# Pics of the new arrival!!



## Trickyrat (Feb 8, 2009)

[/size][size=medium]Here are some pics of our new arrival...Tobee!!  We are still working on the enclosure.


















Rick


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## Meg90 (Feb 8, 2009)

More pics ? Did you build the table yourself? Its beautiful!


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## Trickyrat (Feb 8, 2009)

Meg90 said:


> More pics ? Did you build the table yourself? Its beautiful!



My brother-in-law built it. We showed him a couple of pictures of enclosures we saw on the internet and told him what we were looking for. He did a great job on it. It took him about 2 hours. I will post more pics of it and Tobee once the decorations are complete.

Rick


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## Yvonne G (Feb 9, 2009)

The baby is very cute and the habitat is really nice. I see two things I'd like to address. Straight sand as a substrate is asking for trouble. You should mix in the same amount of either clean dirt or coconut coir. Then the lights seem to be too high. Do they provide enough heat at ground level? I'm sure Tobee is a welcome addition to your family. thanks for sharing!

Yvonne


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## maevamichelle (Feb 9, 2009)

awwwww I love leo babies yours looks gorgeous
Can't wait to see when his new home is done!


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## Trickyrat (Feb 9, 2009)

emysemys said:


> The baby is very cute and the habitat is really nice. I see two things I'd like to address. Straight sand as a substrate is asking for trouble. You should mix in the same amount of either clean dirt or coconut coir. Then the lights seem to be too high. Do they provide enough heat at ground level? I'm sure Tobee is a welcome addition to your family. thanks for sharing!
> 
> Yvonne



The substrate is crushed walnut. That is what the breeder had all his hatchlings on (sulcatas and leopards). I have play sand and coconut coir that I can put in. The habitat will be complete in a couple days..then I can put things the way they need to be.

As far as the lighting... I have a 100 watt basking spot lamp. It's 15 in. above the ground. I have a 75 w black light for the evenings. It is also about 15 in. I'm adding a incadescent light for general lighting as well.

I have a temp/humid gauge in the center of the back wall of the habitat about 5 inches above the ground. Day temp yesterday was 87 and night temp was 73. I don't know what the temp is right at ground level where the spot lamp is. I took a thermometer and placed it just underneath the substrate and it read 102 but I don't know if that is an accurate way to read that temp. I'll have access to a laser temp gauge this week so I can point it right at the surface and get an accurate reading. Tobee does move in an out of the spot lamp. He doesn't just stay under the basking lamp so I assumed the temps in the habitat were pretty good. He is also pretty active.

Any suggestions?...

Rick


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## Yvonne G (Feb 9, 2009)

crushed walnut is one of the worst substrates you can use. Read through this link and see what they have to say about the different substrates: 

http://www.anapsid.org/substrates.html

I'm very surprised your breeder uses it. Yes...go with the sand/coir mixture! I think your temps are fine. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Yvonne


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## Trickyrat (Feb 9, 2009)

Then I will change it out to the sand/coir mixture.

Thanks for the help.


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 9, 2009)

I absolutely love that table--your brother in law must know what he's doing if it only took 2 hours! Congrats on the new tort. Your first? 

Yes, you should use the laser to see what the temperature is at substrate level. You want to adjust at least a few degrees too as the top of the tort's shell is higher than substrate level. The basking temperature you'd find on a care sheet (not sure about Leopards) is directly under the bulb, so it'll be cooler at a larger radius. That's good he is thermoregulating and seems to like the temperatures.

If the 100 watt basking bulb is a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) as I assume it is as you don't have a tube UVB, the face should be parallel to the substrate for the bulb life and to radiate the rays better (it can also shine in the tort's eyes, which bothers some). If your clamp fixtures don't allow that, they sell lamp stands which provide a stable base which to clamp the light.

Great job though! Glad to hear you will switch out that substrate. You have a real cutie there. Want to share more pictures of the inside of the table once you have it all set up? Looks like you have a handy tray system going...I kinda wish I did that with my table.


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## Crazy1 (Feb 9, 2009)

Not much I can add to what Yvonne and Kate have stated. Except to say it looks as if your substrate is shallow. You might want to make sure it is deep enough for your tort to burrow into. And I wanted to say Tobee has a lovely patterned shell.


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 9, 2009)

Good catch Robyn! Some torts like to completely cover themselves so you probably want it at least the height of the tort.


