New baby is here!

[dandj425]

I have been loving my water turtles for several years now. But since interacting with 2 sulcatas, 'spur thighs' they call them at the local wildlife center, I have wanted a tortoise as well. I knew right away I didn't want a small one. My water children( adult map, adult res, hatchling dbt) are so much fun but will never be big enough to free roam like Purdy will.
So my game plan is to continue lurking this site and absorbing what I can. Luckily no more filters for this baby, but keeping the heat is a challenge I am finding. Very happy people here showed the taller tote setup, my heats are almost right now, 75ish in one side with the hide log and 92ish under the Powersun bulb. Baby is eating and seems so healthy. Got her from Woody's Reptiles and he has been great with my questions. His adults had little pyramiding and this baby is mostly smooth so I have my work cut out for me to keep the pyramiding down to a minimum.
Tom, your posts so far I have read and will be watching. Thanks to everyone here for pics. I too live for them!

 

[Jacqui]

*waves* Hi and welcome! What a pretty little guy. So what made you pick a leopard?

 

[african cake queen]

hi, what a cutie. good luck with your baby.

 

[luvpetz27]

Welcome to the forum!!
He is a cutie pie!!

 

[DesertGrandma]

Welcome to the forum dandj425. Congrats on your new leopard baby. Is it a south African leopard? It is gorgeous.

 

[dandj425]

*waves* Hi and welcome! What a pretty little guy. So what made you pick a leopard?

Thank you, it is sweet and shy right now, adjusting. Though I love those spur thighs, I knew they got a bit too big for me to lift safely so I researched to find a slightly smaller version with equal personality and found the leopard. Then it was deciding between the babcocki and pardalis sub types. Though I know the pardalis will be larger, almost sulcata size, their personality seems to be closest to a sulcata. Maybe its because the bigger the sweeter... But we have this one and expect to retire nicely with it(hoping for a her!). But if it is not a her but a he, will I have to worry about him being stressed with no mating female? I saw someone post on this and didn't know about that issue.
But yes, we have large yard and look forward to future years outside with it munching our yard and hanging out
BTW, we live in MA so will be indoors with us 9 mos of the year. Yes I had to take that into serious thought as well. Luckily the kids are growing fast too...Purdy will have her own room soon enough, hehehe..

 

[dandj425]

Welcome to the forum dandj425. Congrats on your new leopard baby. Is it a south African leopard? It is gorgeous.

Thank you...yes it is the pardalis pardalis sub type.

 

[Eloise's mommy]

Welcome what cute little hatchling!!

 

[surie_the_tortoise]

welcome. glad you made an educated choice , so many do not. he/she is a beautiful little one

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Dawn!

 

[dandj425]

Welcome to the Forum, Dawn!

Thank you! Am trying to sort through the wealth of info here! One question is do tortoises shed their scutes like water turts do? If so, how often so I know what is healthy? Purdy is growing already but not sure how the scutes grow with the size, since I know this will be a larger tort.

 

[mainey34]

Hello, I have a silly question...is that. Her enclosure in the background? Looks like hay or stray in the enclosure...if so, you need to remove that and use proper substrate, cocoir, press mulch, etc...

 

[dandj425]

Hello, I have a silly question...is that. Her enclosure in the background? Looks like hay or stray in the enclosure...if so, you need to remove that and use proper substrate, cocoir, press mulch, etc...

Yes found out quickly that the hay molds quickly, yuck!!!
Also that was the first underbed type tote enclosure we used but couldn't contain the environment right so now use a 106qt sterilite tote with coconut coir and hay in the one dry corner. I check it and change it frequently to prevent/get rid of any molding. Also had to get rid of the pretty log which molded(UGH) and now use a plant pot on its side and half buried. Another corner it likes to bury into is the damp sphagnum moss. I put fresh in regularly. I also have liked using the terra cotta planter plates for the water dish and food dish. They are shallow and easy to clean plus easy to bury up to the lip in the coir substrate. Can't wait to setup a table like I am seeing on the forum. Figure I have a few months left to finalize those plans to give it more room

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[AZtortMom]

Welcome

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome!