New Leopard Tortoise Owner

[Barbaraella]

Hello All,
My name on this forum is Barbaraella and I live in Oregon near Portland. I have a leopard tortoise hatchling that is not doing very well now. I received my hatchling a few weeks ago. I put him in a Rubbermaid-like plastic container with a 125 watt mercury vapor bulb for daytime heat and a 75 watt infrared bulb at night. When I first got him I kept him in a spare bedroom so my cat would not be able to jump in by him. Then a couple of weeks ago I bought him a critter aquarium with a screen top cover so I can have him in our living area. Since then he has gradually slowed down in eating and now he just mainly sits in his water bowl (especially all night) at the cooler end of the enclosure. And he has not defecated in about a week. What should I do?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome from south Florida.
Have you looked at care sheets here for a Leopard?
Sitting in water, to me, would suggest substrate is uncomfortable ,temps too high/light burn or too little humidity.
I have no Leopard experience.
Someone else will be along very soon who does.

 

[mike taylor]

We need to know what the temperature and humidity levels are . Post pictures of your setup and tortoise .

 

[tortdad]

Pics are worth 1000 words

 

[Barbaraella]

Welcome from south Florida.
Have you looked at care sheets here for a Leopard?
Sitting in water, to me, would suggest substrate is uncomfortable ,temps too high/light burn or too little humidity.
I have no Leopard experience.
Someone else will be along very soon who does.

Thank you for replying. Yes, I have read care sheets. Problems started after moving to new enclosure and living area of my home. Before that he stayed on substrate all the time. I use cypress mulch. Temps vary in enclosure from 100 degrees to 70 degrees from side to side.

 

[Barbaraella]

We need to know what the temperature and humidity levels are . Post pictures of your setup and tortoise .

Daytime temps are 90 to 100 degrees under mercury vapor light and 65 to 70 degrees on other side of tank by food and water dishes. Nighttime temps are 70 degrees. I use a 75 watt infrared light on top of screen at night but temp does not get much over 70 degrees under it. I thought maybe my tortoise was too heat since he just goes over to the cool side and sits in his water bowl all night. I get the humidity up over 50% in the morning but overnight it drops to 30%.

 

[tortdad]

I don't know what you are using to monitor you temps by I highly doubt it's accurate. That's a small tank and there's no way you can get a 30 degree swing in temperature gradient in something that small.

 

[mike taylor]

I keep my basking temperature at 95 and no lower than 80 day and night . Them colder night temperatures will give him uri . If he stays in the water my guess would be your temperatures are to high .

 

[Barbaraella]

I don't know what you are using to monitor you temps by I highly doubt it's accurate. That's a small tank and there's no way you can get a 30 degree swing in temperature gradient in something that small.

I am going to buy new thermometer\hygrometer devices at pet store.

 

[Barbaraella]

I keep my basking temperature at 95 and no lower than 80 day and night . Them colder night temperatures will give him uri . If he stays in the water my guess would be your temperatures are to high .

It would seem so but it is not more than 70 degrees in there at night and he still sits in water bowl. Maybe I do need new thermometers.

 

[mike taylor]

Don't go to the pet store to get one . Go to Wal-Mart or Home Depot . They sell a good digital one for ten dollars . Way better than the ones you buy in a pet shop .

 

[tortdad]

The pet shop ones will cost you $10 and suck. Like Mike said, $10 gets you a good one at Home Depot. It's made by accurite and is called a home comfort meter. It's usually sold in the outside garden section next to the pool supply's where the outdoor weather stations are. It measures temps and humidity and it also keeps track of the daily highs and lows of each. Only for the day so if you want to keep a running track record you have to write them down, the unit won't save the data. I'll find a link for you so you know what they look like.

 

[tortdad]

http://m.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite-Di...mperature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HDSB/202260980

 

[tortdad]

No leads of anything. Just put one battery in it and place it in your tank (I'd put it in the cool side) and use a infrared temp gun to check your basking temps. Like Maine said, my guy tells me your way hotter than you think and your guy is trying to cool off since it can't escape the heat.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Screen tops are good for keeping cats out of the tank, however, they are also good at filtering out the beneficial UVB rays, without which your tortoise can't process his calcium.

I'm pretty sure your problem lies with the temperature. And with a moist substrate (which we recommend) I wouldn't allow the temperature to get below 80F anyplace in the habitat.

Just a helpful recommendation on your dishes - a baby tortoise can't bend his body, and when he tries to climb into and out of those kinds of dishes he may get over compensated and end up on his back. You can use a tile or flat rock for the feeder, and a plant saucer sunk down into the substrate for the waterer.

So, get a good point and shoot laser thermometer and check the temperature on the floor of the habitat - all over the whole habitat, heat it up to at least 80F with no area any cooler than 80F and let's see if it makes a difference.

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome. Looks like you are in good hands now. Good to have you here, This is a great place to learn and share. Welcome! !!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ. It's always great to get new people but it's Evan better if they know 1955 isn't a tire size ! Leopards rule ! Your getting plenty of help have a great tort day !

 

[Barbaraella]

Thank you all so much on the forum for your help and advice. I will try these suggestions and post an update in a few days. I have not had my tortoise very long but really love him already and want to do right by him.

 

[Barbaraella]

Hello All,
I want to thank the forum and everyone who replied to my posts. I have taken the advice and made some changes. I purchased the AcuRite thermometers and humidity gauges, I got tiles for feeding areas, I got a terracotta bowl for water, I increased my heat on one end with a ceramic heat emitter, and I increased my humidity. I have my little guy back in his glass enclosure for now but plan to have a tortoise table built. I will try and post pics. My tortoise is eating much better and seems happy.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

This is great news.
it's always so good to hear that members of this wonderful community have been able to help you and even better news that your beautiful tortoise seems to be doing so well now.
Well done and your leopard really is a lovely little thing.