Male or Female?

Jodipg82

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Hello,

I was curious if a gender was able to be determined on my 2.5yo Leopard?

Thank you!
 

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Tom

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Hello,

I was curious if a gender was able to be determined on my 2.5yo Leopard?

Thank you!
Much too small to sex and very small for its age. Here is the care info that Barb mentioned:
 

Jodipg82

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Much too small to sex and very small for its age. Here is the care info that Barb mentioned:
Much too small to sex and very small for its age. Here is the care info that Barb mentioned:
Hello, I've followed this care sheet since I found this site about 2 months after I got him. I don't know what else to do to get more growth? I've been hyper aware of humidity levels and heat temps and he has an enclosed indoor 24x48 enclosure and a 10x10 outdoor. We live in Florida so humidity and heat are readily available. Not very interested in grass and I have a tort seed mix I'm growing. Tried a few items from Kapidolo Farms and Mazuri pellets as well, dandelions, mulberry leaves from our tree, weeds, endive, spring mix, etc. Orchid bark substrate, water always available. 65w incandescent bulbs, ceramic heaters on thermostat to maintain temp...I read on a thread recently about his humidity needs being less now that he is 2 and should be between 40-60%? I soaked him daily for the first year and a half but am not soaking as often. Any help is appreciated!!
 

Jodipg82

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Much too small to sex and very small for its age. Here is the care info that Barb mentioned:
Also, he periodically gets snot bubbles and I reduce the humidity and take him in the sun more often until it clears up. What is causing the RI/snot bubbles? I was keeping humidity above 80 but then backed it down bc of the snot bubbles...he does burrow in his outside enclosure dirt and I wonder if that's what's causing it? It's grass, sprouted tort seed mix, etc but he does dig a bit to get in the dirt.
 

wellington

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Double check your temps. 80F every place day and night. Keep humidity at 80.
Of course 95-100 basking.
They won't eat grass at this age. Leopards aren't big on grass until much older.
They should be housed in the closed chamber high humidity until about 3 years. However yours being so small for its age, you will have to go more by growth then age.
What you are doing sounds good. Feed enough every day so there is some left over. Should be able to have food all day. Add more mazuri, that helps to put on size, but don't over do it.
Then his small size could have to do with the way he was started before you got him. He will need to catch up to the lack of proper care before he will be able to take full advantage of the good care.
 

Jodipg82

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Double check your temps. 80F every place day and night. Keep humidity at 80.
Of course 95-100 basking.
They won't eat grass at this age. Leopards aren't big on grass until much older.
They should be housed in the closed chamber high humidity until about 3 years. However yours being so small for its age, you will have to go more by growth then age.
What you are doing sounds good. Feed enough every day so there is some left over. Should be able to have food all day. Add more mazuri, that helps to put on size, but don't over do it.
Then his small size could have to do with the way he was started before you got him. He will need to catch up to the lack of proper care before he will be able to take full advantage of the good care.
Thank you! I looked back at my posts and 4 months after I got him in 2020 I had posted as I was concerned about his size as he was only 30grams and wasn't gaining as quickly as expected. He just seems so lazy. What do I do about the snot bubbles?
 

Tom

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Hello, I've followed this care sheet since I found this site about 2 months after I got him. I don't know what else to do to get more growth? I've been hyper aware of humidity levels and heat temps and he has an enclosed indoor 24x48 enclosure and a 10x10 outdoor. We live in Florida so humidity and heat are readily available. Not very interested in grass and I have a tort seed mix I'm growing. Tried a few items from Kapidolo Farms and Mazuri pellets as well, dandelions, mulberry leaves from our tree, weeds, endive, spring mix, etc. Orchid bark substrate, water always available. 65w incandescent bulbs, ceramic heaters on thermostat to maintain temp...I read on a thread recently about his humidity needs being less now that he is 2 and should be between 40-60%? I soaked him daily for the first year and a half but am not soaking as often. Any help is appreciated!!
The size is likely a function of how he was started before you got him.

How much time does he spend outdoors each day?

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. I don't know where these arbitrary age numbers have come from, but if they are growing, then they need that high humidity. There is no age limit on it. The longer you can keep them in a high humidity indoor environment, the smoother they will stay. They just usually outgrow the great indoors so quickly and have to be moved outside full time with a heated night box. I suspect your tortoise will eventually hit a big growth spurt, and your outdoor climate is great for them.

The snot bubbles are usually a function of temperatures, some foods, and sometimes stress. Sometimes cactus pads or cucumber will cause some nasal discharge due to the high water content. I doubt your tortoise is stressed, but you tell me. Anything bothering your tortoise? Like a dog, a chicken perhaps, or another tortoise? You can try to bump up the temps a bit overnight and during the day. Shoot for 82-85 overnight, and try to get indoors to around 90 each day, and still 100 directly under the basking bulb.

Some keepers report having trouble with respiratory infections with this species in your climate. I don't know why that would be, since they thrive everywhere around the world in high humidity closed chambers. I suspect it may be lower night temps coupled with high humidity in FL.
IMG_7200.jpg
 

Jodipg82

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The size is likely a function of how he was started before you got him.

How much time does he spend outdoors each day?

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. I don't know where these arbitrary age numbers have come from, but if they are growing, then they need that high humidity. There is no age limit on it. The longer you can keep them in a high humidity indoor environment, the smoother they will stay. They just usually outgrow the great indoors so quickly and have to be moved outside full time with a heated night box. I suspect your tortoise will eventually hit a big growth spurt, and your outdoor climate is great for them.

The snot bubbles are usually a function of temperatures, some foods, and sometimes stress. Sometimes cactus pads or cucumber will cause some nasal discharge due to the high water content. I doubt your tortoise is stressed, but you tell me. Anything bothering your tortoise? Like a dog, a chicken perhaps, or another tortoise?
We don't have any dogs, 2 cats but they aren't interested in him and he isnt ever out of his indoor enclosure unless he is being held or transported outside. I modeled his outdoor enclosure to yours and he seems to like it. He is out about 10hrs a week and less during rainy season. He never climbs the walls of either enclosure or paces back and forth. He truly just seems lazy. I will do a better job of a more varied diet as I tend to cave to him with his favorites; while also keeping his humidity at 80%+.
 

Tom

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We don't have any dogs, 2 cats but they aren't interested in him and he isnt ever out of his indoor enclosure unless he is being held or transported outside. I modeled his outdoor enclosure to yours and he seems to like it. He is out about 10hrs a week and less during rainy season. He never climbs the walls of either enclosure or paces back and forth. He truly just seems lazy. I will do a better job of a more varied diet as I tend to cave to him with his favorites; while also keeping his humidity at 80%+.
Do you feed him Mazuri? If not, some original 5M21 type might help put some size on him, and they tend to love it too. They love it so much that you can usually mix it with other new foods to introduce them.
 

Jodipg82

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Do you feed him Mazuri? If not, some original 5M21 type might help put some size on him, and they tend to love it too. They love it so much that you can usually mix it with other new foods to introduce them.
I had purchased the 'real' stuff, would soak it to soften it and the little brat would barely eat it. But I will try again and keep trying. I used to mix it with cactus pads bc he does love those. He is an ornery little tort.
 
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