Hello from Arkansas
- Thread starter adamgreen
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Hello Adam
Speedy-1
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome Adam ! 
Hello and welcome
Before you get your tort, I recommend reading these
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
Please do ask us before spending any money on equipment. We'll stop making purchases that you later regret!
Before you get your tort, I recommend reading these
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
Please do ask us before spending any money on equipment. We'll stop making purchases that you later regret!
DoctorPotterWho
Active Member
Welcome!! =)
Welcome!
Welcome to the forum.
saginawhxc
Well-Known Member
Yes. Please do yourself a monumental favor and read and reread those two listed threads and Tom's diet sheet for sulcatas and Leopards.
Follow them and you will do well.
Make sure to keep us updated and make sure to have fun.
Welcome to the forum.
Follow them and you will do well.
Make sure to keep us updated and make sure to have fun.
Welcome to the forum.
AmandaGal
Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 26
I'm in central Arkansas and my baby leopard comes tomorrow. Welcome!
AmandaGal
Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 26
I'm not an expert, and he's a lot smaller than I expected so I may end up regrouping this weekend. I followed the instructions here (more or less) to build: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/habitat/470803-how-build-your-own-wooden.html
And I modified with these care guides in mind:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/
I have experience with sulcata (which I was originally going to get, but I changed my mind), but I never have raised them with such high humidity or in an enclosed chamber. Looking at the ones I have worked with, they are a little pyramided. Those guides should be used as opposed to the old information out there (honestly, I thought sulcuta were supposed to look like that).
I changed my dimensions on the vivarium to 5 feet long and 31 inches wide. It's 30 inches tall, but I wish I would have made it a bit taller because the large dome lights can't really be raised and lowered that much. I have a 75 watt Mercury vapor bulb by Mega Ray and a ceramic heating element on one side. The mercury vapor is hooked to a timer and the heating element is hooked to a thermostat. He's got 3 different hides in there and lots of bushes to hide in. I used orchid bark as a substrate and covered it in reptile moss on one side (the other side is just bark). He's actually pretty hard to find because he's tiny! In the photo, that's a cup lid you see him on. The bowls I have are too big. I'm going to have to find a stone or something for him to eat on (I'm afraid he'll eat the plastic, but it worked in a pinch, that's spring mix he's eating. It was his after shipping treat).
He's much too little for outside by himself for now, but I also built him a 96 inch long by 35 foot wide playpen (I forget the height). It's all screened in with the same kind of thing you'd screen in a rabbit hutch with so he can go out and play and I don't have to worry about him being eaten. I also made some hidey areas in there for him.
I have a large area of my yard that I'm working on fencing in/clearing of brush and making an area for when he gets bigger. I figure that's a good winter project because it's too hot to do a lot of that in the summer here. It's only halfway started (I have a lot of cleared and some of the black weed block plastic down to kill the existing plants so I can replant tortoise friendly stuff). I probably have a few years before he's big enough to enjoy it, so I think I have time
I got him from Vicki at TortoiseYard (so he's actually a she, she incubates for females).
And I modified with these care guides in mind:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/
I have experience with sulcata (which I was originally going to get, but I changed my mind), but I never have raised them with such high humidity or in an enclosed chamber. Looking at the ones I have worked with, they are a little pyramided. Those guides should be used as opposed to the old information out there (honestly, I thought sulcuta were supposed to look like that).
I changed my dimensions on the vivarium to 5 feet long and 31 inches wide. It's 30 inches tall, but I wish I would have made it a bit taller because the large dome lights can't really be raised and lowered that much. I have a 75 watt Mercury vapor bulb by Mega Ray and a ceramic heating element on one side. The mercury vapor is hooked to a timer and the heating element is hooked to a thermostat. He's got 3 different hides in there and lots of bushes to hide in. I used orchid bark as a substrate and covered it in reptile moss on one side (the other side is just bark). He's actually pretty hard to find because he's tiny! In the photo, that's a cup lid you see him on. The bowls I have are too big. I'm going to have to find a stone or something for him to eat on (I'm afraid he'll eat the plastic, but it worked in a pinch, that's spring mix he's eating. It was his after shipping treat).
