Hi everyone new to this forum and would love some advice

Terrance

New Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Gloucestershire
Hi all,

So me and my partner have just got ourselves a beautiful little 6 - 8month old leopard tortoise we call Terrance.
To be completely honest we're terrified and in love.

Let's get to why we're terrified, we've never owned a tortoise before and would welcome all the knowledge this community has to offer.

So I'll tell you about his little home,
we keep him in a vivarium and keep the temperature at 33°c he has a 12% uvb T8
we keep the humidity around 60% - 80%

He has coir, sand, and bark for he's substrate.
He has a wooden bark tunnel to sleep under which is on a coir sand mix.
Then humid bark area for eating and uv. then a sand dessert area with water and basking light.

We give him fresh food and water everyday.
Kale and spinach everyday
Somedays a strawberry with it or somedays a slice of courgette, always with his favourite seasoning... calcium!

So now I've told you about he's living quarters,
I have a few queries.

He sleeps a lot! About 18hrs - 20hrs Is this ok?
He sleeps under he's tunnel during the day and sleeps right on the edge of the bark and sand during the night.
Is he missing out on uv should I change the light cycle?
Does he need something on the coir sand mix under tunnel like hay or hemp?
when he stops moving he stretches out his rear legs is this normal?
he also likes to climb!
How does everyone else keep there viv/enclosure humid?
How often and long should we bathe him?

All help will be greatly appreciated! 20200427_134928.jpg
 

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Crush da Baum

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Joined
Mar 1, 2020
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544
Location (City and/or State)
Brooksville
Wow, for being new tortoise keepers you did a lot of things right. Good job!
-Yes, baby torts do sleep a lot and as long as he is eating, drinking, and basking he is fine. Torts will go to warm up in the mourning so if you see him doing that and he does not seem lethargic or weak then he is fine.
- I do not know what you mean by light cycle but you do have the right UVB bulb. The tube types work best and do not burn tort's eyes. Also a good tip is to take your tort outside a little bit. Even just 30 mins a week is so beneficial. There is no bulb that can truly replicate what the sun does. Just make sure you are not bringing him out where there is pesticides and make sure to watch him very carefully. Before I had an outdoor enclosure, I would use a large Rubbermaid storage bin that I made a little enclosure and I take my torts outside in that.
- Sand is not usually the best and can irritate your tort's eyes. I would just go with the coco coir. Some people use moss and wet it to give their tortoises more humidity. (Moss from the pet store of course)
-Tortoises will stretch their legs out when basking. This totally normal and just him trying to warm up.
-The best way to keep humidity high is just to have a closed-topped enclosure and spray it down. The substrate also plays a big part, another reason to pitch the sand. 80% humidity is great for him and you do not need higher.
-For baby I would recommend 20 to 30 minute soaks every day. I do that for my 6-year-old tortoises too and it just helps with everything.

Also for their diet:
Leopards are grazers and feed on a variety of weeds and greens. The leopard tortoises diet should be rich in calcium and fiber. If you are unsure about feeding something to him you can check https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ Soaked Tortoise food like Zoomed Grassland tortoise food and Mazuri Tortoise chow can also be included in their diet. You can also grow your food which is what I do. It is less expensive in the long run and a much better diet for your tort. (I also just love gardening so it works out well) You can buy seeds for him here https://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=179
 

Chubbs the tegu

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May 9, 2019
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Ma
Like crush said .. no sand. Also ur uvb bulb looks a lil close .. i believe it should be 18-20 inches away. And change the diet.. he needs weeds , grass, flowers and a whole lot of variety... spinach is definitely not great. Read through this thread. Really good info
 

Chubbs the tegu

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And welcome! Ask many questions.. there are a lot of knowledgable ppl on here w years of experience
 

Terrance

New Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Gloucestershire
Good morning, Crush, Chubb's & Karen.

Thank you all very much!!

your wise word of wisdom will be implemented today!

