Dark dark dark leopard!

[biochemnerd808]

This little one is turning out to be SO dark! I love the coloring. Its neck has some amazing marbling on it, too.
I'm curious what it will look like fully grown. Whether it will continue dark, or end up with more light coming in?
19 months old, outside 24/7 since May this year. Before that, in a closed chamber.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Well it's awful pretty, but isn't it too young to be outside yet? I don't keep Leo's so I'm just going on experience with other species at that age...and asking, not telling...

 

[biochemnerd808]

Well it's awful pretty, but isn't it too young to be outside yet? I don't keep Leo's so I'm just going on experience with other species at that age...and asking, not telling...

Excellent question. It's SCL is 5". In many climates (dry climates) I would absolutely agree with you. However, we live in humid (so humid! 95% on many days) Central Arkansas where you can practically swim through our air. As long as night temps are over 75, there is no reason not to have it outside. I hose the leopard torts down 3x or 4x a day, and as you can see, they are growing super duper smoothly.

The habitat has a lid to keep predators out, and the area with the tortoises has an electric fence around it, too.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Excellent question. It's SCL is 5". In many climates (dry climates) I would absolutely agree with you. However, we live in humid (so humid! 95% on many days) Central Arkansas where you can practically swim through our air. As long as night temps are over 75, there is no reason not to have it outside. I hose the leopard torts down 3x or 4x a day, and as you can see, they are growing super duper smoothly.

The habitat has a lid to keep predators out, and the area with the tortoises has an electric fence around it, too.

Sounds like you got it!!! This is my Mary playing in the mud...lol...she keeps the predators out with that face...haha I have a RedFoot who is 5" scl...as well. I was putting him out daily but it seemed to stress him out and he just wasn't acting right...So I stopped, and just left him inside...he seems happier now...oh well

 

[biochemnerd808]

Sounds like you got it!!! This is my Mary playing in the mud...lol...she keeps the predators out with that face...haha I have a RedFoot who is 5" scl...as well. I was putting him out daily but it seemed to stress him out and he just wasn't acting right...So I stopped, and just left him inside...he seems happier now...oh wellView attachment 360270

Does the outdoor Redfoot habitat have enough hiding opportunities? Tortoises don't like feeling exposed. I plant lots of things (rosemary, lavender, grass bushels, small bushes like rose of sharon) in addition to the weeds and flowers I seed. And I lean logs up against rocks so there are areas to scurry under. There aren't more than a ft or two they can walk and feel exposed.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's a spectacular tortoise

 

[Maggie3fan]

Yes, in the outside enclosure he has plenty of places to hide, and the whole pen is covered with lattice

 

[Trieste]

They’re a real stunner!