Little ones out in the garden
 

So I took some photos of Darwin and Pythagoras today (about 1 year 8 months old) and thought I would share.

They were having a really good romp around in the heat - they are currently mad for the bindweed, hedge mustard... and dandelions of course!

Darwin up close
https://i.imgur.com/xB5uYCVl.jpg

Amazingly not fighting in their enclosure. Pythagoras flipped Darwin over last time I left them together
https://i.imgur.com/doH7WCLl.jpg

Pythagoras up close
https://i.imgur.com/gKI6YnPl.jpg

In with the pansies - they seem to love the flowers
https://i.imgur.com/y8zMpDfl.jpg

Pythagoras eating dandelions
https://i.imgur.com/xvhbHt7l.jpg

Darwin amongst the pansies
https://i.imgur.com/0daY2HVl.jpg

Darwin keeps looking under the barbeque and compost bin - maybe the smell of fat dripping on the patio
https://i.imgur.com/B5QtR9cl.jpg

Lovely to see them outside x

The close up photos are deceptive, but then they look so dinky in the others.
Hope they’re enjoying exploring the garden. Have they got free rein to wander about?
I wonder if you have two males with the flipping over and fighting behaviour. Nice to see them both. :-)

They only have use of the garden when one of us is about. We live in centre-ish of London (Kennington just south of the river) and there are foxes and rats about that I would worry too much. The garden is walled so they wouldn’t escape! I have built a very secure box with mesh that is impenetrable.

I think they probably are Male - though one is a bit larger than the other. The lady who gave them to us as hatchlings said she had never bred females so I guess it is unlikely. It’s a shame they are so violent as if we go out I only leave one in the outside hutch and the other stays indoors.

It’s amazing how much they come to life when outside of an enclosure - sometimes they just seem so lethargic. I know a small garden is nothing like the wild but at least it is a taste of freedom!

https://i.imgur.com/VwX4vGIl.jpg

If you posted pictures of the tail end underneath, we might be able to sex them for you:0)
If they are two males, then if you let them sort out who is alpha male (they will fight a little when its hot) it should lessen the fighting. Especially if there is not a female around. If male and female then its different, males will be males:0)

Always good to be cautious of rats!
Yes, as Sandy says, they could be big enough to be sexed.

I love looking at you folks' pictures!

If I were a tortoise I would love it in your garden. lots of interest. Its hard re rats sometimes they don't even bother with animals at all and are about in the day so what can you do if tortoises are big enough to roam. I have a tortoise called Dink and I can never find him in the afternoons and worry but whilst he is one of the smaller marginateds he is still bigger than others and will grow out of pens.
Yours are very nice looking tortoises, good photos of them too.

Thanks - I will start another thread!