LONG leopard intro and a couple questions!

ErinH

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May 12, 2020
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Sacramento California
Hi Tortoise Forum!
I'm Erin, I live in Sacramento, and I've been lurking quietly around here for awhile now. Last month I was lucky enough to be able to get a tiny baby leopard from @wccmog10, who was so patient with my questions and concerns. I named him/her Neo, but he's been addressed as Tohrtle more than anything else. I picked him for his heart scute, but also realized when I got him that he's got an extra/split scute, which I also really like!

So far he's doing great. He is shy but I can relate. His favorite foods are grape and squash leaves, but I know he's eating his grass because his occasional grass dingleberries don't lie. Thank you, by the way, Forum, for putting my mind at ease when I first discovered undigested grass hanging out of his butt and immediately panicked.

He loves his daily soaks, and he loooves his mazuri. I have the LS for small torts, is that ok for him? I've been taking advantage of his mazuri passion to mix in different @Kapidolo Farms dried stuff after I soak it for a couple minutes and it seems to be working out. You can see the stink eye I got for tricking him in the pic of him with some moringa hanging out of his mouth. He's also getting tort seed mix, dandelion leaves, collard greens, bok choy, timothy grass, clover...and seemed to like aloe until he inhaled the slime and scared us both. He's gained 23g, his biggest gain being after I put him in a bigger enclosure.

I have him in a 5ft grow tent turned on its side with two xmas tree bins connected (one's end resting in the other's) as the base which seems to do the trick for now. I'm using coco coir with fir bark on top for less mess but the bark dries out pretty quickly. I spray it but it gets sucked up pretty fast. I read about dumping water into the substrate and mixing, but it's hard to mix with the layering thing I've got going on. Do you guys saturate your coir ever?

He's got a t5ho for a couple hours a day, a che on a thermostat at 82 at all times, and a 75 watt basking bulb that keeps the temp under it between 95-98 I keep reading incandescant - is that just a regular light bulb? Does humidity mess with that at all? Anyway. Ambient is usually 80-85, basking 93-97 and the cooler end is about 78.

I have been rooting pothos in water in there for extra humidity and was going to use it as hiding places but he started chomping it right away and I haven't figured out whether that's bad? I'm rooting a wandering jew right now, got the spider plants and boston fern started, and am waiting on some different coleus. Neo doesn't seem to like colored flowers (one squash blossom was a hit, then never again) or red leaf lettuce so I'm thinking some ungreen coleus might be a good cover? What do you guys use for plants for hiding?

One last question. I was thinking about making a hide out of 2 bricks with something over the top to hold in heat. His hide right now is plastic with holes on top that I stuff with moss and keep wet, but I'm pretty sure his hide is cool. I had the plastic top over it but was afraid it was keeping the che heat out. It's pretty close to the che and that's where I have the sensor at the entrance, but I'm wondering about putting a mat or an rhp on top of the bricks...would that heat the bricks up too much? Here's a picture of my brick idea...just unsure what to put on top!

Anyway. Sorry for such a long intro. I hope the pictures show up! 20200728_154850.jpg20200726_091905.jpg20200719_082802.jpg20200728_154033.jpg20200728_154143.jpg20200728_154610.jpg20200728_153629.jpgThank you all so much for all the info you didn't even know you were giving me! And thank you especially @wccmog10 and @Kapidolo Farms for the friend and the food!
 

Tom

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Hello and welcome.

All sounds pretty good. The LS is good if the tortoise will eat it and you can get it mushy.

The coir needs to be re-wetted. How much water and how often varies. Gotta go by feel.

Your hide idea sounds good. Sandstone or slate on top?

I'm not great with the plant info for indoor enclosures. I've got some pathos going, but they eat it if they can reach it.
 

ErinH

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May 12, 2020
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49
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento California
So cute!!! My leopard has an extra scute too ?

Also, welcome to the grow tent club lol as well as the forum ?‍♀️

Aw, awesome!
I think I probably saw your grow tent convo! I really love it. I need to figure out the hanging situation better - thinking about ordering an extra pole since one of them went to waste.
Are you an upflapper or a downflapper!? I'm regretting my decision to flap down a little bit!
 

ErinH

Member
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
49
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento California
Hello and welcome.

All sounds pretty good. The LS is good if the tortoise will eat it and you can get it mushy.

The coir needs to be re-wetted. How much water and how often varies. Gotta go by feel.

Your hide idea sounds good. Sandstone or slate on top?

I'm not great with the plant info for indoor enclosures. I've got some pathos going, but they eat it if they can reach it.

Thank you! Yes it gets mushy but as soon as it loses its shape there's less interest. ?

Hmmm both tops sound good...do you think I could put heat on top of that or just let it soak up heat throughout the day?

Are you team "pothos is ok to eat?"
 

Srmcclure

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I think @Yvonne G might have rested a rhp on some bricks before in one of her enclosures if i remember the pic right...?

Aw, awesome!
I think I probably saw your grow tent convo! I really love it. I need to figure out the hanging situation better - thinking about ordering an extra pole since one of them went to waste.
Are you an upflapper or a downflapper!? I'm regretting my decision to flap down a little bit!
Well, I have 2 tents now lol. My redfoots tent is below my leopards on a large shelving unit my brother made for me and that one flaps down because I thought it would be easier, but it can sometimes be a pain if I try to open it all the way. I try to only open one side at a time if I can help it. My leopards tent opens up. I just flip it completely up and over and its easier for sure. Thankfully poles are easy to get on amazon ? I found 3 poles to be the best number in my setup unless I have the rhp
 

Srmcclure

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My leopard ignores my pothos and only uses it to hide so far, but my redfoot DESTROYS it. Thats her favorite snack.
 

janevicki

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ErinH, your baby Leopard tortoise is so adorable! I am sorry but pothos are high in oxalates. I think it's ok for occasional snack for an older tortoise, but I would not chance it with my torts or turts especially a baby one.

Here are some lists of pothos being not so good for tortoises:

 

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ErinH

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Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento California
ErinH, your baby Leopard tortoise is so adorable! I am sorry but pothos are high in oxalates. I think it's ok for occasional snack for an older tortoise, but I would not chance it with my torts or turts especially a baby one.

Here are some lists of pothos being not so good for tortoises:


Thank you!
Yeah I took it out, but still looking for something hidey. I liked the idea of growing it in water because fungus gnats will be the death of me. I'll keep looking!
 

ErinH

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Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
49
Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento California
I think @Yvonne G might have rested a rhp on some bricks before in one of her enclosures if i remember the pic right...?


Well, I have 2 tents now lol. My redfoots tent is below my leopards on a large shelving unit my brother made for me and that one flaps down because I thought it would be easier, but it can sometimes be a pain if I try to open it all the way. I try to only open one side at a time if I can help it. My leopards tent opens up. I just flip it completely up and over and its easier for sure. Thankfully poles are easy to get on amazon ? I found 3 poles to be the best number in my setup unless I have the rhp

Makes sense! The other thing I don't like is the loud scary zipper noise...trying to associate with food.
 

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