Hi, I'm new on the herp section of MFK. I have 2 California Desert Tortoises that I have have since hatch lings. I was wondering what other tortoises can i put with these two guys when they go into the huge habitat I'm making for them when they are ready to go outside.
Compatible Tortoises
- Thread starter moto110
- Start date
I think the reason its ok for zoos to do it is because they have the facility space to seperate the species in case something were to happen. Whereas the normal keeper only has the one cage.
usually it would not be a good idea but other, desert/savannah species such as leopard torts and maybe sulcatas
NEVER, EVER mix a gopher tortoise (specialy gophers) with any other tortoise species
Gophers are extremely sensitive about patogens carried in a passive way by sulcatas, leopards and others. In terms of patogens the big guys here are herpes virus (much more serious in tortoises than in humans and diferent from the one it afects us) and Mycoplasma. Both carried by feral desert tortoises that were in contact with greeks, sulcatas ,etc, are responsable for dessimating thousands of wild tortoises. This has happened to several Gopherus species and some years ago it was so bad that desert tortoises became seriously endangered because of that. Since then things have setle down but let´s not make the same mistakes again
You cant keep no diferent species tortoises with the ones you already have and any other of the same species you wish to keep with your current animals must be quarentinized during lots of time. Ive herd that ENTIRE colections have been destroed because of this
If you wish to make a naturalistic landscape for your toises why dont include insted some native lizards like collareds, chuckwallas, swiffs, etc, to make a desert biope?
As for zoos...Dont make me start on thouse
They keep thogether animals of totaly diferent needs and habitats, in often totaly insanitary condicions
In a zoo here in Portugal there is a exibit were they keep aldabras with hermans Risk of health issues extremely high. But they dont care, if one dies there will be another to replace it
Gophers are extremely sensitive about patogens carried in a passive way by sulcatas, leopards and others. In terms of patogens the big guys here are herpes virus (much more serious in tortoises than in humans and diferent from the one it afects us) and Mycoplasma. Both carried by feral desert tortoises that were in contact with greeks, sulcatas ,etc, are responsable for dessimating thousands of wild tortoises. This has happened to several Gopherus species and some years ago it was so bad that desert tortoises became seriously endangered because of that. Since then things have setle down but let´s not make the same mistakes again You cant keep no diferent species tortoises with the ones you already have and any other of the same species you wish to keep with your current animals must be quarentinized during lots of time. Ive herd that ENTIRE colections have been destroed because of this If you wish to make a naturalistic landscape for your toises why dont include insted some native lizards like collareds, chuckwallas, swiffs, etc, to make a desert biope? As for zoos...Dont make me start on thouse They keep thogether animals of totaly diferent needs and habitats, in often totaly insanitary condicions In a zoo here in Portugal there is a exibit were they keep aldabras with hermans Risk of health issues extremely high. But they dont care, if one dies there will be another to replace itWhith the desiases we are talking about that is not enough. All it takes is for a healty toise to came into contact with fluids of a infected animal. And they can remain time bomb assintomatic carriers during YEARSevilxyardxgnome;2313634; said:
The only toises you can keep thogether (and in preference after some blood work to make shure they are healty) are: red foots with yellow foots, sulcatas with leopards(dont mix males of either), marginateds with hermans or greeks( dont mix males of hermans or greeks), travancores with yellow heads(no machos) and even perhaps hingebacks like homeanas with aerosas So I can't put any Leopards or Sulcatas in with my two Tortoises? By the way you said the disease was caused by feral desert tortoises. Well the ones I have come from a line of desert tortoises that have been breed in captivity for almost ten years.
Not trying to argue just got a little confused with your essay you wrote me, though.
P.s. I can't get chuckwallas or any of those lizards because it is illegal to take those animal from the wild.
Not trying to argue just got a little confused with your essay you wrote me, though.
P.s. I can't get chuckwallas or any of those lizards because it is illegal to take those animal from the wild.
i see captive breed chuckwalas for sale occasionally.
or if the are wild chuckwallas around your house you could design the pen in a way that it would attract the wild ones
or if the are wild chuckwallas around your house you could design the pen in a way that it would attract the wild ones