Leopards less hardy than sulcatas?

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DaveInLA

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A couple months ago, my family found a ~5" sulcata tortoise in our front yard/driveway. Someone eventually claimed it about 2 wks later, but during that time, I went through a crash course in sulcata care, and actually did a decent job, IMO. :D

Right now, I have a 35 gallon plastic tub, a couple lamps with halogen, mercury vapor and ceramic bulbs, and an urge to get another tort. I never wanted a sulcata because they grow too big, but I wonder if a leopard would be appropriate as a longterm pet...

I've read that care of leopard torts is similar to that of sulcatas, except leopards are less hardy and durable than sulcatas. Is this true? If so, in what regard? To what degree? What temperature ranges (esp the lows) can leopards take? How big or how many years before they become yard beasts? Thanks!
 

Tom

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In all honesty, I've never had either one get sick or die on me and I've raised dozens of each for the last 20 years. Overall, I have heard of more leopards getting respiratory infections, but I have heard of more hatchling sulcatas dying inexplicably. I have personally never encountered either, but have heard about it second or third hand. I think I know the reasons for both of these phenomenon, and both are easily preventable. Don't let your leopard get too cool, especially if things are damp and humid. And don't buy either one from a breeder or seller who keeps them dry on rabbit pellets with no water bowl and hardly ever soaks or suns them as babies. I find babies to be SOOOO easy, if they are done right. An older/larger tortoise of either species will give you a larger "margin of error" in most cases.

There are many factors affecting growth, but you can usually expect a "yard beast" within 6-8 years.

I like to raise both species indoors with gradually longer daily sun/exercise sessions as they gain size. I start with an hour or two of daily sun in a SAFE outdoor pen for babies, and once they hit 4" or so, I start leaving them out 4-6 hours when the weather permits. Once they are 8-10" I make them a permanent outdoor set-up with a thermostatically controlled heated box to retreat to.

Right now I am smack in the middle of perfecting underground, but still accessible and safe, housing for juvenile sulcatas. If this goes the way it seems it will, I might start putting them outside full time sooner.

Leopards are a great species, and A LOT less destructive and disruptive than sulcatas. BUT... I think sulcatas have the best personality of any tortoise species, generally speaking. I love them both! You should be able to keep either species pretty easily here in L.A.
 

Neal

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Personally I have never heard of environmental or husbandry conditions that have affacted a leopard more than a sulcata or vise versa. A lot depends on how the tortoise was raised before you got it and the husbandry you currently provide it. My adult leopards stay outside when the lows are in the 60's, and they've been out in 115+ without any problems. The babies are kept inside mostly. Their humid hide will not get below 85 and the dryer areas won't get below 70. The high is about 105 right underneath the basking lamp. They seem to do well in this type of temperature graident.

In my opinion hatchling care can be quite complex, but not impossible for someone new to the hobby. If you decide to go with a hatchling, do as much research as you can. As Tom suggested, an older tortoise will be able to handle poorer conditions than would a baby.
 

onarock

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I look at it this way. Sulcatas range a small strip of land running West to East, South of the Sahara Desert. Leopards range from the Cape of South Africa to Somalia all the way up the Eastern part of Africa. Leopards have also been found as high as 7,000 foot elevation.
 
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