A little help - Tortoise being tipped over

spudnik · 13-03-2008, 05:33 PM

Hi, we have 2 leopards who are approx 4yr old, we have had them nearly a year and so far they have been fine living together. We are unsure what sex they are as they are so young. Anyway we named them phoebe and Yorich.

Phoebe is bigger than yorich and has suddenly these past few days kept tipping him on to his back, she puts her head under his shell and tips him up, we are planning on making heir enclosure bigger in the next week as they are growing and need something bigger, they can easily walk around in their current house with plenty of room so we are unsure why phoebe keeps doing this.. is it aggression? or some other reason?

Any help would be great, Thank You.

geordie mark · 13-03-2008, 07:27 PM

sounds like a dominance thing between two male torts too me !!!

spudnik · 13-03-2008, 07:56 PM

oh really..lol do males generally settle down after a bit of grumpyness towards each other or not?

TortMad · 14-03-2008, 07:13 AM

I have two male leopards who live together quite happily

They have sorted out the dominance thing with the smaller male regually mounting the larger one to assert dominance

Leopards are not an aggresive species of tort so will most probably sort themselves out before long. Keep an eye on them.

Also put objects around the table so the tipped over one can right himself.

Are you sure of their sexes?

terrypin · 14-03-2008, 02:11 PM

hi how big is their enclosure, i have kept several leopards together for some time and have never noticed any dominace or aggressive behavior amongst juveniles, apart from over food and i control this by feeding them in more than one place at a time, so the weaker individuals get a chance.the only time i have observed any real sexual dominance was once my males became sexually active as adults and one individual claimed all the females for himself. so if you are planning on keeping more than one male with females i would make sure you have enough space for the weaker individuals to escape when they need to.obviously i can only relate what i have observed amongst my own animals and dont know if this is the case in other collections.

terry

spudnik · 20-03-2008, 03:53 PM

thank you for your replies, Im not ure how big their enclosure is.. its quite big they have plenty of room to have a wander, we are making it bigger very soon as we have space in our living room for a bigger enclosure and figured we may aswell make it bigger its better for them.

Im not deffo we have 2 males, one is significantly smaller than the one the one who keeps tipping him up, they dont seem to squabble over food or anything they both sit and eat together. Phoebe (the tipper) has always seemd a bit grumpy she marches around like shes on a misson, she bites too! luckily we have never had a nip we move quicker than her! lol where as yorich has never attempted biting us he will quite happily sniff your finger then walk off.

what age is best for sexing? i posted up pics when i got them last yr n i think a lot were saying both females if i remeber rightly, but it could change as they were still young.

Laraine · 20-03-2008, 06:01 PM

None of our Leopards are aggressive with each other, but they don't like to go round each other, so one will always try to climb over another that is in the way, and this sometimes leads to tumbling over, perhaps they need road signs? I know ours do

13-03-2008, 05:33 PM	#1
spudnik Member Egg Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 52	A little help - Tortoise being tipped over Hi, we have 2 leopards who are approx 4yr old, we have had them nearly a year and so far they have been fine living together. We are unsure what sex they are as they are so young. Anyway we named them phoebe and Yorich. Phoebe is bigger than yorich and has suddenly these past few days kept tipping him on to his back, she puts her head under his shell and tips him up, we are planning on making heir enclosure bigger in the next week as they are growing and need something bigger, they can easily walk around in their current house with plenty of room so we are unsure why phoebe keeps doing this.. is it aggression? or some other reason? Any help would be great, Thank You.

13-03-2008, 07:27 PM	#2
geordie mark Member Juvenile Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: south shields, NE, England Posts: 920	sounds like a dominance thing between two male torts too me !!! __________________ Mark. T.H.Hercegvenensis 1.0.0 S.P. Babcocki 0.1.0 Chelonoidis Carbonaria 0.1.0 (My Parents) West Highland White Terrier 1.0.0 Scottish Terrier 1.0.0

14-03-2008, 07:13 AM	#4
TortMad Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2,639	I have two male leopards who live together quite happily They have sorted out the dominance thing with the smaller male regually mounting the larger one to assert dominance Leopards are not an aggresive species of tort so will most probably sort themselves out before long. Keep an eye on them. Also put objects around the table so the tipped over one can right himself. Are you sure of their sexes? __________________ Lea 2.1.0 testudo horsfeldii 0.2.0 testudo graeca ibera 2.0.0 geochelone pardalis babcocki http://www.thehenshouse.co.uk/

14-03-2008, 02:11 PM	#5
terrypin Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: jersey c.i. Posts: 2,928	hi how big is their enclosure, i have kept several leopards together for some time and have never noticed any dominace or aggressive behavior amongst juveniles, apart from over food and i control this by feeding them in more than one place at a time, so the weaker individuals get a chance.the only time i have observed any real sexual dominance was once my males became sexually active as adults and one individual claimed all the females for himself. so if you are planning on keeping more than one male with females i would make sure you have enough space for the weaker individuals to escape when they need to.obviously i can only relate what i have observed amongst my own animals and dont know if this is the case in other collections. terry __________________ these are my own opinions do with them what you will. _________________

20-03-2008, 06:01 PM	#7
Laraine Senior Member Adult Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wirral Posts: 3,622	None of our Leopards are aggressive with each other, but they don't like to go round each other, so one will always try to climb over another that is in the way, and this sometimes leads to tumbling over, perhaps they need road signs? I know ours do __________________ Laraine ________________________

13-03-2008, 07:56 PM	#3
spudnik Member Egg Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 52	oh really..lol do males generally settle down after a bit of grumpyness towards each other or not?

20-03-2008, 03:53 PM	#6
spudnik Member Egg Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 52	thank you for your replies, Im not ure how big their enclosure is.. its quite big they have plenty of room to have a wander, we are making it bigger very soon as we have space in our living room for a bigger enclosure and figured we may aswell make it bigger its better for them. Im not deffo we have 2 males, one is significantly smaller than the one the one who keeps tipping him up, they dont seem to squabble over food or anything they both sit and eat together. Phoebe (the tipper) has always seemd a bit grumpy she marches around like shes on a misson, she bites too! luckily we have never had a nip we move quicker than her! lol where as yorich has never attempted biting us he will quite happily sniff your finger then walk off. what age is best for sexing? i posted up pics when i got them last yr n i think a lot were saying both females if i remeber rightly, but it could change as they were still young.

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