# New Indoor Enclosure for my 2 Leopards



## JasonMcK (Sep 17, 2011)

Please let me know what you think. I have not added the water or food dishes yet.
The pots are for grass and clover.
I will also have another heat lamp on the far side of the enclosure

Don't hold back let me know if you think I might have a challenge with something.

Oh ya it's 4x4


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## Momof4 (Sep 17, 2011)

Wow, looks great to me! That's how I envision mine for my baby RF.


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## AnthonyC (Sep 17, 2011)

Nice enclosure!!


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## MarkE (Sep 17, 2011)

That is an awesome enclosure! It looks great! 
MarkE


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## evlinLoutries (Sep 18, 2011)

it looks nice for me..


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## TortBrain (Sep 18, 2011)

I light it alot! Sweet!
Care to share what's the 2 tube lamp for?


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## JasonMcK (Sep 18, 2011)

those lights are UV. I was wondering if it was over kill

J


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## kimber_lee_314 (Sep 18, 2011)

Love it!


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## martinfre (Sep 18, 2011)

looks good  i would plant some vegetables (as hiding place).

what do you think how long the two can live in the enclosure?


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## JasonMcK (Sep 18, 2011)

Not sure how long hoping for about 4 years. But I can expand it when required.

I will be planting more once they get in there. I have to travel for work tomorrow and the babies are going to a friends. So when they come home their new pad will be ready

J


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## Neal (Sep 18, 2011)

The enclosure looks good, I personally like the Tube type florescent, but do you have anything to cover them? Couple of reasons why I ask...1) you could hurt your eyes when you're looking at your torts. 2) maybe I'm wrong on this one, but if you had some type of cover for them I think it would direct more of the UV rays down to where your tortoises are instead of all over. 

What are the temperatures like in your enclosure?


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## DesertGrandma (Sep 18, 2011)

I like the size very much. Did you build it yourself, or did you purchase it somewhere? Looks like you either have it on a card table (which is what I am using at the present time indoors) or you have installed the same type of folding legs. Would love to hear how you did it. Thanks for sharing.


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## Tom (Sep 18, 2011)

It looks really nice and I can see that a lot of hard work went into it. 5 years ago I would simply have said, "Hey, great job!". Today, however, I feel inclined to tell you (and everybody else) that I think that is not a good set-up for a baby leopard tortoise. I think it would work great for an adult of any of the Testudo genus, but with an open top like that, you won't be able to retain any moisture or humidity, and the harder you try, the more it will cool things due to evaporation. Then you'll need more heat to warm it back up, which will lead to more evaporation and cooling.

If you decide to go ahead with it anyhow, I strongly suggest using a couple of proper, closed in, plastic humid hides. Put them in a warmer area of the enclosure and make sure that there is only one small entrance hole just big enough to fit the tortoise. Then make them sleep in them every night.

I hate to be a Negative Nellie, but I feel it needs to be said. I feel bad for peeing on your parade, but I would feel worse if you posted pics in 6-12 months and your baby leopards are all pyramided and no one said anything to prevent it. I mean all this in the nicest most constructive way and I'm really trying to NOT be offensive or insulting in any way.

Just in case you are interested here are a couple of threads on how I like to set them up. Mine was written for sulcatas, but I do my leopards identically. Neal's was written specifically for leopards.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1YJwEbKqN

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1YJwEbKqN


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## martinfre (Sep 18, 2011)

JasonMcK said:


> Not sure how long hoping for about 4 years. But I can expand it when required.



Okay, I asked because of the size they will become.
I love this kind of tortoise very much.
where do you wanna rear the pets later?


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## JasonMcK (Sep 18, 2011)

Tom said:


> It looks really nice and I can see that a lot of hard work went into it. 5 years ago I would simply have said, "Hey, great job!". Today, however, I feel inclined to tell you (and everybody else) that I think that is not a good set-up for a baby leopard tortoise. I think it would work great for an adult of any of the Testudo genus, but with an open top like that, you won't be able to retain any moisture or humidity, and the harder you try, the more it will cool things due to evaporation. Then you'll need more heat to warm it back up, which will lead to more evaporation and cooling.
> 
> If you decide to go ahead with it anyhow, I strongly suggest using a couple of proper, closed in, plastic humid hides. Put them in a warmer area of the enclosure and make sure that there is only one small entrance hole just big enough to fit the tortoise. Then make them sleep in them every night.
> 
> ...



Thanks Tom that is exactly what I need to hear. It's not about my hard work but instead it's about the health and well being of the Leopards. I can and plan to build a better humid hide. I will also cover more of the table.
Do you believe I should remove the MV bulb for now? I live in an over cast rainly part of Canada so getting out for sunshine in the next 4 to 5 months will be difficult

J


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## stephiiberrybean (Sep 18, 2011)

Tom is the expert on this matter but from everything I've read and learnt, I agree with him completely.

I think it's a really nice set up. I am very jealous I haven't thought of it myself and I'd put my 3 year old leopard in it no problems but not a baby, not from what I've learnt now.


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