Healthy Leopard Tortoises something interesting

[RandyTortoise]

I have two female leopard tortoises (Babcocki) that were hatched in April of 2021. Currently, they are 11 inches and 12 inches each and have a weight of 5.5 pounds and 6.5 pounds.

I just bought what was supposed to pardalis that is 7 to 8 years old, male. He arrived yesterday.

His weight is very light and his shell has a lot of odd pyramiding. I think he was horribly mistreated with food, vitamins and alot of issues. So I am glad he is with us and we can nurse him back to health. But here is the thing (three years older than my females and he is only 9 inches long and weighs just over 3 pounds!! Sad actually.

Here are some photos of my females and the new older male on a scale.

 

[Tom]

Most tortoise are not started correctly as hatchlings, and not housed and raised correctly as babies. This is the result.

Please house them all separately. Do not mix different types of tortoises. The SA leopards have a very different personality than the regular leopards, and different diet too, as the SA leopards like and will eat grass and dry grass hay as a large portion of the diet, where regular leopards tend to prefer leafy greens over grass and grass hay.

Also be aware that mixed genetics are rampant, and most regular (babcockii) leopards have some SA genetics mixed in because people in the past have mixed them.

 

[wellington]

All three are very pyramided, not just the male. They were all started out very dry and possibly the wrong bulbs.
I agree with what Tom said, except the feeding part. I have two regular "babcocki" leopards, both started out dry, so pyramided. They hatched in 2011, when the high humidity wasn't heard about by enough people or the wrong bulbs were used too.
Anyway, mine eat grass just fine, mostly in summer, they are housed inside for winters here in Chicago. Will eat orchard grass hay, but not their favorite.

 

[RandyTortoise]

All three are very pyramided, not just the male. They were all started out very dry and possibly the wrong bulbs.
I agree with what Tom said, except the feeding part. I have two regular "babcocki" leopards, both started out dry, so pyramided. They hatched in 2011, when the high humidity wasn't heard about by enough people or the wrong bulbs were used too.
Anyway, mine eat grass just fine, mostly in summer, they are housed inside for winters here in Chicago. Will eat orchard grass hay, but not their favorite.

Where are you? I am in Naperville

 

[wellington]

Chicago, Norwood park neighborhood

 

[RandyTortoise]

Chicago, Norwood park neighborhood

We are close to each other. What kind of tortoises do you have?

 

[wellington]

2 male leopards and a Russian.
Used to have more leopards, females, but sold them. Too hard having them when they are laying and they want to do it at night when the temps are too cold for them. So after a few clutches, I decided to sell the females.

 

[Renee_H]

I always wonder about my babcocki leopard as she eats mostly grass and I give her orchard grass several days a week and she eats it up. But I understand this isn’t the norm. Maybe she’s got some SA in her somewhere. lol

 

[wellington]

I always wonder about my babcocki leopard as she eats mostly grass and I give her orchard grass several days a week and she eats it up. But I understand this isn’t the norm. Maybe she’s got some SA in her somewhere. lol

My first leopard I got as a hatchling back in 2011. By his size and the color he is babcocki which back then they were sold and believed to be very seperate from the Pardalis, no mixing like what is believed now.
Mine eats grass, always has and will eat the orchard hay. Not in love with the hay, but I never gave it to him or my other leopard, until just the last couple years because I was told they won't eat it.
I would bet my one leopard is pure Bab, the other I rescued as a small one, but have no idea what he was sold as originally or where he came from. He is bigger then my first, so I would bet that he's 109% Bab, even though I think he is.

 

[Renee_H]

My first leopard I got as a hatchling back in 2011. By his size and the color he is babcocki which back then they were sold and believed to be very seperate from the Pardalis, no mixing like what is believed now.
Mine eats grass, always has and will eat the orchard hay. Not in love with the hay, but I never gave it to him or my other leopard, until just the last couple years because I was told they won't eat it.
I would bet my one leopard is pure Bab, the other I rescued as a small one, but have no idea what he was sold as originally or where he came from. He is bigger then my first, so I would bet that he's 109% Bab, even though I think he is.

Mine is not picky loves to eat grass in her yard and only initially seemed off put by the orchard grass but readily eats it now so makes my life easy. I just soak it and add various toppers and she eats it up. Saves me from needing to supplement with any store greens so I’m happy. lol glad she isn’t the only one! lol

 

[RandyTortoise]

Mine is not picky loves to eat grass in her yard and only initially seemed off put by the orchard grass but readily eats it now so makes my life easy. I just soak it and add various toppers and she eats it up. Saves me from needing to supplement with any store greens so I’m happy. lol glad she isn’t the only one! lol

My leopard tortoise literally eat anything! I have dried cubes of various grasses and I have been soaking those and crumbling that on their regular food and it is working well. I love leopard tortoises. They are super friendly and cute.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Mine is a hybrid and just stares at me when I add fresh grass clippings. Loves cactus and is addicted to Mazuri (old formula)