Salutations everyone from Sonoma county ! First time tortoise owner,clueless but ready to learn!!

Creyeschavez

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
California
always wanted a tortoise but never got one when I was little till I recently had a birthday in November and my boyfriend surprised me with this extremely cute Leopard Tortoise I saw at a pet store and instantly fell in love with him and to my surprise I can now call him mine And welcome my new addition Norman ☺️! Buttttttttt, I came to the realization that I know nothing about tortoises besides they live forever and eat a lot of greens and fruits... so any info, suggestions, recommendations, tips, advice, etc would be more than appreciated!! Especially with indoor inclosure ideas, maintaining the right climate, lighting, what brand provides the right equipment to provide the essentials Norman needs, health and wellbeing, upkeep, etc. I just want the best for Norman and i worry about everything especially his lighting and climate control it's cold out here in cali right now hits 37 degrees at night and recently the highest temperature has been 62 and that's still too chilly even for me I can only imagine how he'd feel....
 

Tim Carlisle

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5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
2,560
Location (City and/or State)
Cincinnati, OH
cincinnati.jpg
Congrats on the new leo! As far as care, I would start off with the following 3 links (they should answer 95% of your concerns):

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/

Enclosures:
https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

Are you able to upload some pics of the tortoise and its current enclosure for us? We can narrow down any further suggestions that way. :)
 

Creyeschavez

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
California
View attachment 224691
Congrats on the new leo! As far as care, I would start off with the following 3 links (they should answer 95% of your concerns):

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/

Enclosures:
https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

Are you able to upload some pics of the tortoise and its current enclosure for us? We can narrow down any further suggestions that way. :)

Hey friend :p I was just reading the leopard tortoise care sheet and barely getting to the enclosure forum and do some research and shopping again and finally get it right !!:oops: I've gone and made Norman 3 different bachelor pads lol (well 2 now) but I don't know I just feel like with each one something is always missing, not right or he ain't feeling it and it's gotta go and I'm back to the drawing board :( I'd be more than happy to share some photos of Norman's extravagant homes with y'all :D just let me figure out how to do so and I'll be back !!
 

Creyeschavez

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
California
image.jpg
View attachment 224691
Congrats on the new leo! As far as care, I would start off with the following 3 links (they should answer 95% of your concerns):

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/

Enclosures:
https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

Are you able to upload some pics of the tortoise and its current enclosure for us? We can narrow down any further suggestions that way. :)

I can't get a good picture to show his humid cool moist area but it's under there but idk all he does is go back and forth on his bridge he never goes down to his moist area I barely switched him over to this small tank because his bigger home wasn't staying warm enough for him now that it's super cold out here
 

Tim Carlisle

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
2,560
Location (City and/or State)
Cincinnati, OH
Cute tort! Few things just to get you started. He's going to need a much bigger enclosure than that. The enclosure should be covered to trap the heat and humidity. I maintain my humidity around 75-80%. A better substrate, such as damp coco coir or orchid moss, will aid in that. Temperatures should be no lower than 75F at the cool side and no higher than 105F around its basking spot. His meals should be supplemented with something like Mazuri Tortoise Diet and some ReptiCal maybe once or twice a week. That ramp you have there should have a guard rail off to the one side to keep the tort from diving off the side of that. Maybe you already have one there, but it is hard to tell from the pic.

I'm sure there's more that some of the others here will suggest to you, so keep a watch out. They've helped me immensely!!!! I've gotta go salt my driveway before the snow gets deep. lol :rolleyes:
 

Bambam1989

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Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Messages
3,112
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
I second what the others have said. I'm becoming quite a fan of two story enclosures. Not only does it add more space but going up and down the ramp is great exercise! My sulcata likes to go up his and then see how fast he can stomp to the bottom.
 

Creyeschavez

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
California
Cute tort! Few things just to get you started. He's going to need a much bigger enclosure than that. The enclosure should be covered to trap the heat and humidity. I maintain my humidity around 75-80%. A better substrate, such as damp coco coir or orchid moss, will aid in that. Temperatures should be no lower than 75F at the cool side and no higher than 105F around its basking spot. His meals should be supplemented with something like Mazuri Tortoise Diet and some ReptiCal maybe once or twice a week. That ramp you have there should have a guard rail off to the one side to keep the tort from diving off the side of that. Maybe you already have one there, but it is hard to tell from the pic.

I'm sure there's more that some of the others here will suggest to you, so keep a watch out. They've helped me immensely!!!! I've gotta go salt my driveway before the snow gets deep. lol :rolleyes:

Trust me me and my boyfriend built him a way bigger home but unfortunately since we're new to this and we just couldn't get it's at the right temps so we're trying to find the best things to maintain humidity in all different areas so we took him out and put him in his 2 story temporary tank while I hope to get all the help I can from the real people that know tortoises:tort: inspire me with their wisdom lol. He has a metal trap lid that came with his tank. But on his bigger inclosure I don't know what type of lips to put on it to keep heat i feel like I might have to make one what's good to use ? We actually went to the craft store and bought these cute white picket fences and made him a railing because he loves stomping down his bridge and I would just worry to much of him getting alittle out of control stomping down his bridge and fall over and flip broke my heart even thinking something so terrible so I went and got him a fence :) and buying those exact substrate!!! I'll send pics of his bigger enclosure tonight or tomorrow :rolleyes:
 

Creyeschavez

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2017
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
California
I second what the others have said. I'm becoming quite a fan of two story enclosures. Not only does it add more space but going up and down the ramp is great exercise! My sulcata likes to go up his and then see how fast he can stomp to the bottom.

I'm a super fan of two story enclosures :D so I did my research and Gave him 2 stories in both his big home and his tank. It makes a huge difference in how much space it adds !!! And it gives Norman an obstacle, some exercise, and keeps him entertained :p at first I thought he was pacing because he wasn't used to his temporary tank home but turns out his bridge is his favorite thing ever :<3::):tort:
 
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