Hi guys, I just got my baby leopard a few days ago and I'm new to torts (had a couple leopard geckos years ago but that's my only reptile experience). I've been poring over this forum to gather information on how to best care for my little guy but I wanted to kind of break it down to make sure there isn't something I missed.
Right now he's in a 20 gallon tank on cypress mulch (when it gets warmer I plan on making a bigger enclosure on the screen porch), hollow log hide, shallow water bowl, terracotta pot saucer food dish (I read this is good to keep his beak ground down when he eats), UVB light, and infrared heat light. My gauge has the basking spot around 87-90 degrees F and the cool side around 75 (pretty much whatever the temperature is in the apartment). The humidity is around 55-60%, which is pretty much the ambient humidity here in Florida. I think his basking spot needs to be warmer, so I may change the bulb out for a higher wattage or get a ceramic heat emitter. I know there are opinions on humidity needing to be higher, but I've also read that a well balanced diet in place of high humidity can be beneficial for preventing pyramiding. Correct me if I'm wrong on that one.
The place I got him from fed mostly grassland tortoise food by Zoo Med. He eats this pretty well, but I've started introducing him to some spring mix and gave him a few small shreds of carrot just to see what he's receptive to. I don't trust anything around my apartment but when I go to the family farm this weekend I plan on gathering up a lot more weeds and such to start feeding him.
I've been soaking him every day and he seems to hate it, although I have seen him take a few gulps a couple times and pee once. I've had him for three days now and I haven't seen him poop, but he's been eating regularly. Maybe I'm being "that" tort mom, but is this a concern?
Wow, so I wrote an essay. I commend and greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this. Herbie the Lovetort appreciates it too. I apologize for being ridiculous.
Right now he's in a 20 gallon tank on cypress mulch (when it gets warmer I plan on making a bigger enclosure on the screen porch), hollow log hide, shallow water bowl, terracotta pot saucer food dish (I read this is good to keep his beak ground down when he eats), UVB light, and infrared heat light. My gauge has the basking spot around 87-90 degrees F and the cool side around 75 (pretty much whatever the temperature is in the apartment). The humidity is around 55-60%, which is pretty much the ambient humidity here in Florida. I think his basking spot needs to be warmer, so I may change the bulb out for a higher wattage or get a ceramic heat emitter. I know there are opinions on humidity needing to be higher, but I've also read that a well balanced diet in place of high humidity can be beneficial for preventing pyramiding. Correct me if I'm wrong on that one.
The place I got him from fed mostly grassland tortoise food by Zoo Med. He eats this pretty well, but I've started introducing him to some spring mix and gave him a few small shreds of carrot just to see what he's receptive to. I don't trust anything around my apartment but when I go to the family farm this weekend I plan on gathering up a lot more weeds and such to start feeding him.
I've been soaking him every day and he seems to hate it, although I have seen him take a few gulps a couple times and pee once. I've had him for three days now and I haven't seen him poop, but he's been eating regularly. Maybe I'm being "that" tort mom, but is this a concern?
Wow, so I wrote an essay. I commend and greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this. Herbie the Lovetort appreciates it too. I apologize for being ridiculous.