looking for advise

[mjones32]

Here is my enclosure for my two leopard babies. They are in the humid hide at the moment. I'm wondering what I can do to dress it up a little bit. What plants do you find that work well in the enclosure that they could eat freely and also dress it up some. It looks so boring in there. When they are outside, they are very active and I try to take them out twice a day to get some exercise and sun. Inside they sleep most of the time, unless they are eating.
Thanks
Melanie

 

[Jodie]

Hi Melanie,
I put potted cactus in my enclosure. I also have a spider plant and some hens n chicks. I put pansies and daliahs in too, but they do not usually do well.
Have you read the care sheet for Leopards? It is under the Leopard section. The Sulcata care sheets are also useful.
Pairs do not do well. One will always get the short end of food water basking and hide. They should be seperated. Is your enclosure covered? What is your humidity and 4 temps? Cool side, warm side, basking area and night.

 

[mjones32]

Hi Jodie, thanks. I have read the care sheets. I tend to have to go back and re read it ever time I have a question. LOL I am going to try to get out and get some plants this afternoon. I have heard that pairs sometimes will not do well together so I am watching them for any bullying type of behavior. So far they are doing great together, they share their food and the humid hide, but they are both babies so I will watch them for any changes. Most of the time, they go their separate ways. I do have another set up that I can use if I need to separate them. My temps have been running around 90 on the warm side with a humidity between 70 and 90. The cooler side is around 78. I am misting the substrate daily. The enclosure is only covered with a screen. My husband is going to figure out how to hang the lights inside the enclosure so I can use the cover that came with the tank.

 

[Tom]

Melanie, there does not need to be visible aggression happening for the pair thing to be a problem. The presence of the other one is enough to cause long term chronic stress, even if it doesn't "do" anything. In the wild these two would not hang out together. One would see the other, not want to be around another tortoise, and leave the area to find its own space. Forcing them to live together in our captive environments can be a big cause of chronic stress. In my experience its not a problem with 3 or more, but in just a pair, things are much too personal.

For your original question, I'm not much help. Just be cautious with any new plants as anything you buy will be full of systemic pesticides. I don't use live or plastic plants indoors because all of my tortoises eat them.

 

[Jodie]

I am glad you're prepared to seperate them. Watch their weights. Even without visible signs 1 will thrive and 1 will not. What are you using to measure humidity? The disk gauges they sell at pet stores are not accurate. I recently planted seeds directly in my substrate. I have seen enclosures where this works. Really hoping it will. I try to keep my temps 80 or above even at night. Yours are close, that is good. Is there a basking spot that is 95ish? Would love to see pictures of your babies.
These are my babies.

 

[mjones32]

Tom, So they would do better and be less stressed if there was a third one?
Jodie, I am using a gauge from the pet store. What is a better option? Sometimes they will go to the area on top of the humid hide, Its warmer there (closer to the heat) I may have to do something different with the humid hide after we get the heat light inside the tank so they wont be too close to the heat.
.

 

[Tom]

Tom, So they would do better and be less stressed if there was a third one?

Generally yes. The extra activity and movement seems to desensitize them and trio dynamics are much different than pair dynamics. This is true with many "solitary" animals when kept in groups.

 

[mjones32]

OK thanks Tom. Now I have a good excuse to get another one.

 

[Jodie]

Too cute. I used the same excuse to get 3 instead of 2. I now have 6. A 9inch male and an 15 inch female, as well as my 4 babies. The smallest guy in the back is struggling. He is 10 months old. I keep him seperate. The other 3 are only 4 months in that picture.
I use digital thermometers available at home depot or walmart for about $10. They have temp and humidity.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Digital thermometers are much more accurate
They are really cute, and they look great!