# Adult Leopard Tortoise enclosure~cold climates



## MasterOogway (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi,
Does anyone have plans or pictures of enclosures for adult Leopard Tortoises for cold climates that have winters? How do you house your adult Leopard  in the cold winter months? Thanks


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## Tortus (Jan 3, 2013)

I made a similar topic not long ago. I had someone tell me it's cruel to keep them indoors. Someone else said he keeps his in a basement during the winter. A couple people recommended a heated shed outside.

Good luck getting any more than that.


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## Clementine (Jan 3, 2013)

How cold is your cold weather? Replies may be more specific if we know where you are


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## CtTortoiseMom (Jan 3, 2013)

Here is my indoor tortoise table for my adult leopard. It was posted by my husband....

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-22552-page-2.html


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## EKLC (Jan 3, 2013)

how big is your tort?


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## MasterOogway (Jan 3, 2013)

Thank you I love this idea!!! This is a big help.Your husband did a great job


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## MasterOogway (Jan 3, 2013)

We are located in Pittsburgh, PA. The winter averages around 30 degrees high and 20 degrees at night. There is always 1 or 2 weeks a year it gets 0 below or in the single digits. Sometimes we have warm spells in the winter but even then nothing safe enough for a tortoise to be outside.
The summers get hot so he can be outside we haves acres. 
Master Oogway is just a 3 month old baby so tiny. I have been reading on how the African desert tortoise should live in the warmer states. I don't want to be selfish and would rehome if that is the case but its it possible with the right set up I would love to keep him too.
Thanks!


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## leonardo the tmnt (Jan 3, 2013)

CtTortoiseMom said:


> Here is my indoor tortoise table for my adult leopard. It was posted by my husband....
> 
> http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-22552-page-2.html



Wow !! Nice enclousure


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## CtTortoiseMom (Jan 4, 2013)

MasterOogway said:


> We are located in Pittsburgh, PA. The winter averages around 30 degrees high and 20 degrees at night. There is always 1 or 2 weeks a year it gets 0 below or in the single digits. Sometimes we have warm spells in the winter but even then nothing safe enough for a tortoise to be outside.
> The summers get hot so he can be outside we haves acres.
> Master Oogway is just a 3 month old baby so tiny. I have been reading on how the African desert tortoise should live in the warmer states. I don't want to be selfish and would rehome if that is the case but its it possible with the right set up I would love to keep him too.
> Thanks!



No need to rehome it can be done. My weather is just a bit colder than yours and in the last two years I was able to keep my tortoises out from March to Mid November. In Spring and fall I would have to bring them in at night and sometimes during the day if the weather turned but with a little bit of perpetration I think we can provide them a good life. How is your hatchling set up?


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## MasterOogway (Jan 5, 2013)

He/she is still tiny ony 2 1/4 inches so we have Master OOgway in a 10 gallon tank with a screen top. Just today began using the Powersun UV light by Zoo Med during the day the temperature is between 90 & 100 degrees.He was sold to me with the spiral uv light and he hid from it Today he actually laid under the light after he pigged out. At night there is a heating pad attached to the bottom of the tank on one side and a red heat lamp. That keeps the tank at 85 degrees at night.I am turning off the heating pad during the day becausethe Powerson light is creating enough heat. He has a reptile log he likes to sleep in that I keep a sponge soaked in water on top to add humidity. Read that some where don't know if its a good idea or not. He can't reach it to eat.I am having trouble keeping the humidity at 80 degrees on the outside in side the log it seems to be humid longer. I need to mist every half an hour to keep it the tank at 80 degrees..When the humidity drops the temperature rises so when its 80 degrees humidity it stays at 90 degrees but when the humidity drops to 60 degrees the temperature goes to 100 degrees.I had everything working but now the the Powersun bulb has put the balance off & is more of a challenge.I use a Zoo Med temp. & humidity thermometer/gage. He has fresh water all the time. He also has low Zoo Med reptile dishes for his food & water. The Reptile store sold a special reptile carpet the said will not scratch him or get in his eyes since he is so little then when he is a little bigger switch to another type of bedding. Right now I am fighting humidity .I did take the aluminum foil off so maybe that will help keep the humidity more stable or maybe the bulb is too hot and i need to rise it higher. Even though the Powersun bulb has caused the balancing act I was happy to see him for the first time bask in the imitation sun . The Powersun is a 100 w. bulb and it states its for medium sized habitat which a 10 gallon tank is small so that might be the problem. I also purchased a lamp stand to raise it but then I worry that the water will evaporate fast since I wont be able to cover it.
Any tips or suggestions welcomed!


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## CtTortoiseMom (Jan 5, 2013)

Here is how I kept my Leo hatchling

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-27205.html

You should look at Tom's threads. That is where I got all the info I needed to raise my Leo baby right. Oh, not to mention my Leo, Chewy was from Tom. He has really easy & cheap tips on making humid hides and if you look at my enclosure pics you will see the humid hide basking area and additional CHE. Also a plexiglas cover to keep as much moisture in as possible. I dumped a pitcher of water on the whole of the substrate when I thought it looked dry. It is all worth it to not have a sick baby . It sounds like you are doing great!


