2 Month Old Leopard Tortoise Feeding Problems

[NicholasM85]

Howdy folks! Sorry for the newbie questions in advance.

We just got a new Baby Leopard he's ~2 months old. He doesn't seem to be eating as much as we think he should be... he's mainly shown interest in Dandelions, Bermuda grass, St Augustine is too thick to bite through from my observation... No interest in kale or spinach... bout some Flukers tortoise food and, no joy.
Here's information:
Temperature ~90 everywhere. In the evening it goes to ~75.
Daily 15 minute bath in 90-95 degree water. Rarely poops in the water.
No coil light. Mercury light and heating pad. Turn off the light at night.
We've been feeding him everything we have read on the threads here. Spring mix, Kale, Dandelion, Tortoise food, Clover, etc.
He has a log hide.
After reading posts, we added foil to the terrarium top to help control the humidity. Trying to keep humidity to 60-70+. Digital thermometer and hygrometer.

We have a small portion of a flower bed he seems to come alive in. It's where we are thinking of building our outdoor pen for him when he's bigger. Right now there's all kinds of clove seedlings and basic weed seedlings in it, he tries to eat but... he's just really really bad at eating. Tries a bite, moves on... Misses the leaf entirely... smells it and then ignores it, etc.

Our problem is, he's just not eating the amounts we think he should. Unfortunately we don't know much about the breeder. We got one which was the most active of a clutch and we actively saw it eating before purchasing it. No egg beak but still has an umbilical scar... so, just a couple months old.

Does anyone have any ideas? we are watching and caring for him around the clock. Is there anything we can feed it they just can't resist? Before you ask, picture included. THANK YOU!
https://tortoiseforum.org/media/enclosure-1.9558/full

About me:
Shell friend lover and avid saver. Will park car in a four way intersection to save one our shelled dinosaurs! I have 3 box turtles and, as a teen, ran a mini rescue operation with my grandmother where we helped rehome and/or rehabilitate 300+ turtles/tortoises. I've watched my best friend's sulcatta grow for the last 6 years jealously and finally got a tortoise of my own.

 

[NicholasM85]

 

[wellington]

The temp should not go below 80 day and night so get the night temp up. The humidity needs to be 80%. Leopards usually don't eat grass when young so that's okay. Keep trying though. Feed a large hand full about the size of the tort twice a day. Morning and then after noon. Soak him in the morning first then put in front of food. If he eats it all give him more. If he leaves some, leave it until his second feeding then take it away and give fresh. Get that low temp up and humidity correct and see how he does with the eating.

 

[Ghazan]

Get rid of heating pad and use ceramic heater at night for temps >80. Basking spot needs to be closer to 100. I don't see a water bowl and the tank is too small, need to black out 3 sides if glass otherwise get a plastic container and cut out holes for the lights and use a thermostat. Soak for longer than 15 min.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Give these links a read
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[NicholasM85]

Getting all that in work... Well that still doesn't explain that when I sit with him in my garden bed, he is very active and tries eating almost everything he comes across.

 

[NicholasM85]

Get rid of heating pad and use ceramic heater at night for temps >80. Basking spot needs to be closer to 100. I don't see a water bowl and the tank is too small, need to black out 3 sides if glass otherwise get a plastic container and cut out holes for the lights and use a thermostat. Soak for longer than 15 min.

What's wrong with the pad heater? Just asking so I understand rather than repeat... Thanks!

 

[TechnoCheese]

What's wrong with the pad heater? Just asking so I understand rather than repeat... Thanks!

They have adapted to absorbing heat from above, not below. They don’t have heat receptors on their plastron, so they can easily be burnt.

 

[NicholasM85]

What wattage CHE should I buy?

 

[TechnoCheese]

What wattage CHE should I buy?

I would do 150+ with a thermostats. There’s really no telling which one you should use without a thermostat, but a 100 watt heats up a partially covered 40 gallon tank for me.

 

[Yvonne G]

You need to make adjustments in the food items you offer. Plus, if you cut it smaller pieces he's more likely to eat. As an example of what I'm talking about - Because I feed more than one tiny tortoise, it's easy for me to have a daily variety for them. I take some green leaf lettuce, broccoli, romaine, dandelion leaves, fillaree, mallow, zucchini, grass, hollyhock leaves, and whatever other edible weeds I can find, and I chop it up into tiny pieces and mix it all up. Then I add a small pinch of calcium powder and maybe some moistened Mazuri Tortoise Diet or Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Diet, and mix it all up. My baby leopard eat this mixture almost right out of the egg. Here's what it looks like:



