Lesbian tortoise?
 

I've got, what I believed to be a female. She keeps mounting my other female and wiggling her tail.
Is it possible that she could be lesbian or is this normal?
She's 5 years old and this is new behaviour.
I've never seen any evidence of male genitalia and the tail looks too short?
I'm confused, please advise.
Thank you.

Hi. I think this is dominance behaviour. Female tortoises can behave in what looks like male behavior when the male is trying to get the female to cooperate with mating. This can include mounting, leg biting and even mounting combined with squeeking with an open mouth.

Female tortoises are often very relaxed and comfortable together but not always. Behavior can become very aggressive. More space can help. Or the less dominant one may accept their place and things may settle down.

Thank you. They've been together since they were a year old so hopefully things will settle down. They have lots of room in their garden enclosure so roll on better weather!

Are you sure this tortoise is female?
As females "rarely" use mounting as a dominance thing unless they dont have enough space. But do mount males and females when they are gravid.

I don't dispute what you are saying but (I shan't name tortoise names )... one of my elderly females will mount anything going. I am being serious - Her little friend last year was a wooden log. can be 10 15 minutes saying hello and I mean right on top of it. She is about the only one that does this. I move the log and she finds it. I give her another log and it doesn't seem so much fun. The younger one will try and bite back of legs and sort of mount - more push out way...so she is on her own , but the other takes the biscuit.

Thanks everyone.
Our reptile vet has confirmed she is a female.

that's good, omg how many tarantula's do you have?....do you name them....aaargh. The hugest spider in the conservatory today I freaked out completely and spat tea everywhere as it was going for the largest bumble bee i've ever seen too...like clash of the titans.....

I've just visualised you doing that!!! What would Ragnar think of you?!! :razz::razz:

Tea---- hmmm.

ha :-| I did say 'today' not tonight ! ...! x