SAN DIEGO LEOPARD AND COLD WEATHER

Duff

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Hi All,

I have a 5 year-old male Leopard. He lives in our yard most of the year. It has been really cold lately. When the temperature dips below 60F at night I bring him inside, and it's been under 60 for the last month. I have Mercury Vapor bulb in a dome lamp for indoor heat. It works great but the tortoise wants nothing to do with it. He gets as far away from the lamp as possible. I also tried one of those heat coils that give off infrared heat and it worked like tortoise repellant.

My kids tossed one of their blankets in his enclosure and for the last month he's been burrowing in the blanket. I slide him under the lamp, but he moves to the opposite corner. He'll stay that way for 3-5 days at a time. I keep him under a large south facing window and when it's sunny he wakes up, eats, sometimes pees and heads outside. He doesn't have any respiratory issues and when he's warm his appetite is huge. I feed him grassland pellets and whatever he grazes on in the yard. He seems fine and isn't behaving any differently than he does in the warmer months (on the warm days).

He's around 20lbs and too big to put back in the wood tortoise house he lived in as a baby. I'm wondering if I need to get a pig blanket (heat mat) for him or is this normal behavior. I think I remember reading that a heat source from underneath isn't good for a tortoise, but I'm not sure what I've got going on now is OK either. I'm sure someone will let me know.

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else in Southern California does this time of year.

Thanks.
 

Markw84

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Yvonne G

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Here's where my leopards live 24/7/365:

leopard shed.jpg leopard shed-2.jpg

There's a pig blanket on the floor that they sit on and a red brooder bulb hanging from the ceiling at about 4' on a timer for night time only. It keeps the shed a toasty 80F even on the coldest nights (below freezing). On days when the sun shines I prop open the door and they come and go. Today it's about 59F degrees and they were all out grazing.
 

wellington

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I would not use a blanket. Are you sure of the temp under the basking light, it may be too hot. However, in your area, I would make a night box or heated shed like mentioned above.
 

Tom

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Duff

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Thank you so much for the information. I hadn't even thought about the temp under the lamp. I have some time this week so I'll head to Home Depot. Thanks again!
 

motero

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My leopards live in a chest freezer, it has been gutted and a nice hole cut in the end with flaps over the door. Heat mats on a thermostat and it stays between 70-80. It is a lot like the night boxes others have built. But easier and cheaper.
 

Roy's Mom

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Yvonne G

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My leopards live in a chest freezer, it has been gutted and a nice hole cut in the end with flaps over the door. Heat mats on a thermostat and it stays between 70-80. It is a lot like the night boxes others have built. But easier and cheaper.

There was a very famous turtle guy, lived in Chowchilla, CA, and travelled all over the world studying and collecting turtles (Harold Carty). He also used chest-type freezers for his tortoises. Just like you, he cut a door out of one end and covered with flaps. That was the only modification needed, because the freezers are very well insulated.
 

Ramsey

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Your tortoise should be outside full time, but with a heated shelter.

Here are some more ideas for heated night boxes:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
And a double:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

Don't try to use a dog house or buy a plastic deck box. They don't work. I've tried. Many times...

Hey @Tom , I just checked out these two posts. Very nice job. They look like what I will (hopefully) need one day. Also liked the drip idea.

Also, why would a dog house not work?

@Duff, sorry to hear about your Leo. Is this the first winter outside? What have you done in prior years?
 

Tom

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Also, why would a dog house not work?

Dog houses are designed for dogs. Not tortoises. They are too tall inside, the doors are too big and let all your heat out, they are too drafty, and they are not insulated. The floor space is also too small to allow the tortoise to get off of its heat mat. By the time you seal it, insulate it, cover the insulation to protect it from the tortoise, lower the ceiling, reduce and lower the door hole, and make a door, you might as well have just built your own and designed it to fit a tortoise. Not coincidentally, this is exactly the path I took.
 

