TortoiseForum.org

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. I'm also the proud new owner of my very first Leopard Tortoise. Called him Mussolini. I just got my tortoise two days ago from a reputable breeder and I was/am very excited about it. I've done lots of research on care, feeding, habitat, etc so I'm comfortable that I know the general things i need to know to take care of my tortoise.

Anyway, so I brought my tortoise home and soaked him in tepid water for a bit (15-20 mins) while I finished setting up his new digs; I live in Canada so he will be living indoors for most of the year, but outdoors during the day in the summer). Anyway, I put him in. And then, he basically slept. I put his food dish in yesterday and this morning and he's definitely eaten but not a lot. He wakes and and moves to a new spot every few hours and then goes back to sleep. I'm not sure what to make of this as I know turts are supposed to be active creatures.

Maybe something is wrong with my habitat. I'm just looking for some advice before i take him back to the breeder so they can take a look at him.

I have a 10.0 UVB bulb and a 150W ceramic heat bulb (it's a bit colder in my house). The temperature in his basking spot is a steady 86-87 F while the other end of the tank is 74ish F. I've used Bed-A-Beast coconut substrate (that's all I had at the time but i'm thinking of going to repti-bark, as i've heard it's good, or alternatively, hay). The coconut substrate is still a bit damp (if I put my hand on it, i can feel that it's damp underneath but at the top it's mostly dry) from when I expanded it. He's got two hide spots and a weird tree decor thin on one corner. He also has a shallow dish to take a bath in. Take a look at the pic for a better idea. I don't know if I got it right or not.....

Anyways, if anyone know what I might be doing wrong, or what might be wrong with Mussolini, let me know. Any suggestions are welcome. As a new turt owner, I'm still a bit unsure of the whole thing.

Oh, and there's also a pic of Mussolini when he got home.

Cheers and thx

MD

As a quick follow up, I've done a lot of reading on this and other various forums and sources. There seems to be a good deal of conflicting ideas on various topics but I've decided that tomorrow I will:

-Cover the open edged side of the tank so that Mussolini can't see out
-Get some play sand to mix it in with the Bed-A-Beast Coconut stuff and also get some Repti-Bark and put it in one place to create more surface variety
-get some Sphagnum peat moss and toss it in the pen for some vegetation/moisture stuff

I know Mussolini isn't sick or whatnot because when I soak him, after about 5 minutes in water, he becomes all active and tries to get out of the tank and his eyes are open and he seems very alert (i soak him in a small fish tank that i no longer use). I've also noticed that if i give him his food after his soak, he eats more healthily than he does if i give it to him just during the day.

Also, I've read on some places that Exo-Terra's Repti-Glo 10.0 UVB is bad for tortoises. I've also read other places that recommend it. What's the deal? Shall I exchange it for the Repti-Glo 8.0? Still unsure on this subject.

Anything else I should add to my list for tmmrw?

And one last question... I've read a lot about respiration infections and such.... does having Bed-A-Beast coconut substrate with play sand not pose a risk of him swallowing some of that (it's pretty fine stuff) and getting an infection?

Thx again.