I have two tortoises: Hermanni Boetgeri and Geochelone Sulcata
Age: Less than 3 years old
Size: 5 inches
Sex: Both were thought to be females but after the events last night, this needs to be reconsidered.
Observation: Last night while feeding them, the Herman tortoise suddenly started humping the Sulcata from behind.
The Herman went to perform at different directions around the Sulcata. Upon careful inspection, the Herman's reproductive organ has not touched the Sulcata due to its size.
The mating act lasted about an hour.
Questions: What could have caused this behavour? Aren't they too young to instinctually propagate? Would it be possible for this two different species to successfully mate and have offsprings? Can this have any health risk on either or both animals?