can u house a thb with a thh

[EJ]

You and everybody else. This is why there is no reason they can't be kept together... The differences are so subtle that most people can't even recognise the differences... so why not keep them together?

Originally Posted by Bindi

I would love to know the answer to that one

[gtm]

Originally Posted by EJ

You and everybody else. This is why there is no reason they can't be kept together... The differences are so subtle that most people can't even recognise the differences... so why not keep them together?

There can on the face of it be significant differences. For example in morocco you find whopping great spur thigh tortoises (whitei) weighing in at 2000 grams plus but a few 100 miles away you will find titchy tortoises less than 1/2 the size but does this represent a major difference? I think possibly not. After all humans come in all shapes & sizes & yet we are all one species.

This is 'solveable' but it needs someone to 'grasp the nettle' & take the blood samples & get them analysed. I'm sure some one will get round to it in the next 20 yrs or so.

[EJ]

It's been done but there is still disagreement. There are different types of DNA analysis and interpretation... even that is not agreed on. Then there are those who think DNA should be the prime determination, a partial determination... not a factor in taxonomy.

Originally Posted by gtm

There can on the face of it be significant differences. For example in morocco you find whopping great spur thigh tortoises (whitei) weighing in at 2000 grams plus but a few 100 miles away you will find titchy tortoises less than 1/2 the size but does this represent a major difference? I think possibly not. After all humans come in all shapes & sizes & yet we are all one species.

This is 'solveable' but it needs someone to 'grasp the nettle' & take the blood samples & get them analysed. I'm sure some one will get round to it in the next 20 yrs or so.

[Tracy D]

Thanks for all the info guys, i think im going to go ahead an buy my thb 2moro sure ive already named it haha im so excited, an ill be sure to let use now how they both get on, thanks again

[EJ]

If it doesn't work out the other choice is to split them up. I also suggest that you quarentene them for a period in addition to having them treated for protozoa if you are getting them from a shop.

Originally Posted by Tracy D

Thanks for all the info guys, i think im going to go ahead an buy my thb 2moro sure ive already named it haha im so excited, an ill be sure to let use now how they both get on, thanks again

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi, its a good idea to keep them separate for quite a while just in case your 'new' one has any health problems that might emerge later.

With small ones its usually quite easy to divide your space so they have some each. If you do that you can still think about bringing them together at a later time.

The hibernation is the same for the THH and THB. My guess is that your THB will be larger than your THH - even if its younger.

Hope you get on well with your new tort!

[Tracy D]

Thanks for dat, how long wud u reccomend keeping dem seperate? also the housing is 3.5 foot long do u think dat its big enough to seperate both?

[swad1000]

6 months is usually recomended as a suitable quarantine period.

[anna m]

Are they different species or could they both bred and get viable offspring? I know it's not advisable to interbreed species. Would that be the same for sub - species?

[alicia]

if it were me i personally wouldn't want to put them together. if some thing could happen later in life (size difference, two males, agressivness, different needs) i'd much rather be safe than sorry.