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## Trickyrat (Feb 10, 2009)

tortoisenerd said:


> I absolutely love that table--your brother in law must know what he's doing if it only took 2 hours! Congrats on the new tort. Your first?
> 
> Yes, you should use the laser to see what the temperature is at substrate level. You want to adjust at least a few degrees too as the top of the tort's shell is higher than substrate level. The basking temperature you'd find on a care sheet (not sure about Leopards) is directly under the bulb, so it'll be cooler at a larger radius. That's good he is thermoregulating and seems to like the temperatures.
> 
> ...



Thank you and Yes, this is our first tort.
I used the laser yesterday under the basking lamp(not MVB) and it was too hot. Probably why the little guy wouldn't go directly under it. I thought being 15" away would be plenty far enough. It has been adjusted.
I also have a MVB bulb which I used yesterday to check the temp.
The MVB @ 15" was right on the money.

The goal is to let Tobee be outside 2-3 hours a day that's why I wasn't using the MVB. We live in So. Cal. I made him an enclosure for outside so he can bask in the natural sun. (4 sides, chicken wire on top with no bottom so he can graze on the grass and be protected from predators.) If he's outside 2-3 hours a day do I need to use the MVB? I don't want to over Gamma Ray him because he''ll turn into the Incredible Hulk 

I'll will post more pics when it is complete.

Thanks,
Rick



Crazy1 said:


> Not much I can add to what Yvonne and Kate have stated. Except to say it looks as if your substrate is shallow. You might want to make sure it is deep enough for your tort to burrow into. And I wanted to say Tobee has a lovely patterned shell.


Tobees substrate is being change out today with sand/coir. I will make sure it is deep enough. The substrate was temporary because we still had to do a couple things to the enclosure and I didn't want to make too big of a mess. That's why he's in the pan, to keep the substrate contained.

If the pan was big enough I would leave it. Instead the bottom is linoleum lined.

Thanks for the advice
Rick


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## Yvonne G (Feb 10, 2009)

LOL!! The incredible hulk!!! What a picture that brings to mind. There are many opinions about UVB and mine is that if you give your baby outside/sun time you don't need the expensive UVB bulb. In my opinion, three or four hours a week of outside time is fine.

Yvonne


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## Jacqui (Feb 10, 2009)

What a lovely little leopard!! Have to love the name too. My oldest son is a Toby. 

Just be sure with the outside pen, you don't leave him unsupervised IF you have no wire on the bottom and if there is anyway a dog, kid, predator, ect.., could tip the cage over. With one so small, I am a real worry wart. Between the fact that everything can eat/hurt them at that size, the thought of having one escape into the yard terrifies me. Bigger torts are often so hard to find, a cute little tort pebble might be near impossible.


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## Trickyrat (Feb 10, 2009)

We'll keep a close eye on him


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## smoke_kush (Feb 10, 2009)

you have a very beautiful table. i your tortoise! he is cute! what species?


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 10, 2009)

Just a reminder to have the cage over him heavy enough he cannot dig under it or tip it over...that's great he can get the real sun as many of us don't have the luxury right now.


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## Trickyrat (Feb 11, 2009)

smoke_kush said:


> you have a very beautiful table. i your tortoise! he is cute! what species?



I believe Pardalis Babcocki.


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## Trickyrat (Feb 11, 2009)

Trickyrat said:


> smoke_kush said:
> 
> 
> > you have a very beautiful table. i your tortoise! he is cute! what species?
> ...



Sorry, 
I didn't realize the post had been moved from the Leopard Lounge.
It's a Leopard Tort!!


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## smoke_kush (Feb 11, 2009)

aren't they the same?


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## nrfitchett4 (Feb 11, 2009)

tortoisenerd said:


> Just a reminder to have the cage over him heavy enough he cannot dig under it or tip it over...that's great he can get the real sun as many of us don't have the luxury right now.



well it was 81 here in S.A. today. come on down, everyone else is!!!


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 11, 2009)

South Africa?


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## nrfitchett4 (Feb 11, 2009)

San Antonio.
If it was South Africa I could go get my own torts!!!


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 11, 2009)

Haha. Texas sounds nice and sunny right now...we actually got some sun today but it was still 40 deg. Not complaining though; I like it. I'm sure Trevor is wishing for warmth though.


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