Sometimes tortoises can look lonely in their enclosure, so a lot of owners think about getting them a friend. But unfortunately, this is not the best idea in most cases since tortoises don’t really like the company, and if the company is from a different species things get even more complicated.
Different tortoise species can live together, as long as all of their different needs are fulfilled. A problem that could arise is that tortoises are not usually friendly towards each other, but this is a general characteristic of tortoises, it has nothing to do with the difference in species.
So different tortoise species can live together, but depending on how different the species are you might have a harder time making a proper habitat for them. And then there is the fact that tortoises don’t really like the company of other tortoises. So let’s see what you can do to make things work out.
The Different Needs of Tortoises
All tortoises need the following things:
- A good humidity level
- A basking area
- A balanced diet
- A proper substrate
No matter what tortoises species you have you must make sure that it has all of the things I just mentioned. The problem when you have different tortoise species is that not all of them will require the same amount of humidity, diet, etc.
The Humidity Level
Depending on their natural habitat pet tortoises will require a certain humidity level in their tank or enclosure.
To achieve a certain humidity level you can either spray some water in their enclosure, use a humidifier, or use a substrate that is good at retaining humidity.
The good part is that tortoises don’t require an exact humidity level, so it’s not something like 38.5%, instead, the range is a lot bigger. Here are a few real-life examples:
- Russian tortoises require a humidity between 30% and 50%
- Hermann tortoises require a humidity between 40% and 60%
- Red Footed tortoises require a humidity between 70% and 80%
- Greek tortoises require a humidity between 40% and 60%
- Star tortoises require a humidity between 70% and 80%
So there are some combinations that can work, like the Russian and Hermann tortoise, where a 45-50% humidity is good for both species. But there are some combinations that won’t work like the greek and star tortoises.
So there are some impossible combinations, and there is nothing that can be done about it. So before getting two different tortoises make sure that they can both thrive in the same humidity levels.
Basking Area
Without a proper basking area, tortoises won’t be able to properly process calcium and as a result, their shells and health will deteriorate.
Just like in the case of humidity level, the temperature doesn’t have to be exact. Here are a few real-life examples:
- Russian tortoises require a basking temperature between 90 and 100°F
- Hermann tortoises require a basking temperature between 90 and 95°F
- Red Footed tortoises require a basking temperature between 80 and 85°F
- Greek tortoises require a basking temperature between 75 and 85°F
- Star tortoises require a basking temperature between 90 and 100°F
Again, as you can see there are some species that require similar basking temperatures, but not all of them. And unlike the previous case where greek and Russian tortoises could live in the same humidity, they don’t require the same basking temperature.
One thing to keep in mind is that you could theoretically make a small compromise and increase or lower the temperature by 2 or 3 degrees, and have something in between even if it’s not in the ideal range. From my experience tortoises are not that sensible and such a small difference shouldn’t be bad for them in any way. But having a basking area at 95°F while the maximum for one of the tortoises is 85°F is a little bit too much.
You could also try to make two basking areas but there is a good chance that your tortoises won’t use the one designed for them. I tried this once and they usually went for the one that was closest to them, regardless of the temperature.
The Diet
The next thing on the list is the diet. And fortunately, here things aren’t that complicated since almost all tortoises are herbivorous.
There are very few tortoises, like the red-footed tortoise, who are omnivorous, so they eat meat, fruits, and vegetables. But overall most tortoises eat the same thing so while it’s a good idea to check before you get two different tortoises, there should be no problem when it comes to feeding.
The Substrate
All tortoises need to have a substrate in their enclosure. The good part is that there is a good chance that you won’t have to split your enclosure in two different parts. But this doesn’t mean that any substrate will do. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad substrates that are sold in a lot of pet shops. So here is a quick general guide about substrates.
Substrates That You Should Avoid
Wood, you should stay away from any kind of substrate that is made out of wood. Tortoises can and will get stung by splinters. There is also the problem that they can eat it by mistake, and the wood can cause a lot of life-threatening problems while it’s inside the intestines of the tortoise.
