Free Leopard Tortoise

Hydrah

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Thanks but I'm actually looking for a well established member who already has one or even a few adult african tortoises. They'd already be set up and ready to go when it comes time for dealing with winter and the problems associated with this particular species and size of tortoise.
I don't know what you're looking for, I have been a member for a few years so i'm a little confused about that. Additionally, I have a Redfoot and an African tortoise and a whole lot of land for them to roam, enough for them to have separate spaces and we're in Chalmette. I do believe that you should make the best of the situation and keep the tortoise. Best of luck!
 

Angel Carrion

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I don't know what you're looking for, I have been a member for a few years so i'm a little confused about that. Additionally, I have a Redfoot and an African tortoise and a whole lot of land for them to roam, enough for them to have separate spaces and we're in Chalmette. I do believe that you should make the best of the situation and keep the tortoise. Best of luck!
I think what is meant when taking what he said and using it in the context of your post offering to adopt, is that while yes you have been a member for a number of years, you post infrequently and a good portion are posts concerning taking in more torts. In none of your posts are you talking extensively about how you care for and maintain the health and happiness of the torts you have already. So based on your past posts, none of us can see if you are a good tort owner or not.
 

wellington

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I find it very interesting what shows up on the forum when there is a free tortoise. For anyone reading this, I believe I posted in one of my post on this thread and several times on other threads. When rehoming a tortoise, look for ACTIVE members of the forum. If your here just to get free or cheap tortoises, and not participating in being an active member, well, hopefully your looked over. When you don't let anyone get to know you or how you care for your tortoises, well, your not an ACTIVE member then who knows what your doing with your tortoises, if you really have any, or are you just a flipper? Hopefully anyone reading this will keep,this in mind when rehomeing a tortoise.

To the OP, I am very glad you have decided to keep this tortoise. I hope it works well for you and he is able to stay and grow with your kids. If not, most ACTIVE members, including of course Elohi would be a good home.
 

tglazie

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Keeping that handsome fella was absolutely the right decision. I'm from South Texas, and I've been to Louisiana on numerous occasions. The climate here, like the climate there, is so perfectly perfect that you'd be a fool not to keep tortoises.

T.G.
 

Lyn W

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Congratulations on becoming a member of the 'I've been adopted by a Leopard tortoise club'!

I hope we'll see a lot more of him and yourself on the forum with regular updates.
 

Critta

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Here are some pics of him this evening. I've let the grass grow a little high in the yard and he was crawling through it toward the cement.
I measured him and weighed him as well to see how big of a heated box would be best for him. I was thinking 2 feet deep x 2 feet high x 4 feet wide. About right or go bigger? His plastron is 11 inches and he's exactly 12 pounds.



 

Alaskamike

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iMO that box size would be great and you wouldn't need to build another anytime too soon.
If it's well insulated with a flap door , heating it would be fairly easy and economical. I use what's called a " Hound Heater" in mine , but in another one I have a ceramic heat bulb and even that does a good job
Tom uses the oil heaters but you need to sacrifice a bit of room for those. Probably well worth it for the even ambient heat they put out.

He put a barrier wall around the heater so torts can't touch it.

You've probably seen his thread on this. Great design. Mine are a bit more crude but are working well.

I find once the work is done to create habitat , other than occasional maintenance , and clean up , it's pretty much on auto- pilot.

You talked a while back about the problems you had with Fed ex and a scientific experiment you were doing , I presume for your PhD , I didn't comment but having done extensive research myself , that would be a devastating blow.

Good fortune to you and your family with the Leo. No telling what avenues of interest it might spark in a child.
 