Wartortle

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Hey Duff. I'm in La Jolla and I've also been experiencing that uncharacteristically cold weather. My leopard is about 4 years old and is housed outdoors nearly all year round. If it's under 65 degrees during the day, I just provide him with a regular heating bulb that he likes to sit under to stay warm. If it drops below ~55 at night, I just pick him up and he gets to spend the night inside. That way, it gives me some peace of mind that he's warm and cozy. I don't have to worry about electrical failures or him not getting enough heat. Only takes like ten seconds to bring him inside, so it's worth it. It's gonna warm up eventually. I think San Diego has seen the worst of the weather.
 

Duff

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Thanks Wartortle. I'm going to experiment with the heat lamp I have. Until I get it right he's spending the night in the bathroom that has heated floors. I have been hesitant to keep him in there because he's a destroyer of baseboards. But it's looking nice all week so we'll see how it goes.
 

beachylivin

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Hi there, I am an animal keeper, live in San Diego and also have a leopard tortoise. If the tortoise will not use the heat, the heating is inefficient- either too hot or too cold. He should have a basic 50-100w red heat bulb with a ceramic dome. If he is inside during the day he will also need a UVA/UVB bulb (also known as a power sun). I see on here that people mention leopards can be outside year round here in San Diego and that there is no reason to have them indoors. That is not necessarily the case as most people do not have the ability to make an outdoor hide the replicate the proper needs. I bring mine in at night, but since its been raining and in the 60's all day, he's in during the day too, under proper lighting. I urge you to feed yours a wider variety of food; dandelions greens found at your local grocery store, hibiscus, watercress, etc.
 

cmacusa3

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Hi there, I am an animal keeper, live in San Diego and also have a leopard tortoise. If the tortoise will not use the heat, the heating is inefficient- either too hot or too cold. He should have a basic 50-100w red heat bulb with a ceramic dome. If he is inside during the day he will also need a UVA/UVB bulb (also known as a power sun). I see on here that people mention leopards can be outside year round here in San Diego and that there is no reason to have them indoors. That is not necessarily the case as most people do not have the ability to make an outdoor hide the replicate the proper needs. I bring mine in at night, but since its been raining and in the 60's all day, he's in during the day too, under proper lighting. I urge you to feed yours a wider variety of food; dandelions greens found at your local grocery store, hibiscus, watercress, etc.
No Red Bulb's.
 

cmacusa3

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Some torts, not all have problems with the Red Bulb and see the substrate as food. I guess it would be a case by case thing. @beachylivin
 

beachylivin

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Some torts, not all have problems with the Red Bulb and see the substrate as food. I guess it would be a case by case thing. @beachylivin

Interesting, I have never heard of that as a concern. Only that once upon a time we thought they could not see red light which is false. I think in most cases a red heat bulb is more important than not, especially if the tortoise is being temporarily housed inside. I suppose blue could be the better option if this is an issue.
 

Tom

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Always open to new perspectives- why no red bulbs? Yes, they can see it, blue may be preferred but blue is usually not as accessible in stores in proper wattage

Tortoises have better color vision than we do. If you can see it, they can see it. Imagine what living in a red world would do to your mind. It messes with their sleep cycles and is just over all not a good thing. They need "white" light to simulate sunshine during the day, and they need darkness at night.

Incandescent bulbs of any color are not effective heat sources for larger tortoises. In a 60-70 room, the top of the carapace will get too hot and "slow burn" while the rest of the tortoise remains too cool.

Its not hard to build a tortoise box so they can live outside, but if they are going to live inside, then they need the proper heating and lighting.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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Tortoises have better color vision than we do. They need "white" light to simulate sunshine during the day, and they need darkness at night.
It's not hard to build a tortoise box so they can live outside, but if they are going to live inside, then they need the proper heating and lighting.
And for good, nighttime darkness heat, there is always the old reliable CHE. These do come with the same heat spot issues, but, they produce no light while turned on.
 
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