Update on my Leopards

huff747

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Been busy so just popping in to check every once in a while. But tomorrow marks 8 months since I got them in so thought I'd take a moment to post some progression pictures.

Day 1 4/5/16, Tort 1 (all 4 side scutes have big obvious spots) 32 grams -


Day 1, Tort 2 (not all side scutes have spots and nowhere near as big or obvious) 37 grams -


Early feeding picture with a variety of stuff in separate piles just to see what they went after.


Approx 1.5 months in Tort 1 58 grams -


Tort 2 (Dog ate the notecard I recorded weights on and couldn't read what was left for this date for this one) -


Today, 1 day short of 8 months in my possession, Tort1 - 216 grams -


Tort 2 - 253 grams -


Kind of crazy to watch them change. Initial growth on #1 was really light and now it's darker while #2 started off really dark and now is really really light.

Thanks for looking.
 

Neal

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They look really good. I like the second one with the high dome.
 
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This is awesome, it is so cool to see the growth. I am currently starting a project of taking picture every week of my hatchling on a ping pong paddle from different angles (side, front, top). :) Hopefully, over the next year or so, I can the growth very clearly! By the way, your tortoises have very nice, smooth shells. I agree with @Neal , I really love number two's high domed shell. ;)
 

wellington

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Good job on these two. Keep posting updates. Really want to see how the higher dome one progresses
 

huff747

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Thanks for all the kind words. It's been much better experience this time around. Later this winter I'm hoping to get some work started on their future room. We have this strange "L" shaped, partially finished section of our basement that I plan to convert to their space for when they get larger. Currently they're still in a smaller enclosure in my office.
 

KateZ

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I agree. Love how high a dome it has. Will be interesting to see how it grows and of the high done stays.
Hi everyone. I was just reading your posts. I went out and got a scale for my new little leopard. He isn't eating much. His weight was 173 g. Any suggestions?
 

wellington

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Be sure his temps and humidity, are correct, both 80 and basking is high enough 95-100. Keep soaking daily in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Also that it is bright enough. I have really noticed that if my leopards get in a dark/darker spot, they seem to want to stay there and sleep. So, I will eliminate dark spots in the day time.
 

KateZ

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Thank you. I will double check. I also will need to extend soaking time. Currently only 10 mins. Thank again. I'm a little nervous.
 

huff747

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Figured I'd just add some new updates to this thread and just make it a running thread. I had built this enclosure a while ago but I wanted to get them started in something smaller and easier to control at first after not having had great luck in the past. But figured it was time to move them up so got this set up for them and running for a couple days:



Soaking before moving in:


Checking out the new digs:






Found the new food bowl:


They don't seem to care for the green hide much in their old digs but I included it for now, they outgrew a smaller hide made from similar material that they seemed to like but have never been fans of this one (usually lined with some damp moss but out of it at the moment).


And now the other found the food:
 

Slow and steady

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Is that straight coconut coir substrate? I use a soil and orchid bark combo for my little fella, but that looks a lot cleaner to work with. Also, wonderful job on your torts. Great smooth growth. Let me know if you need someone to babysit the light one for the next 30 years or so!;)
Gorgeous.
 

huff747

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Is that straight coconut coir substrate? I use a soil and orchid bark combo for my little fella, but that looks a lot cleaner to work with. Also, wonderful job on your torts. Great smooth growth. Let me know if you need someone to babysit the light one for the next 30 years or so!;)
Gorgeous.

The substrate is (from the website) - "CocoTek organic growing medium consists of three different types of compressed coco coir. This high-quality, low sodium growing medium is an environmentally-friendly alternative to sphagnum peat moss. When hydrated with water, CocoTek rapidly expands, saving time and effort. General Hydroponics CocoTek growing mediums can be used exclusively by themselves, blended together or mixed with expanded clay pellets, perlite or topsoil."

It came in a big block and you add 9 gallons of water to get it to expand.

A local reptile shop in the area that I've gone to for years expanded to include an indoor cultivator that's mostly organic stuff. So that's where I get the substrate from and I was talking to them today because eventually I'll be converting a room in my basement for them and I'm going to add a grow lamp and grow my cacti and tortoise grazing seed mixes in there in the winter. My production has taken a pretty big hit trying to grow it in window sills this winter so hopefully when I get their room ready I can keep the plants going throughout the winter better.
 

Slow and steady

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Thank you, I found it on amazon and will be ordering it shortly. I can already hear monkey and toucan noises coming from your basement jungle. Sounds like a big project. Looking forward to progress reports.
 

BILBO-03

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Figured I'd just add some new updates to this thread and just make it a running thread. I had built this enclosure a while ago but I wanted to get them started in something smaller and easier to control at first after not having had great luck in the past. But figured it was time to move them up so got this set up for them and running for a couple days:



Soaking before moving in:


Checking out the new digs:






Found the new food bowl:


They don't seem to care for the green hide much in their old digs but I included it for now, they outgrew a smaller hide made from similar material that they seemed to like but have never been fans of this one (usually lined with some damp moss but out of it at the moment).


And now the other found the food:
Nice looking enclosure! How big is it ?
 

huff747

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Nice looking enclosure! How big is it ?
It's about 4x2 which I realize is smaller than suggested but easier to control the environment. And I get them out for soaks daily where they spend their time trying to escape and when its summer I get them in the yard regularly as well. Eventually they'll have a room but for now I wanted to be able to better control the environment.
 
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