New Leopard tortoise

[Blewett]

Hi everyone, we have just picked up our leopard tortoise, it is around four weeks old the person who I got him from recommended keeping him on newspaper until he is a bit bigger? I have read elsewhere to use substrate, im confused now! any help or tips will be greatly received

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Blewett, and welcome to the Forum!!

This is just plain wrong on so many levels. I'm glad you've found our Forum, because we will steer you right. And your new baby will thank you too.

Baby tortoises require a moist, humid environment, regardless of what you may believe about them being a desert species. They don't live above ground under the hot sun...they live under bushes or in burrows where it is more moist and humid.

So, substrate it is!! I prefer small grade orchid bark. You can moisten it and it doesn't turn sour.

Quite a few of our members prefer coco coir. You have to try them both and decide for yourself which works better for you and your baby. Read about both types in the "Enclosures - substrate" section.

 

[Blewett]

Hi Blewett, and welcome to the Forum!!

This is just plain wrong on so many levels. I'm glad you've found our Forum, because we will steer you right. And your new baby will thank you too.

Baby tortoises require a moist, humid environment, regardless of what you may believe about them being a desert species. They don't live above ground under the hot sun...they live under bushes or in burrows where it is more moist and humid.

So, substrate it is!! I prefer small grade orchid bark. You can moisten it and it doesn't turn sour.

Quite a few of our members prefer coco coir. You have to try them both and decide for yourself which works better for you and your baby. Read about both types in the "Enclosures - substrate" section.

Thanks I have purchase some tortoise terrain from pet smart it looks like a mixture of soil sand and grit, is that ok?

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not a fan of using any sand at all, but some do and get away with it being ok. If it were me, I would go back to Petsmart and also buy a bag of "Forest Floor" or "Cypress Bed" and mix it with the "terrain" that you originally bought. You can also go to a plant nursery and buy some fine grade orchid bark to mix with your soil mixture. The more you dilute that sand, the less chance you have of him ingesting it and getting impacted.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. I'm with Yvonne on both of her posts. I would not use sand, specially with a hatchling. I use coconut coir, my fave. Now, too keep your little one growing the way he should, please read Toms threads below in my post. The ones for sulcatas will apply to your leopard.

 

[northernturtleman]

I switched to coconut and my sully is way more active and all I have to do is wet the stuff down every couple of days it's pretty cheap to.

Sent from my LG-LS720 using Tapatalk

 

[bouaboua]

Welcome to the forum and as long as you talking to Yvonne and Barb, you are in good hands.

Have fun and enjoy your little one.

 

[mike taylor]

Welcome to TFO! Read all the top topics in the sulcata section an you can't go wrong.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ

 

[diamondbp]

welcome to TFO. You are surrounded by some serious leopard tortoise lovers! Definitely take the time to read the suggested links above.

 

[Blewett]

Thanks everyone, looks like i am in good hands soaking the coca fibre now so my terry can be safe

 

[diamondbp]

Thanks everyone, looks like i am in good hands soaking the coca fibre now so my terry can be safe

Awesome, pack it down really well. I top mine with a thin layer of cypress mulch but others dont. Either way is MUCH better than newspaper.

 

[MaddieGA]

Please post some pics! I LOVE leopard torts. They are just so pretty! [TURTLE]

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Henry, my Russian Tortoise: