Mixing species

[NinjaTurtle]

Hi all,

Just a quick question what happens when you mix species of tortoises together? For example would it be possible to make a leopard tortoise mate with a herman?

Before you start thinking i'm a freak I was just curious and I can assure you that I only keep hermans and dont mix them with any other torts. It would be pretty cool to half like a half breed like you get with dogs.

[AnythingWithAShell]

I honestly don't know if different species would try and breed. I've been told by one keeper that his 2 subspecies of Hermanns (THH and THB) are kept together, and never make any attempts at breeding with each other.

[Fozz]

I've always been quite curious why you can't mix them........ I wonder if their cross breeds would be something boring like a mule or something really cool like a liger.......

[purplepixie]

Leopards and hermans have completley different husbandry.
Most reputable breeders, want to keep speices pure, especially the endangered ones.
So it depends on how serious you are about keeping tortoises.
Some speices will cross over, but they tend to be kept the same.
Personally I think its totally wrong to try and deliberately breed across speices.

[Mrs Mental]

Originally Posted by purplepixie

Leopards and hermans have completley different husbandry.
Most reputable breeders, want to keep speices pure, especially the endangered ones.
So it depends on how serious you are about keeping tortoises.
Some speices will cross over, but they tend to be kept the same.
Personally I think its totally wrong to try and deliberately breed across speices.

Agreed

Number of reasons why you shouldnt mix them excluding the breeding bit, husbandry requirements, dietery requirements & cross contamination (different species carry different pathogens & one can be harmless to one but harmful to another)

[Fozz]

Are popular breeds today cross-breeds of others or are they all pure??.....

[TerrorTortoise]

Originally Posted by NinjaTurtle

Hi all,

Just a quick question what happens when you mix species of tortoises together? For example would it be possible to make a leopard tortoise mate with a herman?

Before you start thinking i'm a freak I was just curious and I can assure you that I only keep hermans and dont mix them with any other torts. It would be pretty cool to half like a half breed like you get with dogs.

I wouldn't think they would breed on their own, maybe if some did it in a lab then maybe could produce offspring (I bet they would not live very long and have major health issues if it could be done) I really don't know but maybe call on a biologist to come and help.