Oh whoops the photo bucket link has other tort pics in it. I forgot that's what happens when you use photo bucket. Anyway my hatchling enclosure pics are #14 & 16 and my humid hide wasn't in yet. I took a med size Tupperware container and cut an opening in it for a door. Then I flipped it upside down and hurried the open top in the substrate. I put sphagnum miss on the bottom that was always soaked and a thick wet sponge on the top and kept it under the CHE so my baby would not be cold and wet but warm and moist.


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## MasterOogway (Jan 5, 2013)

_Oh whoops the photo bucket link has other tort pics in it. _

Thank you soooo much!!! I loved looking at the pictures and you sharing them has got me so excited to keep my leopard tortoise for many years! I love how you have the set up next to your desk.That is where Master Oogway is so I can watch him and enjoy him. With the help of you sharing your enclosures I have many ideas and plan to copy some of yours  .
When he gets really big I came up with a plan and my hubby said I was nuts but he will have his own apartment  Thankfully we have some time for that so in the meantime I will keep up with the forum for ideas etc.

I feel better others have the leopards in the cold climates and it is working.So thanks everyone for sharing. I have only had him a few weeks and I am crazy about him. He has so much personality for a little guy he just cracks me up.Will keep working on perfecting his home.


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## tortoisefanatic (Jan 6, 2013)

I was just going to reply that it is not, in any way shape or form, cruel to house an adult leopard indoors during the winter in a cold climate. You just have to build a "bigger" tort table. I would not recommend letting one just "roam the house". Unless you really heat your house a good bit the area near the floor is going to be pretty cool compared to the temp at 5 to 6' where most of us reside (lol). Plus, you don't know what your tort is getting into, and they will think alot of things are food which are not. Once they are adults you don't have to worry about humidity for the most part. Just keep them warm and well fed, and provide enough room for them to explore a bit. On the warmer sunny days, take them out for some sunshine! Good luck.

Alan


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## argus333 (Jan 6, 2013)

i keep 2 adults about football size indoors in a 10 ft x 6 ft pen, its just a big box made out of melimine, with a hide at 1 end and heat light at the other and 8 full spectrum bulbs over top. they only really use half of it. they live in it from nov to march. outside they have a 16 x20 ft pen.


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## MasterOogway (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks. What do you use for bedding when they are larger in a large box that size?


Thanks Alan that is what I was hoping to hear


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## argus333 (Jan 6, 2013)

right now i use cypress mulch but have used everything.. sand/soil mix, newspaper, aspen, coir, dirt. everyone likes cypress mulch it is good but i worry it is to wet. to tell the truth i did like the zoo med aspen stuff it was really easy to clean and dust free. but dry. im a little old school.


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## Greg T (Jan 7, 2013)

Once the temps drop to below 60 degrees, I bring my adults inside. I build a pen in the garage, because we don't have basements in texas unfortunately. I built a 6'x6' pen which was great a few years ago, but my adults are pretty tight in there now. The pen has a corner hide with two blacklights inside for heat. I have a water dish and a 160W zoomed light on during the day. They don't get very active at low temps, so they spend about 90% of their day in the warm hide. The walls are 20" high and I put about 3 inches of topsoil in the pen. It works well, but it does take up a lot of garage space. I'm working on ideas for a heated shed outside for the next winters.


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## MasterOogway (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks so much that was helpful! Keep us posted on your heating shed


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## MasterOogway (Jan 7, 2013)

Here is a link to a small outdoor shed. Gathering others ideas :O) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEk1pr96HA8


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## CtTortoiseMom (Jan 7, 2013)

MasterOogway said:


> Here is a link to a small outdoor shed. Gathering others ideas :O)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEk1pr96HA8



Interesting idea, the hay on the bottom of the box and the urine from the tortoises or spilled water could be a recipe for a fire.


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## Greg T (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks for the video. I have a rubbermaid shed about the same size as the box in the video which I was considering converting to a similar enclosure. I'm not a fan of heat lamps and dry hay, probably since I spent 23 years as a firefighter. I plan on using dirt in mine because the plastic won't rot like wood will. plus, it is much easier to pick up poop and pee spots in a clump of dirt.

She sure had a lot of torts in that little place.


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## Neal (Jan 8, 2013)

MasterOogway said:


> Here is a link to a small outdoor shed. Gathering others ideas :O)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEk1pr96HA8



I like the concept. I'd tweak the substrate and size of the enclosure a bit, but overall I think it's a practical idea.

Looks like she had a couple of behemoths in there!


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## MasterOogway (Jan 9, 2013)

She did have a herd in there. I am guessing that shed was more for summer night protection not sure but it sure would be bigger for a winter enclosure. I agree with the fire concern. I liked the behemoths  I can't nelieve Master Oogway will be that big someday!


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