Critta

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My plans are - as of right now - to build the box with each wall and top and bottom having an outside piece of wood a sheet of foam insulation in the middle and another piece of wood like in Tom’s set up. I’m planning on using a heater like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MXEDAV2/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I’m trying to decide if I should place the enclosure in the garage and let him stay in there and let him out on warm days etc… but he will not be able to come and go as he pleases other than to walk around in the garage. Or if I should place him in a screened in patio outside and leave the patio door open to the whole backyard - that way he will be able to come and go as he pleases if they weather warms up enough for him and I’m at work or something. I’d like to do the second option but the box would essentially open to all the elements because the rain and all still gets through the screen mesh on the patio. I’m not sure as to how well that would work on the few days when it gets to be in the 30s or 40s here versus being in a somewhat warmer completely enclosed garage and his heated enclosure. I’m looking through the forum each night to get some new ideas on what to do. I’ll probably start building the walls etc. soon maybe this weekend if the size of the enclosure I mentioned seems to be about right. I’ve started to look into different thermostats to run the heater and have found some wide disparities between price and options so I’ve been going through the threads on here after searching for thermostat posts to see which may be best for my application.

As far as that shipment that really messed up my graduate research that was actually for my Master’s Degree. It was back in 2002 when microsatellites were all rage in the molecular world. I was sending them to a professor at the University of Hawaii for her to run some microsatellite markers on some termite DNA samples I had prepared. I had done most of the rest of the experiments locally and was just waiting for these results to move forward on my last part. I sent them in January and with the weather and what not they got lost in transport. I finally was able to collect more samples and re-extract DNA again and send her more samples in early April. However, had they received my samples in January I could have potentially graduated in the Spring of 2002 and definitely the summer. But those months of delay caused me to just sit in limbo while waiting for termites in the field to become active again in the warmer months. I ended up defending my thesis in September rather than earlier and for all intensive purposes I was finished but could not “officially graduate” until December 2002.
 

mike taylor

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I'm in the Houston area if you want to meet me half way I'll take it in . Pm me I'll give you my info. If you don't want to meet half way let me know I like to drive .
 

teresaf

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How about one of these mounted in your patio door? You clould build his heated box to butt up to it inside the patio. You would have to build a safe flip proof ramp on the other side.
 

teresaf

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You could also cut out piece of the garage walland butt the night box inside up to the hole. Save the outside trim pieces so that it can be easily restored later...
 

Critta

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How about one of these mounted in your patio door? You clould build his heated box to butt up to it inside the patio. You would have to build a safe flip proof ramp on the other side.

We actually have a doggie door built into the patio just like that one. I just wasn't sure if he'd learn how to go in and out using it.
 

teresaf

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We actually have a doggie door built into the patio just like that one. I just wasn't sure if he'd learn how to go in and out using it.
I saw someone who had their sulcata using a door on the shed with a ramp. so I don't see why not. as long as he don't have to climb up and over anything causing a flipping hazard. Build the box so the floor is level with the doggie door opening and build the ramp up to the doggie door opening for ease of use. May want to build the ramp extra wide and so he cant easily fall off. also try an edge to the ramp sides that will discourage a lazy tort from walking off the side. If you make it to difficult for him to figure out then he may have problems. A little training (put him in the box and lure him out and down the ramp with goodies and lure him back in sometimes too) every day and he may go in and out all the time on his own no problems. You can 'search' ramps, sheds and such to get ideas...
 

mike taylor

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Yes he will learn to go in and out . You will have to put him in a few times . You will also have to make sure he is in every night even if he uses it by himself . They sometimes don't make it in .
 

Levi the Leopard

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Here are some pics of him this evening. I've let the grass grow a little high in the yard and he was crawling through it toward the cement.
I measured him and weighed him as well to see how big of a heated box would be best for him. I was thinking 2 feet deep x 2 feet high x 4 feet wide. About right or go bigger? His plastron is 11 inches and he's exactly 12 pounds.




My leopards box is also 2x2x4. It works for my 10" leopard just fine. I'd upload a photo to show you but I don't seem to have that option on your thread...
Anyway, unless our leopards get big for the average male, I think this size will be sufficient for a loooong time ;)
 

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