BobbyJ
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- Joined
- Mar 14, 2015
- Messages
- 138
New tortoise
- Thread starter BobbyJ
- Start date
Tom's threads below, even the Sulcata ones will tell you what you need to know.
100% agree with Barb.
After you read through those posts, you will be ready to welcome your torts to your house.
After you read through those posts, you will be ready to welcome your torts to your house.
If you still have some questions, please ask. There are several people well versed in leopard care on the forum.
You will love your Leo. 
I didn't know what was missing on our ranch until we got ours.
Read Toms threads in the leopard section. His suggestions really do work.
And don't forget pics!
I didn't know what was missing on our ranch until we got ours.
Read Toms threads in the leopard section. His suggestions really do work.
And don't forget pics!
Leopards are AWESOME!! Thats the only kind I have...but still...AWESOME!
BobbyJ
Member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2015
- Messages
- 138
How big of an enclosure is necessary for a little hatchling ? Also .. Is UVB necessary 10 hours a day or can I put him in the sun a few hours a week for the rest of the summer and that is sufficient .. Is night time heat necessary or just the daytime .. The room temperature in my room is 76 degrees is that to cold
Hatchlings don't need much space, like 2'x3' or so is good for about a year depending on how big they are growing. Your temps are probably too low for babies, most people keep them between 80 and 85 degrees with the help of a ceramic heating element. They need higher temps to help digest food, lower temps will cause them to slow down, including digestion. You want to keep the low temps above 80 even at night, with a nice basking location under the light up around 90-100. Because you won't get him outside every day, especially in cooler weather, you need to plan on getting a UVB light. For a short term, you could get him outside for a few hours every other day and be okay, but that is short term. If you don't provide the proper diet and environment for babies, they will die. Tortoises are much tougher after a year or two, but babies require attention every day.
BobbyJ
Member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2015
- Messages
- 138
I have a ceramic heater for my red foot tortoise ... I can definitely buy a UVB eventually .. But this would be very short term to go outside every other day for an hour or so .. The heating lamp is no problem ... How should the humidity be
You want humidity around 80 percent for baby leopards.
For babies, higher humidity is better. There has been correlation between low humidity and pyramiding with leopards and that starts with babies through the first few years. I keep my humidity above 70% as much as possible by misting and wetting the substrate every day. Luckily, living by Houston means we have higher humidity than most people every day, so it isn't as difficult to keep it 70% or more.
Hello Greg,
I have a 6 month leopard, my humidity is 89% is that ok and my basking is 36c?
Your humidity is great, wish I could keep mine that high. Your basking temp is good also, mine is just a bit lower but my light is lower wattage. Your little guy shodul be doing well in those conditions.
there are now but has taken a lot of questions from people on this, but now they eat sleep and cause trouble by messing there vivarium up, so i was wondering what plants would be best to use in a vivarium so they have more hiding places and maybe to eat as well, as i would prefer real plans in there. i thought the humidity would be a little high, but thanks for the praise am doing my best, i also purchased some mazuri but they don't eat it but i heard its meant to be good food.
Mazuri is great. for your size, take a pellet or two, soak in warm water for about 2 minutes and mush it up in his greens. Once he finds it, I bet he eats it like crazy. Mazuri will put on some weight much faster than just greens also. Some other great treats in small quantities are strawberries and melons. My adults will knock you over for a strawberry.
I start babies in big enclosures. 4x4' or 5'x18".
If your tortoise gets access to sunshine in a safe enclosure for a few hours a week, you do not need indoor UV.
Night heat IS necessary for a baby leopard.
Read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
