Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys, I'm not a tortoise owner (Beardie person myself), but I have a friend who's had a male redfoot tortoise for many(20 ) years and was considering getting another redfoot also.

She wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any territorial problems before going any further so I offered to ask on here and see if anybody knew.

She was particularly worried about it because her tortoise has been alone for 20 years aside from her and her husband, and the the little guy really sort of acts like she's his mother, she didn't want to do anything that might stress him out, but also was wondering if getting a playmate, or an actual mate might do him some good.

any ideas??

thanks in advance.

-Wain

Normally they do seem to do better in numbers but I can see a problem adding a tortoise to a lone male. If you add a female the male will most likely be aggressive at first but should calm down over time. If you add a male the odds are that it will beat the hell out of the animal.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I think in the case of someone that has so much time invested
into a tortoise, that they should be very careful to quarantine
an addition thoroughly before introducing it to the established
animal. It would be a heartbreak to have a bad experience by
ignoring this procedure. Min. 30-60 days some recommend up
to 6 months.

Assuming you allow the minimum of a 3 month quarantine here is the other thing to worry about.
I have never had any problem at all with more than one male of Colombian or Suriname redfoots being in the same pen together.
But a lone male with a 'new' female can be a problem as the new female will probably get harassed constantly by the male. This will only add to her stress which must be avoided.
Also, while my 'northern' redfoot males NEVER had a problem, this is not the case with my cherryhead males. My cherryhead males cannot be put together at all as they will begin fighting almost immediately. There is no bluffing either.....it is all out tortoise Kung Fu with bloody noses and faces right away. Be careful.

Would it be easier on the newcomers if there were two new females?
Those of us who keep lots of sem terrestrials (and i imagine this isncludes many who read this forum as well) sometimes get asked if a companion is a good idea for their males. Usually we say "No, BUT if you are going to get a girl get two." Making trios seems to greatly reduce the stress on new females. Is it the same with redfoots?

In a perfect world an extra female would of course be better.
But, if the enclosure (or better yet, yard) is large enough, a pair will get along fine for decades. I good friend has had a pair together in his small back yard since 1968.

SOUTHERN FLORIDA CORUCIA RESEARCH CENTER (SFCRC)

Location: LEE/1.

Hello,

With new introductions with various species, one has to be prepared to have 'visitation periods' and have the individuals in question introduced in neutral territory to achieve success.

In our experience, a male/female introduction of cherryheads should not present a problem. A male/male combo is a different story. Be sure to provide a large area and hides for the female to escape if needed.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Brian
SFCRC