hello, tortoise lovers, my name is Sandie and my husband's name is Bill.

[sandieandbill]

a little fyi about us, we are both 43 yrs old, live in Birdsboro, PA and have been together since 9th grade high school, lol! now that our kids are older and moved out we have alot of extra time on our hands, so we decided we wanted to get into tortoises, basically because I love torts. My husband bought us two, mine is a giant south african leopard baby named Paisley, which we think is just above a hatching, and Bill's is a sulcata baby named Elwood which at the time of purchase we were told was six months old, but I dont know if that is accurate because along with that claim he was also to be an ivory, which he is not. Regardless, they're here, healthy and active which all in all is all we care about. So being new to all this, expect many questions from this couple as we will try to help all of you as much as we can.

 

[Eduardo Hernandez]

I love your enclosure! Welcome to the forum! Are they housed together? Just as an FYI, as babies they should preferably be in an enclosed chamber, to prevent pyramiding.

 

[daniellenc]

Very creative enclosure for sure kuddos to hubby. I'm not sure if this is the case but they can't be housed together and will need a more humid environment as youngsters. You can simply close off the top and dampen the corners of the substrate to create a more humid residence.

Here's some good to read threads to get you two started:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-tortoise-chef.153728/

And if hubby wants to build another send him my way that really is beyond creative and beautiful!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

If you could figure out a way to cover that enclosure to keep the warm, moist air inside and the cool air from the house out, it would be ideal. But open like that it's impossible to maintain the correct temperature and humidity. I love the inventiveness and artistry of it though.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

Forgive us for being pushy, but time is critical here if we are to stop you from making some of the mistakes some of us have made in the past. There is a lot of incorrect, old, out-dated info circulating around out there. We've been caring for these two species all wrong for decades, and most people in the tortoise world still don't know it. We are trying to get the word out, so we are glad you are here.

Please read these threads and come back with all your questions:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hello and welcome

 

[Jason David]

Welcome!

 

[Jimb]

Welcome to the Forum!! Love your babies and their enclosure. I agree with the others concerning the need for Humidity, especially for the young ones.

 

[sandieandbill]

@ eduardo, they're in the same habitat tho the other day I installed a divider so both have their own space...

 

[sandieandbill]

to daniell and yvonne tho my humidity gauge is reading 65 % ,im working on a plexyglass cover for it now....ty for the feedback

 

[sandieandbill]

And ty jimb, jason, and pilot....

 

[tortdad]

Welcome....

So that last pic in your original post.

Has your leopard been walking around with his eyes closed like that or was it just blinking in the picture? I ask because closed eyes like that is the first sign of a problem starting.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
I agree, those eyes look a bit swollen, or is it just the picture ?
If you're not already doing it, they need soaks, in a container with the water level up to just above where the plastron meets the carapace and that they can't climb or see out of, for about 15 to 20 minutes every couple of days.

 

[Alaskamike]

Hi.
I've learned & put into practice many good ideas from forum members. Saved me from making critical mistakes.

Good fortune with those two

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

That forest of plantain makes me a bit wanting. Nice. Welcome!