Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Question: Can a baby Sulcata and a baby Leo otrto be housed together for their fisrt year? Will they get each other sick?They basically have the same care.

M.

That's a good question. There is A LOT of debate about that topic regarding different systemic flora and fauna in different species. You'll find people who hold both opinions. With wild caught animals, it's obviously a huge risk. It isn't so cut and dry in CB, especially when the animals come from a common breeder or location.

Think more along the lines of size and behavior. Personally, I'd be afraid that the Sulcata will beat the living daylights out of the Leo if kept in close quarters. It's always better to err on the side of caution...don't mix species.

Good luck raising your two tortoises! Pics would be great!

I'm pretty sure an adult sulcata will beat the daylights out of an adult leopard tort. I was really referring to babies up to a year of age. Might that make a difference in size in regards to housing a baby leo tort and a baby sulc? As far as flora and fauna, they are both from the same regions, arent's they?

Thanks again.

I'd do it. The sulcata is going to grow much faster than the leo & will be considerably large in a few months, so feeding might be a problem. I think as long as you feed them in 2 different places in the pen, they ought to be okay.

Actually, they're not exactly from the same regions.
Leopards are found in the southern reaches of Africa and sulcatas are found in the savannah areas just south of the Sahara Desert.
They do eat pretty much the same things in captivity BUT:
sulcatas are way more tolerant of humidity and cooler temps than leopards. Sulcatas are WAY more aggressive, even as hatchlings than leopards.
Will it work out for you?
It might!
But the consequences of it not working out are something that you will have to deal with in spite of any advice you receive here. Anyone can say "Sure, sounds great. Give it a try." But they won't lose anything if it doesn't work out.
For what it's worth, we have three leopards which we keep completely separate from our three (and just recently added 11 hatchling) sulcatas. It is just safer that way.
Karl and The Boss

Ok, I understand that housing ADULT sulcata and leopard torts is definitely not a good idea. I am ONLY referring to housing them both together as babies up until they are 1 year of age. I have both a baby sulc and a leo tort, both about a month old (the sulcata being slightly bigger). They are both housed seperately but in the same tort table. I built a 4ft X 4ft tortoise table with a flat piece of plywood right in the middle, splitting the tort table in 2 equal parts. So on one side is the baby sulc and on the other side is the baby leo. I have an urge to lift the piece of plywood and let them get roam together. And I would definitely supervise them. Right now, I observe that the baby sulc is on the slow side of things, he eats very little, sleeps a lot and likes to soak. The leo tort walks a lot, eats frequently and also likes to soak. My decision to unite them comes down to if it is biologically safe or unsafe for them to share space. Once again, I know that as adults, they shouldn't be housed together because of the physical aspect of it. But as babies, will one affect the other species bilogically???