Digging Leopard.

[Alaskamike]

I know that Leopards are not know for digging. But I have a 10 mo old , "Dunk" who has started digging down and completely covering himself. He has a 8' x 8' outside pen with two others. Well planted with stuff they eat , big water dish.

Twice now when going to get them in for the night I couldn't find him.
(if temps will drop to 72 or less I bring them in for the night).

I mean an inch by inch check with my hands. Got a friend to help. No Dunk. The other two are easy , but Dunk likes to give me heart failure. This time I really thought he got out. Or a hawk got him. Or ..... I really didn't know. It was crazy. He even had me searching the yard for him. Went to bed deciding I lost him.

Today , after kicking myself kicking myself for having lost him , and worried cause got down to 66f last night, went out to check on them and there he was on the basking rock covered in dirt.

I've never had a Leopard do this. Any ideas ? Or do some of yours do this too.

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

Nope. Ez does wriggle around in the substrate when she's indoors to get to the bottom, which creates a little mound of it all around her and like a little pillow mound to rest her head on to sleep. Never seen her actually dig though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum

 

[Elohi]

I've got one that's started to nestle down into the substrate but far from digging, burrowing, or burying himself. The rest of them just sleep in hides, nestled in moss, or just flat out in the open.

 

[Tom]

Some of my South African Leopards would do this in their outdoor pen when they were small. I still have one male that digs down an inch or two to get comfy for the night.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, none of my leopards actually dig. The get themselves under a bush and "smoosh" back and forth, back and forth until they have excavated a little dip in the soil with loose dirt piled up on either side of them.

Of all my tortoise species, the leopards and Manouria are the only two that won't go into their house at night on their own.

 

[Alaskamike]

I must just have an odd one. He doesn't go down far, but does kick dirt out behind him and covers his butt. I. found his little hole under a clump of grass. He's down into the roots of the grass. Lol.

 

[Amanda81]

My little Dent does this. He has a favorite fake plant, he gets under the plant then digs down, by the time he's done and settled in for some shut eye, you can barely see the top of his shell. The first time he pulled this on me I almost had a stroke, now, I don't look anywhere but there. I have attempted to block that spot off, he will go over whatever is in the way. So I finally gave up, told him he won the fight, he can keep his hole. Lol. I have two more, they don't do anything of the sort, they just lay on top of whatever and sleep.

 

[Alaskamike]

My little Dent does this. He has a favorite fake plant, he gets under the plant then digs down, by the time he's done and settled in for some shut eye, you can barely see the top of his shell. The first time he pulled this on me I almost had a stroke, now, I don't look anywhere but there. I have attempted to block that spot off, he will go over whatever is in the way. So I finally gave up, told him he won the fight, he can keep his hole. Lol. I have two more, they don't do anything of the sort, they just lay on top of whatever and sleep.

That's so cute. I guess Dunk will have his dug out hide spot too.

 

[Amanda81]

That's so cute. I guess Dunk will have his dug out hide spot too.

Dent sure has his. You can pull him out of it and while your blinking, he is burning his little butt right back to it. His little legs are like the size of tooth picks, it's the cutest thing ever. Lol.

 

[Amanda81]

This nite he took up in a different spot.
If you look real close, under the one on the left, you will notice Dents shell. Now when he does this under his plant he goes way deeper, he completely disappears on me.

Here's an above shot, u can make him out better. Usually he is down far enough that just a peak of his shell is sticking out and sometimes if he flings the bark right he is completely covered.

 

[diamondbp]

Half of my young leopards dig down in the sphagnum pet moss. Some until you can't see them there at all.