7 Month Old Leopard Tortoise

HollieK

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Hi! I've just found out that my leopard tortoise (currently called Flint) is not as old as originally thought, I was originally told he was a year old but I've just found out he was actually hatched mid-December 2016. I'm just curious as to whether he's a good size for his age? He weighs 76 grams and is around 4.3 inches long. Does this sound healthy? I originally bought a tortoise table before knowing I was buying a leopard but now it is covered by a plastic greenhouse to keep the humidity in. Average temp is around 30 degrees and I keep the humidity above 80% the majority of the time. I've ordered new plants to improve his diet as it's a bit boring at the moment (mainly lamb's lettuce, dandelion leaves, watercress and recently nettles) so hopefully that will help him gain a bit of weight. He has access to cuttlefish, a humid hide and a cool end. I bath and spray him daily and I let him into his outside run whenever it's warm enough. Is there any tips anybody can give for helping to keep him as healthy and happy as possible? Thanks :)

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Yvonne G

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Hi Hollie, and welcome!!

That new growth has really smoothed out when comparing it to his original out-of-the-egg scutes. Be sure to keep him warm and humid, because judging from his original part of the shell, he wasn't started warm and humid.
 

Greg T

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That is good size and weight, possibly on the larger side. Good coloring and lots of growth. Keep up the good work!
 

HollieK

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Thanks! The 3rd pic (the outside one) is when I first bought his home and the other two are from around a week ago (just in case there's any confusion). He's become a lot less shy and is a really friendly tortoise. I think I'm just a bit worried as he's my first tortoise and I've never looked after anything that's needed so much specific care before. :)
 

wellington

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Make sure the humidity is at least 80%. It seems once they have started to pyramid, it's hard to get the very top scutes to smooth out more like the sides will.
 

HollieK

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Humidity is nearly always above eighty and if I notice it slips just below (which is rare) I spray his soil and greenhouse to increase it however I think I've noticed slight pyramiding though my sister thinks I'm imagining it and that the slight raising always been there. Could it be more noticeable because of his recent growth (he's gained 10g and 0.3 inches) or could it be pyramiding? I can try and get more photos if needed. Sorry for all the questions, I'm probably being a little paranoid. :)
 

Kasia

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Check his stool for parasites and keep doing good stuff for him. :) best of luck for you both!
 

Tom

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76 grams is on the light side for a 4.3 inch 7 month old leopard tortoise.

30C is an okay ambient temp, but the tortoise still needs a basking area that is around 36-37. Does he have that?

Are you soaking daily?

He might benefit from a little plant protein in the diet. Do you have any clover, alfalfa, or even green beans over there? Adding a small amount of these things to the diet, every few days, might increase his growth rate a bit, if all else is good. Mazuri would be good too, but I don't think you have it over there. You have something similar, but its marketed under a different name in the UK. @Markw84 ? Can you help me out here? What is it called over there?
 

Markw84

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The Mazuri brand is sold under the brand name Nutrazu in Europe. The product in Europe is the Nutrazu 50J3

76 grams is dangerously light for a 4.3" leopard. My leopard tortoises when 4.3" weigh 200g - 220g
 

HollieK

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Thanks for the replies! It turns out I've been measuring him wrong :oops:I just found out how to measure him properly using the paper method and apparently he's actually 3.1 inches but 4.3 inc head and legs and he now weighs 83 grams. Is this a more normal size? The breeder I bought him from said he's always been on the smaller side so I don't know if that's a factor.

I've just changed enclosures today after some advice on my other thread so I'm still sorting out the temperatures now but I'm pretty sure his basking spot is higher than his overall temp but I'll double check tomorrow. I do bath him daily and I've tried him with clover but he's not to keen, I'm not sure where I'd get alfalfa from but I can try him on green beans, he's kind of a picky eater but I've recently given him some chicory and pak choi which he likes as well as some rocket to add some more variety.

I think you mean nutrazi maybe and I've just ordered a sample pack to see if he likes it so hopefully it'll help. I've still noticed some slight pyramiding even though his humidity is mostly in the 90's now and his temps are good so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
 
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Tom

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I've still noticed some slight pyramiding even though his humidity is mostly in the 90's now and his temps are good so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

As Yvonne pointed out, the dry conditions that this tortoise started in had him all set in a pattern of growth for pyramiding. But with your good care, humidity, and hydration, the growth has smoothed out and is coming in much better. It takes time to change the angle of growth once it is established in the wrong way, and even in "ideal" conditions, some of them still pyramid a little bit anyway. Don't worry too much about the appearance. Just do all you can to ensure good health, which I think you are already doing.

It takes months and years to overcome a poor start, which is what this guy sounds like he had. If he weighs 83 grams already and is steadily climbing, I think you've made it past the point of worrying about failure to thrive. Keep trying to introduce good foods and in time this tortoise will be a little piggy and growth will pick up.
 

HollieK

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Thanks so much! I think I'm just a bit worried as he's my first tortoise but he seems to be doing pretty well. I'm not really bothered about pyramiding aesthetically, I was just worried it was something I was causing (and was preventable) but I think he was kept in pretty dry conditions when he was with the breeder. He's eating a lot more than he used to so hopefully his weight will up in no time, he was around 63g when we bought him so that's a 20g gain. Thanks for all the advice :)
 

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