got new leopard tort, have some questions

[19860601]

We got a beautiful new tortoise 2 weeks ago!
He's around 1.5 years old, and seemed super healthy when we got him/her.
I've read almost every thread and care sheet on this forum that I could find, so I wouldn't call myself clueless, but I'm very far from a pro.

Now after getting few experiences with it, I have a few beginner questions that I'd like to ask.

• When we take it out of it's enclosure to roam around the garden/room a little bit, he seems to enjoy himself quite a lot. Walking around, exploring, having fun. But he also seems to look for places to hide as soon as he can, like bushes, under the table, in corners. Is this normal behaviour? Does he just roam around exploring, or is he in panic trying to find a shelter?
• He seems to eat a little less, and poops (while soaking) less often than in the first week. And now he hasn't pooped for 3 days straight. Is that a general tendency? Or did he have more/better food availible at the breeder?
• He seems to have very specific roads he likes to use in his enclosure. Most of the time though, he walks around the outermost edges and seems like he's trying to get out, or just climb walls. We thought this enclosure would be huge for him, but might it be too small? It's 120x60 cm (around 47"x24").

We soak him once a day in warm water, his enclosure temperatures are between 95 (basking spot), 83 (general area) and 70 (cool spot). His general diet would consist of grass, endives, salad, and the occasional cabbage.

Thanks for any help in advance

 

[JoesMum]

You have a very new tortoise and tortoises do not adapt to change easily. Every time you take him out of his enclosure, you are changing his surroundings and he tries to hide... the best, and safest, place for him is in his enclosure. It can takes weeks, if not months, for a tort to get used to a new enclosure and owner.

You need to start by reading this thread throughly How to raise a healthy Leopard Tortoise
And also this Beginner Mistakes

Your tort defintely needs more variety in its diet. Identify all the greens that you can get for free outside and in your gricery store and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability.

I would say your enclosure is too small, but that should be covered in the above links.

 

[naturalman91]

We got a beautiful new tortoise 2 weeks ago!
He's around 1.5 years old, and seemed super healthy when we got him/her.
I've read almost every thread and care sheet on this forum that I could find, so I wouldn't call myself clueless, but I'm very far from a pro.

Now after getting few experiences with it, I have a few beginner questions that I'd like to ask.

• When we take it out of it's enclosure to roam around the garden/room a little bit, he seems to enjoy himself quite a lot. Walking around, exploring, having fun. But he also seems to look for places to hide as soon as he can, like bushes, under the table, in corners. Is this normal behaviour? Does he just roam around exploring, or is he in panic trying to find a shelter?

to take him out in the garden is fine natural sunlight is alway's a plus! but it's really not advised to let a tort wonder around on the floor that can cause stress the walking around having fun is a lot of the time misunderstood, and you've allowed the tort to know the world is bigger then his enclosure which might lead to him never being content alway's try to escape when it comes to enclosure's bigger is better in every since of the word do you have a outdoor enclosure? if you dont and you just let him roam i'd recommend building a enclosure for him it hasn't happened to me but you'd be surprised how quick a tort can go from being seen to missing virtually in front of your eye's

 

[naturalman91]

to take him out in the garden is fine natural sunlight is alway's a plus! but it's really not advised to let a tort wonder around on the floor that can cause stress the walking around having fun is a lot of the time misunderstood, and you've allowed the tort to know the world is bigger then his enclosure which might lead to him never being content alway's try to escape when it comes to enclosure's bigger is better in every since of the word do you have a outdoor enclosure? if you dont and you just let him roam i'd recommend building a enclosure for him it hasn't happened to me but you'd be surprised how quick a tort can go from being seen to missing virtually in front of your eye's

 

[wellington]

Congrats on a great species. Now, do not feed cabbage and add more variety. The humidity should be 80% and that is with temps no lower then 80 day and night. Personally, your tort is acting pretty normal for a small leopard. That's pretty much what mine did when he was younger. I have found doing a routine gets them over being switched from one enclosure to the next quicker and I have not had any problems. Getting them outside for natural sunlight is much better for them, then leaving them inside. At any point, the moving back and forth could stress them a little anyway, whether you do it now or 5 months from now. They will hide under stuff and they usually do walk the same path. Not pooping for three days is not a real concern. Sometimes soaking mine longer helped them to poop when I felt it has been too long. Please also read Toms threads below in my post for proper guidance for raising your leopard. The sulcata threads will apply to leopards too.

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

All the behaviour you described is normal. They hide a lot. They usually have the same 'routes' and they don't poo everyday. Congrats on your new tortoise.

 

[19860601]

Thanks for all the kind info!
I'll read through the links one more time, but it seems like (other than the enclosure being a bit too small) there is no need to panic right now

 

[Yvonne G]

No, there's no need to panic. You just need to make some minor changes. Joesmum has given you good info. The diet needs more variety.

Regarding your first concern. In my opinion, you, and most new tortoise-keepers who allow the baby out of the habitat, misinterpret the lively action of the baby, as being one of interest and excitement, when rather it is one of fright. Baby tortoises are prey and they don't stay out in the open for fear of being eaten. So running around is not 'having fun' but rather trying to find a safe place to get out of sight.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

@19860601 it's been awhile any new images of the leos?