Sand is usually sold in a lot of pet shops as a great substrate/bedding for tortoises. This is not the case, even for tortoises that live in desert areas. Sand on its own is a terrible substrate/bedding for tortoises. However sand can definitely be used in combination with different types of soil, but it’s not good on its own. If you use only sand, your tortoise will end up getting an eye irritation/infection. And if your tortoise ends up swallowing it, which happens a lot more than you might think, it will end up with intestinal problems.
Dusty substrates are also a very bad idea, the dust from the substrate can easily lead to respiratory problems for your tortoise.
Fiber substrates are also a popular choice, but unfortunately, they can become dangerous if they are not well maintained. Their biggest disadvantage is that they can easily become moldy which will lead to a lot of health problems for your tortoise. And if the fiber substrate is not kept wet it will become very dusty, which will lead to respiratory problems.
Paper, any kind of paper is bad, whether is paper towels, newspapers, or old magazines, they are all bad substrates. They don’t provide any kind of benefit for your tortoise, they can get moldy very fast, and they can catch fire in an instant. So stay away from any kind of paper substrate or bedding.
Alfalfa is another type of substrate that you should stay away from. Alfalfa is very absorbent, which is great for keeping the enclosure clean, but it can also easily dehydrate your tortoise. And there is also the fact that they usually contain a lot of protein, and this can be bad if your tortoise starts eating it.
Those substrates that I just listed can be very dangerous for your tortoise, but this doesn’t mean that every single possible bad thing will happen to your tortoise if you use them, but for me personally, just knowing that there is a real risk of something bad happening to my tortoise makes me want to avoid them. Especially since there are better alternatives.
I know I eliminated some of the most common commercially available substrates with this list, but don’t worry there are a lot of solutions out there that are very cheap and accessible. So let’s talk about them.
The Best Substrate for All Tortoise Species
The best thing that you can use as a substrate/bedding for a tortoise is a combination of soil with sand. The soil is perfect for digging, and it provides a lot of thermal benefits. And combining it with sand will let you adjust the amount of humidity that it will retain. While sand by itself is a terrible choice, combining it with soil should solve any problem.
The exact proportion you should mix those two can vary depending on your area, if you live in an area with a lot of humidity you might need to add a little more sand than somebody who lives in a dryer area. But in general, the mix should be around 70% to 80% soil, and the rest of 30% to 20% sand.
The soil and the sand that you use don’t have to be anything special, just make sure that the soil is 100% natural, with no added fertilizers, organic or chemical, and the sand has to be relatively small and soft.
Here are a few links to Amazon, for the sand and the soil that I use, both of them are perfect for a Red-Footed tortoise substrate:
If you want a more detailed guide about substrates you can check out this page where you will find guides for a multitude of tortoise species.
How Different Tortoise Species Interact With Each Other
We completely covered all the things that you will have to take into consideration when getting tortoises from different species. But now let’s see how the tortoises will interact with each other.
There are two possibilities, and unfortunately, there isn’t too much that you can do to influence the outcome.
The first possibility is that the tortoises will mostly ignore each other, so they won’t interact too often, and when they do it will be something very small and in a lot of cases unintentional.
The other possibility is that they will hate each other and they will fight. While tortoises are not that dangerous fighting each day in a small space can be quite bad for their health.
The only thing that you can do is to make sure that they have enough space and food so that they don’t have to compete with each other.
The fact that they are from different species won’t matter at all, this is the way tortoises act, they either ignore or hate other tortoises. But as I said if they don’t have any reason to hate the other tortoise they won’t, so make sure that they have everything they need so they don’t have to compete for things.
One other thing to keep in mind is that males tend to be more aggressive than females. So a safer combination would be 2 females or one male and 1 female.
Final Thoughts
Theoretically, you could have tortoises from different species live together, but even if you do everything right there is a chance that the tortoises will hate each other for no apparent reason.
You can drastically decrease the chances of this happening by making sure that they have enough food, enough space, and that they feel comfortable in the enclosure, so they need to have the right temperature and humidity.
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Hello,
I love this article. I have a lot of experience with tortoises as well. I have 2 baby Burmese Black Mountain tortoises now. I wanted to get a baby Aldabra when I get my house later this year, but was hesitant to mix the species. But I love the large tortoises.