Because you're only feeding one small tortoise, you won't be able to have a daily variety, but you can use something different each time you feed. And you can make enough to last three days. This bowl of food stays good for about three days in my fridge, so that's how much I chop up - enough to feed them for three days. So, you can take a leaf of red leaf lettuce, a couple dandelion leaves, some grass, maybe a bit of grated zucchini and chop it all up into tiny pieces. Then when that runs out use something else, like a leaf of romaine, some edible weeds, grated zucchini and a bit of any other greens you have in the fridge. Mix it up each time you make a new batch. Here's a link to a thread I wrote about feeding babies:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/feeding-the-babies.137491/#post-1289830

 

[Yvonne G]

For my baby leopards, I have a fluorescent tube UVB and a 60 watt CHE. The whole thing is covered in plastic - not the best, but better than an open topped container. I have no trouble getting these guys to eat:



You can see in the last picture, their little blue food dish is almost perfectly cleaned up. This means I didn't give them enough food. There should always be some left over.

 

[NicholasM85]

You need to make adjustments in the food items you offer. Plus, if you cut it smaller pieces he's more likely to eat. As an example of what I'm talking about - Because I feed more than one tiny tortoise, it's easy for me to have a daily variety for them. I take some green leaf lettuce, broccoli, romaine, dandelion leaves, fillaree, mallow, zucchini, grass, hollyhock leaves, and whatever other edible weeds I can find, and I chop it up into tiny pieces and mix it all up. Then I add a small pinch of calcium powder and maybe some moistened Mazuri Tortoise Diet or Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Diet, and mix it all up. My baby leopard eat this mixture almost right out of the egg. Here's what it looks like:

View attachment 234253

Because you're only feeding one small tortoise, you won't be able to have a daily variety, but you can use something different each time you feed. And you can make enough to last three days. This bowl of food stays good for about three days in my fridge, so that's how much I chop up - enough to feed them for three days. So, you can take a leaf of red leaf lettuce, a couple dandelion leaves, some grass, maybe a bit of grated zucchini and chop it all up into tiny pieces. Then when that runs out use something else, like a leaf of romaine, some edible weeds, grated zucchini and a bit of any other greens you have in the fridge. Mix it up each time you make a new batch. Here's a link to a thread I wrote about feeding babies:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/feeding-the-babies.137491/#post-1289830

THIS IS EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you! In work, now.

 

[NicholasM85]

Okay, I can't get this little guy to eat. I've followed the care sheet, I've gotten the humidity and temp up, I soak him... I've altered his food every way I thought possible. Any ideas?

 

[Yvonne G]

Soak him, and while he's soaking place the food at the feeding station. After his soak in WARM water, place him in front of the food, quickly step out of sight and cover the enclosure so nothing disturbs him. If that doesn't work, then place the feeding station directly at the mouth of the hiding place, soak him, after his soak put him in the hiding place facing towards the food and quickly step out of sight.

 

[NicholasM85]

Soak him, and while he's soaking place the food at the feeding station. After his soak in WARM water, place him in front of the food, quickly step out of sight and cover the enclosure so nothing disturbs him. If that doesn't work, then place the feeding station directly at the mouth of the hiding place, soak him, after his soak put him in the hiding place facing towards the food and quickly step out of sight.

Okay, I'm doing this now, I've added a bunch of different foods, in piles.

I'm also giving him longer soaks in a dish with part baby food (greens, no additives, made sure it only had approved greens) and part water... Afterwards, I put him in his hide with the dish of food selections left outside his hide and walk away. I'm hoping this helps!

My suspicion, at this point, is that the breeder wasn't very good and I'm paying the price for not doing my breeder research beforehand. I think he may have gotten dehydrated with the breeder. I've literally done everything read/suggested on this forum as quickly as possible. Fingers crossed he turns around. I'm totally still accepting all ideas!

Humidity is up, 70%+ Temp is 80+ with a basking spot opposite the hide. I'm bathing him as described above 2 times daily, with feeding immediately afterwards. I use a Mercury Vapor bulb, and CHE on a controller, no more heating pad. I've had to use my engineering ingenuity to route a humidifier into the enclosure to help control my humidity.

 

[NicholasM85]

I still haven't seen him eat, and he's extremely lethargic. I've got the humidity around 80%... Double Daily bath with baby carrot food in it... he DID poop yesterday, but not today. I'm not sure what else I can do? I'm doing everything in my power for the little guy. :-(

 

[NicholasM85]

 

[NicholasM85]

Well, Mr. Prime left us today... I did everything in my power to keep the little guy alive and followed all the care sheets, etc. I think he was dehydrated before I got him and there's no telling for how long.... Thanks everyone for the help. I'm sorry for the bad news.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Well, Mr. Prime left us today... I did everything in my power to keep the little guy alive and followed all the care sheets, etc. I think he was dehydrated before I got him and there's no telling for how long.... Thanks everyone for the help. I'm sorry for the bad news.

I’m sorry for your loss
Where’d you get him from?