Hello,
I have a 7 year old Leopard Tortoise. I got him when I was young and inexperienced, and I haven't taken the best care of him. I thought what I was doing was okay, but I am learning that just hasn't been the case. So I am here trying to make up for my lack of research and proper care of this little guy and hoping that, with help, I will be able to get him back on a healthy path.
Enclosure:
-Indoors (Central Ohio is not always warm enough)
-20 Inch by 40 inch enclosure with high walls
-2 hides made from aluminum cooking trays
-Fake plant
-Shallow water dish (Changed Daily)
-Feeding dish
-Basking Rock
-Soil Substrate
-An old Chia Pet
-Calcium Block (He has not used this at all since I've offered it ~year ago)
-Water irrigation pipes (I intend to plant some live plants and use this to get water to the roots effectively)
-Basking Temp: 90-110 F
-Hide Temps: 75-85 F
-Ambient Temp: 80 F
-Basking Light: 160W Solar Glo UVA/UVB Mercury Lamp (Set on a timer with 16 hours on 8 hours off)
Diet:
-Spring Mix (This is where I have failed the most as a keeper. He has lived entirely on spring mix. I have recently started to feed him some ZooMed Natural Grassland Tortoise Food. He ate some today and seemed to like it.)
Behavior:
-Active. He likes to patrol the perimeter and climb in and out of his hides.
-Hungry. He likes to graze throughout the day. When he can't find anymore food, he will retreat to ahide and sleep.
-Thirsty. He can often be found drinking from his water dish.
-Curious. On nice days, when I am able, I take him out in the yard and allow him to explore a bit and munch on the weeds and grasses.
Phsyiology:
-Slight Pyramiding
-Small for his age from what I can gather from the Internet. He still fits in the palm of my hand despite being almost 8 years old.
-Some new growth recently of the shell.
-Some slight springback of the bottom of the shell. I fear his calcium is way under what it needs to be. I am ordering some powder to include in his diet since he doesn't want the calcium block.
Future Plans:
-I have been saving some money to upgrade the size of his enclosure. I'd like to give him a wider area to live in and also add a small ramp to a second level with walls to give him more surface area.
-Live plants. I am looking into getting some live plants for him to eat that grow right out of the enclosure. I am still researching some good choices. I haven't put together a list yet.
-Outdoor Enclosure during the summer. I found a little gated enclosure online that looks like it would work well for him at his current size. But I worry about him being so small. I live in the suburbs and I can easily see a racoon or a possum or something similar trying to get to him.
TL;DR:
I have been a bad keeper of my Leopard Tortoise and need some help to get better at it.
I have a 7 year old Leopard Tortoise. I got him when I was young and inexperienced, and I haven't taken the best care of him. I thought what I was doing was okay, but I am learning that just hasn't been the case. So I am here trying to make up for my lack of research and proper care of this little guy and hoping that, with help, I will be able to get him back on a healthy path.
Enclosure:
-Indoors (Central Ohio is not always warm enough)
-20 Inch by 40 inch enclosure with high walls
-2 hides made from aluminum cooking trays
-Fake plant
-Shallow water dish (Changed Daily)
-Feeding dish
-Basking Rock
-Soil Substrate
-An old Chia Pet
-Calcium Block (He has not used this at all since I've offered it ~year ago)
-Water irrigation pipes (I intend to plant some live plants and use this to get water to the roots effectively)
-Basking Temp: 90-110 F
-Hide Temps: 75-85 F
-Ambient Temp: 80 F
-Basking Light: 160W Solar Glo UVA/UVB Mercury Lamp (Set on a timer with 16 hours on 8 hours off)
Diet:
-Spring Mix (This is where I have failed the most as a keeper. He has lived entirely on spring mix. I have recently started to feed him some ZooMed Natural Grassland Tortoise Food. He ate some today and seemed to like it.)
Behavior:
-Active. He likes to patrol the perimeter and climb in and out of his hides.
-Hungry. He likes to graze throughout the day. When he can't find anymore food, he will retreat to ahide and sleep.
-Thirsty. He can often be found drinking from his water dish.
-Curious. On nice days, when I am able, I take him out in the yard and allow him to explore a bit and munch on the weeds and grasses.
Phsyiology:
-Slight Pyramiding
-Small for his age from what I can gather from the Internet. He still fits in the palm of my hand despite being almost 8 years old.
-Some new growth recently of the shell.
-Some slight springback of the bottom of the shell. I fear his calcium is way under what it needs to be. I am ordering some powder to include in his diet since he doesn't want the calcium block.
Future Plans:
-I have been saving some money to upgrade the size of his enclosure. I'd like to give him a wider area to live in and also add a small ramp to a second level with walls to give him more surface area.
-Live plants. I am looking into getting some live plants for him to eat that grow right out of the enclosure. I am still researching some good choices. I haven't put together a list yet.
-Outdoor Enclosure during the summer. I found a little gated enclosure online that looks like it would work well for him at his current size. But I worry about him being so small. I live in the suburbs and I can easily see a racoon or a possum or something similar trying to get to him.
TL;DR:
I have been a bad keeper of my Leopard Tortoise and need some help to get better at it.