Few Questions about new leopards!

[davy89]

Just have a quick few questions if some of the more experienced owners wouldn't mind answering them for me!

So both of my torts are roughly the same size, weight, etc. Just wanted to know if anybody could give me an idea of what age they are judging by the following measurements:

Weight: 115 Grams / 120 Grams
Length: 8cm / 7.5cm
Circumference: 18cm / 18cm

I was told roughly about 1 1/2 years, any other guesstimates would be appreciate

Also I can't get either of them to eat any sort of dry grasses like orchard grass or couch grass, they only seem to like Cabbage, Dandelion leaves, Clover and Spring mix, and once or twice a week I give them Carrot and Broccoli. Should I be worried that they aren't getting enough fiber? Any other diet tips?

Another thing that I was worried about is temperatures at night. In the vivarium they drop to about 20c,(70f?) Is this o.k. or should I invest in an infrared heat lamp of some sort? And would anybody recommend using a heat mat (pig blanket)? I have one but I've been told it isn't beneficial as it heats the torts under shell which is softer and can cos damage to their insides.

Thanks again everybody for all the help, I'll get pics up ASAP

 

[Tom]

I'll take a stab at it.
1. Growth rates are highly variable for a lot of reasons. Your torts could be anywhere from 6 months to 6 years at that size. 1.5 years sounds about right.
2. Most leos won't eat dry grasses or hay. Try letting them graze naturally on some grass in a yard. You can also take grass hay, like Bermuda hay, and spray it with water to rehydrate it. Sometimes they like it better that way. One of the things I'll sometimes do to get them eating it is take a clump of dry grass hay in one hand and chop it with scissors with the other hand. Sprinkle the finely chopped pieces on top of your normal greens and spray with a little water to rehydrate it. Then mix it all up. They won't be able to eat around it. Just use a little at first and then gradually more.
3. Go easy on the cabbage, carrots and broccoli. A little once in a while won't kill them, but none of these are really good leo staples. Try some grape leaves, mulberry leaves, opuntia cactus, hibiscus and rose leaves and flowers, other weeds like mallow, filaree, plantain, sow thistle, hawks beard, wild mustard, wild onion, etc... We have a weed ID section of the forum. Look around in there to see if you recognize any that also grow in your area. If not, take a pic of YOUR weeds and post it for ID.
4. Leopards need lots of humidity and wetness to grow smooth. (Most of them don't, sadly) 70 is too cool for a humid environment with young leos. I like to keep mine 80 round the clock and give them a basking spot of 100-110 for 12-14 hours a day. Here's a care sheet I did for sulcata hatchlings, but I'm doing the exact same thing with my Leopards. http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies I like CHEs for night heat, but red, blue or black bulbs work well too.
5. Heat mats are more for outdoor enclosures on larger/older torts. I wouldn't use them on baby or young ones indoors.

Hope this helps. Good luck.