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About Jeannie
Expertise
TORTOISE QUESTIONS ONLY. Questions regarding husbandry of Russian tortoises and other Mediterranean species; general tortoise care; box turtle care. If I can't answer a specific question, I can provide sources for further research.
PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT EXPERIENCED WITH AQUATIC SPECIES (TURTLES). If you ask a question about red-eared sliders or other aquatic species, I won't be able to answer your question other than to give you general information or refer you to other sources.
Experience
I have kept and bred Russian tortoises for over ten years and have other Mediterranean species plus redfoots. Have kept box turtles in the past. I work with other tortoises species at a local rescue, mostly sulcata but some leopards, California desert tortoises, yellowfoots, and box turtles.
Education/Credentials
My knowledge is based on hands-on experience keeping, breeding, and working with tortoises.
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You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Exotic Pets > Turtles > Russian tortoise/greek tortoise
Turtles - Russian tortoise/greek tortoise
Expert: Jeannie - 11/3/2009
Question
do they get along?
Answer
It's not a good idea to mix tortoise species. Each species carries its own particular pathogens which it has natural immunities to, but another species may not have the same immunity. You might not have a problem right away, or ever, but at some point you might lose one or the other tortoise. Even with the same species, you should quarantine any new tortoises for three to six months and preferably longer; even then, you are taking a risk. In particular, Russian tortoises are known to carry the herpes virus (not dangerous to humans, but deadly to tortoises) and adding new tortoises to an established group should be done carefully if at all. Another consideration is that different species have different breeding rituals--some bite, some ram, etc.--that can cause stress to a tortoise of another species. It's better to keep different species separate.
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