Considering a Second Tort

[gwenq]

I am seriously considering getting a second tort. I have one tort, Sam 12 year old male hermanns herc. I am in two minds about this. I would love another tort and I always thought I would end up with 3 or 4, I have the space, resources, and the dedication for them. What I am unsure about is will Sam like it? Will he be happy with company on occasion or not.

He has been on his own for 12 years now and I can't decide if it's best to leave him alone or it's time for company.

I would be interested in your opinions and your own experiences of this.

Gwen

[jeannette37]

Hi Gwen i have 3 but they do say torts don't need other torts and if you did get another you probably would have to get a similar size and it would have to be quarantine for a while

[Pussygalore]

if you wanted more torts to make a breeding group you will need at least two females preferably more to your one male, and they'd all need to be quaratined for at least 6 months, if you were lucky enough to find the females already in a group you'd only need to keep them from your male for the required time. Its a no go though to introduce another male to yours odds are they would fight and yours wouldn't appreciate the company, if you got just one female then you'd need to be prepared to separate them if and when the male becomes to amorous, all in all there's a lot to think about.

[Watermelon]

I got my first last May then decided I wanted another in July! I'm hoping to get another 2 next year so eventually they can maybe be a breeding group so I'm trying to get them round the same age.

Phoebe is showing some male characteristics apparently.

If you have space/resources/time for another then I'm sure keeping them separate for a while wont be a problem.

Are you thinking about getting a female or male or females??

[gwenq]

your brave getting two torts within months of each other!!!, its taken me 12 years to get here!!!, I was thinking about getting one female hatchling. the breeder said she incubates them at certain temperatures to determine the sex. I'm sure it's not foolproof though! if I did get a hatchling then I know they will be in separate living areas for years. that's not a problem. I wouldn't breed them, or I should say I would not intentionally breed them!!!!

my plan was to set up two separate indoor and outdoor enclosures for each tort. Maybe one day they could share the outside enclosure occasionally, it's large at the minute, about 30' x 30', and I would eventually make a second one the same size, although at first I would have the baby in a large enclosed run out with sams enclosure.

it is a lot to think about that is why I was hoping for experienced keepers opinions!!

thanks

Gwen

[shellonia]

Hi Gwen,I think males are perfectly happy on their own.Females co-exist quite happily in a group, but even then if your male is near enough to catch their scent then he will become very restless.As you say it needs a lot of thinking about, and you have to constantly rethink and adapt accomodation, once you have more than one.

[gwenq]

I didn't think about scent!! I'm thinking they could live next to each other quite happily not even realizing the other is there. I'm not planning on doing this right away, but I will certainly be giving it a lot more thought.

Just out of curiosity, would the scent of a young tortoise distract an adult tort or is it just when the female is mature?

Gwen

[Shelled Lady]

Just a sniff of another tortoise will send any rampent male wild in the spring. He will try and get over or through. They have a very keen sense of smell and can find females a long way away.

If you were thinking of getting a female, then go for two older ones, then in time you could breed from them. You would however have to keep them away from the male accept when you want to breed.

[shaz]

I got my first tort in Nov 2009, then in the feb i went back to the same breeder and got a sister of mine from the same clutch. I put them in together straight away as they were already living together before. Two years later i wanted to get a male to breed from when there older but i want to get to know him first which is why i wanted him now. I found one that was being kept with one female Horsefield. So i took them both home They are now separate, but next door to each other. I used to let them out on the floor for a run together but then the Male kept chasing her and trying to bite her so i stopped doing that now.
My first torts are down stairs and my others are up. I have two lots of everything and once the quarantine period is over i will put them all in the same room but all on there own tables. My first torts live together but there been no problem with them. Both IDed as females.

[gwenq]

so you bought the two torts then, I was wondering about that!! im glad you did. I was willing you on then no mention of whether you bought them or not and then you reply to my post and mention them! I was reading the post where you were talking about the two torts on preloved. I laughed out loud when you said, this isn't good I've picked names already! I thought, god that's me all over the back!!

Where they healthy then, they looked nice in the pictures.

Gwen