Re: Well Graham since you guys care so much.

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Posted by Justin on December 31, 2001 at 16:29:22:

In Reply to: Re: Well Graham since you guys care so much. posted by graham(UK) on December 31, 2001 at 15:04:07:

Graham

We are pretty close to seeing eye to eye. I have many tortoises and some turtles. I have mixed tortoises once in a while. Mixing for me started with a leopard tortoise that acted very sluggish and would not eat. He had been in my care for over a year but had never thrived. One day I let him walk around on my floor. He walked over to my baby sulcata cage where the sulcata was eating. He began to act interested so I put him in the cage. It was the first time I have ever seen him eat with vigor. Over the years he has been in with sulcatas and greeks. He is now growing up and lives alongside another leopard double his size. As of today I only have one mixed group. It is a marginated and a greek, they do quite well together. My vet has informed me that this pairing is not of concern, since they are sympatric in the wild and both are captive bred. I would rather mix than leave a single healthy tortoise alone. Most tortoises are quite social and do seem to grow depressed without social intereaction.

My point to you was that you should not judge a keeper by one example. For instance I could judge your keeping style by the fact you have sulcatas in an unfriendly enviornment
(The U.K.). However as I became more aware of your situation and saw pictures of your tortoise house, I would see a well thought out setup by a caring keeper, seeking the best for his animals. I only mix if I feel it is in the best interest of the animals involved, personally in some circumstances I would rather risk physical ailments with the tortoises involved, than emotianal stress. Your animals are obviously with someone who loves them, please keep them right where they are and have a happy new year.

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: Graham : We are pretty close to seeing eye to eye. I have many tortoises and some turtles. I have mixed tortoises once in a while. Mixing for me started with a leopard tortoise that acted very sluggish and would not eat. He had been in my care for over a year but had never thrived. One day I let him walk around on my floor. He walked over to my baby sulcata cage where the sulcata was eating. He began to act interested so I put him in the cage. It was the first time I have ever seen him eat with vigor. Over the years he has been in with sulcatas and greeks. He is now growing up and lives alongside another leopard double his size. As of today I only have one mixed group. It is a marginated and a greek, they do quite well together. My vet has informed me that this pairing is not of concern, since they are sympatric in the wild and both are captive bred. I would rather mix than leave a single healthy tortoise alone. Most tortoises are quite social and do seem to grow depressed without social intereaction. : My point to you was that you should not judge a keeper by one example. For instance I could judge your keeping style by the fact you have sulcatas in an unfriendly enviornment : (The U.K.). However as I became more aware of your situation and saw pictures of your tortoise house, I would see a well thought out setup by a caring keeper, seeking the best for his animals. I only mix if I feel it is in the best interest of the animals involved, personally in some circumstances I would rather risk physical ailments with the tortoises involved, than emotianal stress. Your animals are obviously with someone who loves them, please keep them right where they are and have a happy new year.

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