behavior questions

steelrumor

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I just purchased a giant leopard tort about two days ago. Awesome health and size on him. He is about a year old awesome color on his shell. But im curious about his behavior. in the morning when i kick on the lights he doesn't really get up.. So ive been feeding him by literally taking him out of his hide and setting him in front of his salad. (kale and shredded yellow squash. what i got at the grocery store). first day he ate every bit and this morning he basically was like no and went back and went to sleep again. Is this normal for him just getting use to everything being new or should i be concerned?

Habitat details: 122 quart tub with mulch bedding and log hide.
Warm side is about 95-100 depending on which side the light is. More in the corner then middle.

Anything else you need to ask go for it!!
 

wellington

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Hello and welcome:). How old/large is your leopard? Do you have a water dish available 24/7? How about humidity? The diet does need improving. There should be a much wider variety of foods offered. If you have a little one, under two years, please read Toms threads below in my post for raising a Healthy, smooth Leo. A picture of your enclosure would help too. Also, if you have not had him long, they do take some time getting used to you and its area.
 

Tom

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What is a "giant" leopard? Do you mean you have the South African variety?

What are you doing for night heat and what is the night temp? How humid is it and do you have a humid hide?

Here is a care sheet. Maybe in reading it you will see something that strikes you:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-79895.html
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Is it possible for you to ask the previous owner what they fed the tortoise? Sometimes a tortoise going to a new home doesn't look on a new food item as something to eat. You may have to feed what he's used to eating and gradually wean him over to a more varied diet. We have a very good care sheet in the "important threads" at the top of the leopard tortoise section.

To answer your question, yes, it is normal for a new tortoise to hide a lot, and not come out to eat. After a couple of weeks if you are still seeing this behaviour, then something is wrong.
 

steelrumor

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I do have a water bowl 24/7 sorry forgot to mention that. And yeah absolutely i plan on going back to the grocery store today and adding into the mix. As for night heat i have a 100w ceramic bulb and its around 75 degrees give or take depending on how close to the bulb the spot is. And yeah the guy at the store told me he was a giant leopard.. I do not know the precise humidity but he does have a humid side. And i did ask the guy and he gave me a bag of hay and some pellets and some premixed salad... he uses the hay to hide under and looks at the pellets and laughs and does tort stuff instead. lol and thank you guys for helping me I really dont want to be one of those people who are terrible owners excuse my language. But how exactly do i add pictures?
 

LeopardTortLover

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I'd remove the hay as it can cause respiratory issues when keeping high humidity - which should be 80% or more to keep the leopard growing smooth and healthy. Deffo give Tom's care sheet a read - it's a must! When keeping high humidity the temps in the enclosure shouldnt get below 27oC.
 

Yvonne G

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If the tortoise is about a year old, he can still benefit from being kept on the moist side. Get rid of the hay and substitute moistened sphagnum moss instead.
 

steelrumor

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Here he was earlier this morning sitting in the sun on my living room rug!!
 

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BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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Tortoises, my experience, do stress out when they go to new homes. It's like the disruption to their lives shocks them. It may take time but be sure you are prepared to support this transition. Yvonne is right. (She's always right, she is so very tortoise wise!) If the former owners only gave this baby a certain food, or certain types of food, he/she may not know that what you are offering as food. Be sure to have water available, and do warm and cozy soaks. Spa time. For me, the soaks were the best help ever. I added bird vitamins and/or baby food (carrot or squash) to help get some "food" into them in their transition. Be patient. They do go slo-mo, but be supportive: right temps, water, sun when possible. Once your tortoise feels safe in your care, they do come out of their shells, if you will. : )
 

steelrumor

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Yeah hes become quite sociable since just this morning!! he was out basking when i woke up and now is having a snack which is a yellow squash. At first i didnt cut it and it was quite funny watching him chase it around lol! but now i cut it in halves and he's enjoying it quite a bit.
 

stinax182

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glad you're enjoying each other :)

this forum is full of information specific to your tort and everyone is willing to help!

i wouldn't feed too much of any veggie...save that for a weekly or every other week treat. your tort should eat mostly fresh greens from the list provided on the care sheet someone linked to you in a previous comment. and if your tort eats it, chop up some hay and mix it with the greens. most younger torts won't eat hay until they're older so that's no big deal. hay molds quickly so make sure you check it or your tort could get sick.

i think bathing your tort in a small bin with warm water every other day would be good for a couple weeks. make sure the water stays warm by changing it or putting it under the basking light.


also, you keep saying that the lights aren't always in the same spot? that's a problem. your lights should be mounted safely and in the correct place (basking and nighttime)
 

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