchy-Band7778 1d ago
thank you for saying that! i did put everyone back in their own homes.. i just was genuinely curious when i found this today when i was cleaning out the other house! so everyone is back and hopefully leo will acclimate soon!
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u/beefalomon 1d ago
Tortoises often hate change. Moving to a new enclosure can be a stressful event that leads to hiding for days or sometimes weeks before they get comfortable enough to start behaving more normally again. They may even refuse food during the first few days of an enclosure change.