Dee FWIW.. before I specialized in redfoots I had leopards..



I aquired them as 4" WC from an importer friend in FL. [ I sadly traded, etc. when the Alpha female of the trio was over 13". The 12" female had nose issues almost from day one.. she didn't like the humidity so they went to Dallas - hot and dry ] My friend also bred several tort species. The point is: Too many breeder's will sell their hatchlings BEFORE they are "well started" - eating for at least 4-6 weeks! My breeder friend [ hatchling from above ] and I wait. And I'll bet Danny does also!

Taking them from their "crib" too soon is added stress upon stress.

I raised my "hatchling's" on a soft hay.. [ they also nibbled at will ] and graduated up to a more "natural" substrate of mostly dirt. I did also provide a warm moist hide for them too. Moist being vital for carapace health and growth.. temps in mid 80's.

Again FWIW I provide a water/soak dish.. a plastic gallon ice cream lid - perfect depth.. so they can do their own thing. Again the less handling as hatchlings the better.

Forgive my rambling.. "we're" here to help so ya'll don't have to make the same mistakes we did in the past!

Is anyone learning anything?

Terry

That is exactly what I do Terry. Any hatchling sold should be well started and eating for 3 to 6 weeks before shipping.
You will find also a lot of breeders that have never raised a hatchling. They got their breeders as adults or subadults and never keep any hatchlings back. These are the breeders you want to avoid. You can't tell someone how to raise a hatchling if you have never done it yourself.

Danny

So Terry and Dan, I should ditch the sand/soil mix? What type of hay do you recommend. I do have a very shallow water/soaking dish which they do seem to use frequently, plus I do soak them and see them drink. Terry, after much searching, I found a bag of the moss you recommended and will be putting that in today or tomorrow. Do I cut the hay up to put it in in order for them to be able to walk on it. They are so.....tiny. Only about 2 inches. They hatched in mid-August.


I just want to make sure I am doing the best for them. The more imput the better, I am always worrying.

This post was last modified: 01-25-2008 11:48 PM by josh.

Personally Dee I would use finely shredded aspen for a substrate for all species that like it drier. I just find it so much better than anything else. It holds together in a mat and gives great traction for any tortoises. If it gets wet or damp it just drys, it never molds. It's thermal neutral, it never gets to warm or cold.
All my hachlings go on aspen from about a week old and they are smaller than your leopards and have no trouble.

Danny

How long do you keep them in the aspen? I also have a 4 1/2", 2 yr. old and all of my larger sulcatas. Could I be using this for them as well? I currently am using the soil/sand with them as well. During the summer, everyone will be outside except for the leopards. They will just have outings.

LOOK AT THAT 1st BABY Danny!!! Dee that little guy will be "drop-jaw" gorgeous.. NO 'dark' patterns ANYWHERE!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO..

The hay I like has a green tinge to it and is very soft.. [ not sure what it is ].. try a feed store/Lowes and ask them if you can have a bag of the "crumbs of hay" that comes off of the bales in the trailer that they sell it out of. Make sure there are no little pieces of the "red binding twine" amongst the 'crumbs'. It will be very loose so just scatter over the floor of their enclosure. They can/will crawl up in it and eventually 'trample down' the hay floor.

No need to what I call "Force-Soak"! Provide their needs and sit back and enjoy those little dudes.. they are beauties! I'm not real crazy about that 'commercial' [ anything actually ] water/soak dish.. might be too rough for their tender bellies!

This applies to ALL torts.. the less handling the better. WHEN YOU SEE THEM "GULPING".. THEY ARE EXCITED/STRESSED!!!

You've seen my redfoot females raised from hatchlings the first 4 years of their lives.. the wrong way - by caresheets from those "breeders???" that Danny mentioned. Thankfully I found those that knew and they are producing fine now.. no more growth issues!

Keep us posted...

Terry

I use the aspen forever Dee, no matter what size tortoise. I do change it though .
He/she will be nice Terry. I personally like Leopards very dark with as much black pattern as possible, it just looks better to me.

Danny

I use the aspen forever Dee, no matter what size tortoise. I do change it though .
He/she will be nice Terry. I personally like Leopards very dark with as much black pattern as possible, it just looks better to me.

Danny

Danny I never used Aspen.. just never occured to me.. however it does sound like the substrate of choice! ( actually I meant to ask you what you used.. where do you get it? ] I like the fact that it won't mold when wet. I'll look for it for my stars. Never had any try to eat it?

Don't listen to Danny Dee.. .. he's before any "pretty" ones showed up.. you know how those OLD guys are! I like those "Blonde" ones.. not real crazy about the "Snow" leopards that are out there though!

Well I've mixed it up all I need to here. Hope "we" have helped in some small way...

Terry

I get it from a local reptile petshop. It's made by the Harlan company, they have a website. They eat it all the time Terry and it all comes out in the end . I've never had a problem with them eating it. They will try to get out any real hard piece, which they usually do. It's the real fine soft pieces that usually get eaten.

Danny

What brand of UVB bulbs are you using? I understand that the new coil ones & the ReptiGlo tubes aren't good for them. Can badly effect the eyes as well as cause other health problems.
Patsy