Yeah we went through every forum possible first but found this one to be the dog's b***s
You guys n girls are so knowledgeable compared to other forums!!

so the sand/diet replacement.
the spinach has left the building! And I'm going to pet store to pick up moss this afternoon. Aha.
I will move the uvb up to 18" - 20"

im also an avid gardener always growing something! So will quite enjoy growing him some food!
ill upload a few pics later of Terrance and enclosure.

again I can't than you all enough!
 

KarenSoCal

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Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
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Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Good morning, Crush, Chubb's & Karen.

Thank you all very much!!

your wise word of wisdom will be implemented today!

Yeah we went through every forum possible first but found this one to be the dog's b***s
You guys n girls are so knowledgeable compared to other forums!!

so the sand/diet replacement.
the spinach has left the building! And I'm going to pet store to pick up moss this afternoon. Aha.
I will move the uvb up to 18" - 20"

im also an avid gardener always growing something! So will quite enjoy growing him some food!
ill upload a few pics later of Terrance and enclosure.

again I can't than you all enough!
Are you referring to sphagnum moss for humidity? If so, some folks use it with no problem. But...many babies try to eat it, and it's an impaction hazard. Instead, just dampen the substrate a little extra under the hide.

Also, a small amount of spinach now and then is OK. As long as it's part of a wide variety of greens.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Good advice from the previous posters, but I like to address each point and answer in my own words.

Hello and welcome to the forum! There is lot of old incorrect info still floating around out in the world. It can get so confusing. Here are my thoughts on your first post:
  • You said you keep the temperature around 33. Where is it 33? There are four temperatures to monitor and adjust. Cool side, warm side, basking area, and overnight low. Ambient temps in a viv should be around 27-30. Basking area should be 36-37. Overnight low should not drop below 26-27.
  • Humidity should be up over 80% all the time for a growing baby.
  • Coir is messy, but not unsafe. Sand is a huge impaction risk and should never be used as an indoor tortoise substrate, not even mixed in. Fine grade orchis bark works best, all by itself.
  • I think you've got the idea on diet. Spinach is oaky once in a while, but not every day. Same with kale. No fruit. Fruit isn't good for them. Courgette isn't bad for them, but it isn't good for them either. It takes away stomach space from the high fiber, high calcium weeds that they should be eating.
  • Too much calcium supplementation is not good. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other nutrients and important trace elements. A little pinch twice a week should get it done.
  • Normal for them to sleep a lot. They move about, exposing themselves to predation, just enough to find food and warmth. Once they are warm and full, no need to be out and about.
  • I wouldn't worry too much about where he sleeps. Having his legs all stretched out is a sign that he is very comfortable in his environment and not afraid of anything.
  • If that is a 12% HO tube from Arcadia, it is mounted much too close. They need to be about 20 inches away from the tortoise and directly over head. It is normal for tortoises to hide from strong mid day UV. It might be burning hot eyes mounted that close and that's why he goes in the log to avoid it. Do you have a UV meter? You should. That is the only way to know what your bulb is doing and when to replace it.
  • Light cycle should be 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark.
  • I see no mention of night heat. What are you using to maintain ambient temperature at night time?
  • No hay or hemp. That will mold, and it does nothing. Babies can't eat the hay.
  • You keep the viv humid by reducing ventilation just enough. Too much ventilation and it dries out. Not enough ventilation and it becomes a swamp. This takes constant assessment and adjustment.
  • You tortoise should be soaked for 30-40 minutes every day. Keep the water warm for the entire time, and don't worry about it if he starts trying to climb out. We call that the tortoise treadmill. Once they exceed 100 grams in weight, you can start skipping a soak day now and then if you want. No harm in soaking more than they need.
  • It looks like the substrate on the right side of the enclosure is that dreaded "Pets at Home" stuff with the limestone bits in it? If yes, that should be removed ASAP. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to encourage tortoise to eat their sand substrate to satisfy their calcium cravings, but it was/is a terrible idea. Fine grade orchid bark is the best substrate. You want a 3-4 inch layer of it, and the lower layers should be somewhat damp.
  • You've got the right type of enclosure, so some minor adjustments will optimize your baby's environment.

The care sheet that Chubbs linked for you should spell all of this out in more detail for you, but questions and conversation are welcome.
 
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