My adult tortoises are attacking my baby tortoise.. WHY AND WHAT DO I DO??

Question

I recently took the baby tortoise out of its cage to let it roam the back yard like the other adult tortoises (I have 3). But we noticed the baby doesn't extend its limbs n doesn't eat much. We thought what was wrong with it until we saw the adult tortoises biting the baby tortoise!! the sides are injured and 2 of its fingers are gone!! WHAT DO I DO?? I am so sad to see my baby tortoise all chewed up.. =( please help me...

Yes I did have a separate pen and they have been seeing each other for years... but now I've decided to introduce the baby out of the pen. I've put the baby back into the pen now though. As for the species, yea I think the real name is box turtle. The baby is doing better now I think... thank for all your advice..

Answer 1

Hate to state the obvious, but.....don't let baby roam around with the adults!
They are territorial, and you have just introduced and intruder.
I don't know if they will get along in time, perhaps if you section off the baby so they can get used to it there.
Quite possibly you have 2 males there... I don't know too much else about them, perhaps you do some research online as to what else you can do.
Cheers

Answer 2

1. Tortoises don't have visible toes. Are you sure you are referring to true tortoises, or perhaps Box Turtles or the Australian usage of 'tortoise' for 'water turtle'? What species are we talking about here?

2. Attacks are a sign of stress, especially if the tortoises feel over-crowded. Try to allow 100 square inches per inch of tortoise shell length.

3. Treat the baby immediately. I am going to assume this is a real tortoise but most of the cares would apply to other species as well.
- Soak the tortoise in warm water and gently scrub off any dirt.
- If the injuries are actively bleeding, put anitibiotiic ointment on it, then put sterile gauze on them and use paper-based first aid tape to hold it in place. Use stronger tape on the paper tape if needed.
- If it is oozing blood, use a pinch of cornstarch to stop the bleeding.
- When bleeding is controlled, swab the entire injured area with Betadine Solution heavily and allow to dry.
- Dab some antibiotic ointment on any raw areas,
- Bandage if needed as described above.
- Let the tortoise rest to treat the stress and shock. For the first few hours, we will 'pack it'- put it in a box with towels or paper toweling wadded around it (make sure it can breath) and keep the box warm and in a moderately humid area (bathrooms are usually good). Leave it alone to rest for several hours.
- When you return it to its habitat, make sure the place is clean, proper temps, etc.

Try http://www.tortoisetrust.org for more details.

Answer 3

Your adult tortoise's may get used to the little one In time but until then, as suggested before build a smaller pen in your yard so they can see each other but the larger one cannot get to the smaller one. As far as the injuries go, if you keep them clean and put triple anti-biotic ointment on it at least twice a day ( keep it on newspaper til it heals to keep the dirt out of its injuries, and be sure the paper stays clean of urine and poops, this could cause infection if the tortoise is allowed to get it in its cuts. They are very resilient creatures and with a little care it should survive no problem. If you can take it to the vet as soon as possible. If there is damage to the shell it could take years before it starts to look normal again, sorry.

Answer 4

Your mature tortoise obviously feels territorial and dominant. It'll just keep attacking the little tortoise if it keeps invading its space.
As for you baby turtle, I think it'll get a VD and die. Yeah, theres nothing you can do.

Answer 5

maybe you should try TAKING THE BABY AWAY from the adults then let him heal.. put some antibacterial cream on it that humans use it will help keep it clean

Answer 6

Separate them