Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Not that I would house different species together, but I am curious about a certain point of housing different species together more particularly captive breed tortoises. I understand that wild caught tortoises carry certain bacteria that are beneficial to them, but can be devastating to others species. My question is: Do captive breed species still contain these bacteria? And if so how do they get them? Say for instance that you have a captive breed Hermans and a captive breed Russian that where housed in similar but separate conditions and feed food from the same sources would they still develop different flora in their intestinal track making them potentially dangerous to house together? Maybe there is a simple answer. I just thought it to be an interesting question that someone here could clear up for me.

Most people would vote against it but I house different species together. Of course only those which need the same type of food and same environment. Also all captive bred. I have asked on this and other web sites for the name of the so called special bacteria that one can harbor safely and will kill the other and get the same answer. No name, just that there is. I keep different species of fish together in my fishtank without problems, dog and cat in the same house without problems. My yard is populated with many different speices. I think the risks are exaggerated if good husbandry is provided. Of course size and bullying need to be watched for, making sure all get fair share of food, etc.

Tom

well, this always been a debated subjects, there are people who do it and have no problems, and there are people who do it who find tortoise getting ill. Personally i would not do it, if its drastic differnce, like egyptian tortoise with redfooted tortoise, ect...

- what is said to happen is if you have 2 torts. from different areas of the world, the evolved to have a different immune system. Like a tortoise would not have the immune system to fight off a disease if the body never expirenced that particular disease. It happens to all animals, including humanns, the plege is a big version of humanns expirenceing a disease that their immune system did not recconize and a lot of people died. As of right now, people have shots they take so if they go to a different country they would not die from diseases.

Its just not wise to mix species from different areas of the world. If they are captive bred then you have a better chance, also if they are from the same area of the world it would most likely be alright.

Like above its almost a slim chance that all your tortoises will die, but you also put your tortoise at risk if you do so.

again this is a debated subject and always will be, if you mix species i would say CB from the same area would be alright, but if there is a big differnce or if the torts. are WC, then i would not do it.

The requirements of the species is the key in deciding if it can be housed together or not.

And of course it is very obvious why you don't want to mix a WC and CB animal.

Michael

I think its the hermanns tortoise that can carry the tortoise herpes virus but not be affected by it and pass it on to other tortoises . . . which then get wiped out.

Life as we know it stopping instantaniously and every particle in your body exploding at the speed of light.

That's what happens when you house different species together.

Either that or it happens when you cross the streams. (Ghostbusters reference)

now I'm starting to see that it depends on the type of tortoise, their background, and their husbandry. Let's face it, any tortoises in poor husbandry will do poorly.

I would say that if captive bred and/or quarantined for a long time (over a year, preferably), mediterranean tortoises could be mixed together, but you would need a sizable enclosure. Sizable to the point that I would say it's not even worth it unless it's a large outdoor pen.

Putting animals with vastly different environmental needs together will be just the same as administering poor husbandry on either one.

Also, some species are easily stressed out, while others are aggressive. These should not be housed together.

Let's face it, this hobby is all about preferences. If someone wants to keep their reptiles a certain way, there is no governing body that will tell them not to (unless it could be considered cruel). I don't think that's a bad thing. It means that people will have varying levels of success.