? about activity / diet

[Ariane520]

I have 2 leos. 1 male and 1 female. Only had them a week so I have not come up with any names...I'm up for suggestions. My female will eat anything you put in front of her. While I have to place the male in front of the food and run out the room. And ONLY after he is sure that no one is around he will eat a small amount. Altho yesterday he and she both spent about 2 hours grazing in a bowl of spring mix, bermuda grass, and prickly pear cactus (that I collected from the desert myself...epic fail) Anyways my questions are this:

1. Is it normal to have such a wide range is appetite and activity levels?

2. how much should a 9 week old leo eat?

3. Is soaking them 1 - 2 times a day too much?

4. Is it normal for them to pig out one day and then not really eat the next?

 

[ascott]

So I do not have Leopards (although I love them and think they are awesome )

I will give you my first responses to each of your items

1. I would be alert to bullying (others will say right away that
Leopards do not show aggressive behavior, well, my motto
is---they are tortoise first and then the species they are
is a Leopard..so bullying can be a factor....I would suspect
this as a possibility based on the contrast in behavior...not
that it is the ONLY thing...but would be one thing I would
pay attention for...also, sometimes tortoise just really do
have very different personalities .

2. I would offer a baby food every 4-6 hours as they are so
small....and I would offer a pile of food the size of the tortoise
to begin with and perhaps smaller offerings through out the
day

3. Soaking at least once a day is great and if your tortoise is
not overly stressed and actually enjoys the soaks..then a
second time would not be anything but extra hydration

4. Yes, absolutely. The older that they get the more routine
they seem to be on wanting to eat more on their own
schedule...and you will figure that routine out

Wait round abit and I am sure others will give you their insight as well

 

[Neal]

1. Is it normal to have such a wide range is appetite and activity levels?

2. how much should a 9 week old leo eat?

3. Is soaking them 1 - 2 times a day too much?

4. Is it normal for them to pig out one day and then not really eat the next?

1. Yes, even clutch mates will vary significantly in how much they eat and how active they are.

2 & 4. Ours typically eat twice a day. We don't measure exactly how much food they eat, but it will be different each time. Sometimes they will eat a lot, sometimes they will just nibble and move on.

3. I don't know how much is too much, but once a day is just fine.

Leopards can be finicky eaters. We have some that need to be fed separately where they can't see us or any other tortoises. During the summer when they're outside, we drop food in their enclosures which are right in front of our windows and watch them from the inside where they can't see us.

Sounds like you are doing well.

 

[JoesMum]

To add to both the above posts... remember you've only had them a week. Tortoises can take a long time to adapt to new surroundings - I'm talking weeks... some can take a couple of months.

A daily 20 minute soak and ensures hydration - they can survive for food for quite a while, but not without water.

Getting into a routine can help your torts get used to you and their surroundings; they'll know what to expect.

Lights, heat, bath, food is what I do. A soak while relatively cool minimises escape attempts and breakfast is consumed after the inevitable in-bath poop.

 

[Zamric]

Soaking is good. Bullying may very well be a problem. Thier appetites are like anything elses.... sometimes RAVENIOUS... sometimes not so much...

 

[Tom]

I agree with all of the above, but I'd also check the environmental factors. What are your four temps? Cool side, warm side, basking spot and night?

Have you seen Neal's care sheet for leopards? Its a good one.