How smart are they

[Rainman69]

Maybe smart is not the right word. I was wondering if you keep a leopard outside, if it would learn to go into heated house on it's own.

 

[Diana Stone]

I have a leopard, Leonardo that I acquired in January. The guy I got him from did not have an outside area for him and only had him out on nice days few times and Leonardo is about 6 years old. (sad) Well, he has been outside in his new summer living space a few times already this year, taking advantage of the warm spring days when we get them and he quickly learned where the heated house was even when I put him at the opposite end of the area which is 30 feet long. I think they are very smart, I did not have to show him where it was, he just wandered around and found it.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a 10'x8'x10' shed with a cement floor in the leopard pen. Up until last year inside the shed was a cinderblock "dog house" affair with heat mats, black lights, etc. The dog house had vinyl strips over the door and the tortoises could go in and out on their own. But every night I had to go round them up and put them all away. Last summer I took out all the cinderblocks and nailed up styrofoam sheets over laid by plywood, covering the walls and ceiling of the shed. I put rubber horse stall mats down on the floor and put the heat mats and lights, etc. back inside. Then I put vinyl strips over the doorway of the shed. This year the tortoises all go back into the shed in the evening by themselves. I NEVER have to go round them up. I guess they just didn't like the dog house. I'm in the process of ripping off the old tongue and groove siding on the front of the shed and re-doing it with plywood. Here's what it used to look like:

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

My tort knows exactly where the heat is in his enclosure. When I put it away for the summer (a CHE; he still has his MVB), he's been standing in that spot every morning until he realizes its not there. In winter, he sleeps under it since he knows that is where it stays warm all night, even when he went to sleep before the MVB went off for the night.

I think torts are smarter than some give them credit for.

I would still show the tort where the heated area is, but they should quickly learn.

 

[Rainman69]

That's good to know. Picking up a large tortoise every night sounded like it could become quite a challenge.

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I forgot to ask what mvd was.

 

[Stazz]

MVB = Mecury Vapor Bulb Rainman It's a bulb that is a combination UVB and basking lamp

 

[bettinge]

Not sure about the leopard, but my Hermanns knows. I had the same concerns as you just 6 weeks ago. I was thinking I would have to call a neighbor to make sure my tort got safe in the heated house on nights I could not be home early. I no longer have that concern. My heated area also offers the most protection, and torts usually like the protection of a cave or scrape, maybe its that that draws him in....and not the heat. Either way I'm happy.

 

[Jas2Cats]

In my original enclosure, I had a dog house with heat for my Leos. They both went in it around 4 or 5pm every night. Then, Troub's started to bully Doub's and keep him out of the dog house. I had to split the enclosure and the house so that both had their own space. Now, I built a nice large dog house (6'x3'x3') that can be divided if they bully each other again. In the winter, I have the UV lights and heat, and the summer, I only heat it at night. The first month they had it, I would remove the barricade on the door each morning, and they would go out at their leisure, but, I had to physically put them back in at night. Now, they both have figured out to go back in the house at night. They're slow sometimes, but, once they get it, it sticks.