Should horsefield tortoises be kept in pairs

I have been keeping tortoises since 1990 and started out as many people do with a pair of Testudo graeca hatchlings. The Horsefield Tortoise is indeed a very special form of tortoise.

It should be made of wood and have no floor to enable the tortoise to thermoregulate its own body temperature via burying itself.

Should horsefield tortoises be kept in pairs. Horsefield tortoises should be hibernated over the winter months unless they show any signs of illness and then they should be kept awake in an indoor enclosure. A good time to hibernate your tortoise is in November when temperatures begin to drop naturally to below 10ºC 50ºF. 1 Your argument for 2 also supports 1.

A second tortoise needs to be quarantined before introduction to the first. Now scientific data needs to be carried out where possible in laboratory conditions and this is not something that many tortoise owners would be prepared to do put their tortoises in pairs and see how many kill each other. Do Not Keep One Male and One Female Together.

Just as two males will be prone to fighting due to lack of distraction by other tortoises or the ability to get far enough away from each other a male kept in close quarters to a single female will be equally as destructive. Horsfields tortoises should always be kept on a dry substrate so not to increase the humidity inside their enclosure too much. We keep our tortoises either on beech woodchips or ProReps Tortoise Life substrate.

Tortoise do not climb but they do like to dig and burrow. So choose various pieces of natural wood or decoration to enable them to do this. That being said if you would like to keep multiple tortoises in the same aquarium you can as long as you follow a few guidelines.

First you should only keep tortoises of the same species together so that they do not infect each other with foreign parasites. If climate extremes do not allow for outdoor housing Russian Tortoises can be kept indoors in large plastic tubs or glass aquariums. The bigger the enclosure the better with a minimum of five square feet per pair of tortoises.

Enclosure walls should be at least 8inches high to prevent escape. The average lifespan of a Horsefield tortoise is around 40 years. It can live even longer if it is given proper diet and kept in soothing environment.

Raising the Horsefield tortoise. A Horsefield tortoise is preferably raised in an outdoor setting in warmer areas. A pair of adult tortoise should be kept.

This is a species that requires a very dry well-drained substrate indeed - Horsfields tortoises are unsuited to maintenance on damp clay soils or on grass. See our separate article on Outdoor Habitat Design for some good ideas. If Russian tortoises are maintained on damp ground expect repeated skin shell and respiratory infections.

Tortoises are known to be vivacious diggers which might come as a surprise to some but its definitely something you need to be aware of. The solution to this is the same as the problem of keeping predators out. Ensure you extend the perimeter barrier below ground at least 6 inches but ideally one or two feet.

If youve recently come across the Horsefield tortoise and are wondering whether or not it would make a good pet there are many important things that you need to consider first. The Horsefield Tortoise is indeed a very special form of tortoise. Spur-thigh tortoise Testudo graeca Hermanns tortoise Testudo hermanni Horsfield tortoise Testudo horsfieldiTortoises are solitary animals and only naturally come together to compete for territory or for reproduction.

If more than one is kept no more than 5 individuals of same species and sex should be kept in the same enclosure. They eat for about an hour before returning to the house. Tortoises can be kept outdoors approximately from April to the end of October.

The tortoise house must be relatively large. It should be made of wood and have no floor to enable the tortoise to thermoregulate its own body temperature via burying itself. Lynne Stoakes BVetMed MRCVS.

I have been keeping tortoises since 1990 and started out as many people do with a pair of Testudo graeca hatchlings. My collection has grown over the years and currently I have 18 tortoises. Horsfieldi one Terrapene carolina Florida box tortoise three Geochelone sulcata and three Geochelone.

You should always supervise your pets time with toys just in case the toy breaks or your pet is actually able to bite or chew the toy apart. If you have a larger tortoise like a sulcata or aldabra you can also try giving them a Boomer Ball. They are a little pricey but very sturdy for.

If your tortoises feces appears overly runny or diarrhea like then theres a good chance that something about their diet is causing them digestive issues. First things first you should make sure their diet closely matches what they would eat in the wild. For most species this will consist of green leafy weeds and vegetables.

The horsefield tortoise presents unique challenges to exotic pet owners who want to raise them. These tortoises can live an average of 75 years which means you need to make a long-term commitment to provide it everything it needs during that time.