He's much too little for outside by himself for now, but I also built him a 96 inch long by 35 foot wide playpen (I forget the height). It's all screened in with the same kind of thing you'd screen in a rabbit hutch with so he can go out and play and I don't have to worry about him being eaten. I also made some hidey areas in there for him.
I have a large area of my yard that I'm working on fencing in/clearing of brush and making an area for when he gets bigger. I figure that's a good winter project because it's too hot to do a lot of that in the summer here. It's only halfway started (I have a lot of cleared and some of the black weed block plastic down to kill the existing plants so I can replant tortoise friendly stuff). I probably have a few years before he's big enough to enjoy it, so I think I have time
I got him from Vicki at TortoiseYard (so he's actually a she, she incubates for females).
Attachments
Last edited:
saginawhxc
Well-Known Member
I actually capped my enclosure at 29 1/2". I know it limits movement of the lights, but it creates an enclosure that can fit through doorways.
I'm not an expert, and he's a lot smaller than I expected so I may end up regrouping this weekend. I followed the instructions here (more or less) to build: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/habitat/470803-how-build-your-own-wooden.html
And I modified with these care guides in mind:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-care-sheet.63792/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/
I have experience with sulcata (which I was originally going to get, but I changed my mind), but I never have raised them with such high humidity or in an enclosed chamber. Looking at the ones I have worked with, they are a little pyramided. Those guides should be used as opposed to the old information out there (honestly, I thought sulcuta were supposed to look like that).
I changed my dimensions on the vivarium to 5 feet long and 31 inches wide. It's 30 inches tall, but I wish I would have made it a bit taller because the large dome lights can't really be raised and lowered that much. I have a 75 watt Mercury vapor bulb by Mega Ray and a ceramic heating element on one side. The mercury vapor is hooked to a timer and the heating element is hooked to a thermostat. He's got 3 different hides in there and lots of bushes to hide in. I used orchid bark as a substrate and covered it in reptile moss on one side (the other side is just bark). He's actually pretty hard to find because he's tiny! In the photo, that's a cup lid you see him on. The bowls I have are too big. I'm going to have to find a stone or something for him to eat on (I'm afraid he'll eat the plastic, but it worked in a pinch, that's spring mix he's eating. It was his after shipping treat).
He's much too little for outside by himself for now, but I also built him a 96 inch long by 35 foot wide playpen (I forget the height). It's all screened in with the same kind of thing you'd screen in a rabbit hutch with so he can go out and play and I don't have to worry about him being eaten. I also made some hidey areas in there for him.
I have a large area of my yard that I'm working on fencing in/clearing of brush and making an area for when he gets bigger. I figure that's a good winter project because it's too hot to do a lot of that in the summer here. It's only halfway started (I have a lot of cleared and some of the black weed block plastic down to kill the existing plants so I can replant tortoise friendly stuff). I probably have a few years before he's big enough to enjoy it, so I think I have time
I got him from Vicki at TortoiseYard (so he's actually a she, she incubates for females).
What a gorgeous tort. GOD bless.
A very warm welcome to the forum!
Please post pics of your tort as well as his/her enclosure.
@Lyn W has a leopard tortoise and she may be able to give you advise.
At the local petsmart here in hotsprings they have a tortoise in the genus testudo. It's one I've been keeping tabs on over the phone. It has gone down in price from over $100 to $89. It has a greenish brown shell and is 6 inches long. Can anyone give me an idea of which species it might be? I know everyone says not to buy from chain pet stores. But I feel it deserves a good home. What does everyone think?
Probably a Russian. Probably wild caught. Simply because they seem to be most commonly available in US pet stores.
The colouration you describe fits all the Testudo though.
The colouration you describe fits all the Testudo though.
AmandaGal
Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 26
I see Russians at every Petsmart at around that price. They don't get as big as leopards (max around 10 inches), but all tortoises benefit from some outside time and space, imho. I'm sure there are some keepers that keep them entirely indoors.
Russians hibernate in the winter if I'm not mistaken. That makes winter housing a little easier.
Russians hibernate in the winter if I'm not mistaken. That makes winter housing a little easier.
