housing a pair?

[captotterboy]

Hey everyone.
What are the rules for housing a 1.1 pair from hatchling to adult in a tort table?  Is it not ok ever?  is it only ok up to breeding age? 

Thanks,
Jeff

[Zookeeper]

Personally, I wouldn't house an adult tortoise of any species with a hatchling.  Too much risk of the adult injuring the hatchling for my taste.

[captotterboy]

Yeah, i figured that.  Sorry i wasnt clear; What i meant to ask was for torts of the same age.

[vmajesty25]

So you are saying you have 2 hatchlings that you want to house together? I have 5 hatchlings housed together. They are fine for now. As they grow I will watch their behavior. As of right now the only problem I have is in the feeding. They are biting the food out of eachothers mouths so I have to make different feeding stations for them to eat from or they will bully eachother. I have 3 feeding zones for 5 hatchlings. Even then they have to be watched or some will wonder over to anothers area and pull the food right from the mouth!!! Funny how they only want what the other one eats. They can have a full supply of food and only want the food in eachothers mouths!!!!!! 

[captotterboy]

Ok, great.  Assuming that housing them separately makes breeding easier, at what age should i separate them?

[vmajesty25]

It takes quite a while before you know what the sex of a RT is. They need to be about 5" in length before truly knowing the sex. That will take 5 yrs or more. What you think is a female may very well be an inmature male. I have known of people who thought they were for sure with a female. Then BOOM the tail grew long and thick, curving to the side.

 Your RT's will start reacting differently towards one another if you have the opposite sex together when thet are of age. You will not be able to mistake it. The male gets very abusive when he wants to mate, head bobbing, and ramming occur. If you have the opposite sex housed together right now, you wont have to worry about that for a long time..........

Now mating is something mine had to practice at for 3 years before babies came. It is not something easy for them. The female has to be still long enough for the male to get positioned on her and connect, finish, and climb off. My guy landed on his backside many a time!    My female got quite a few bites on her legs too. 

[captotterboy]

haha, the more i learn about these animals the more they make me laugh

[vmajesty25]

Yes, they are characters!