best substrate

[scotth42]

i have my leopard baby on a sand soil mix it does dry out i spray it down but is that enough?my leopard sleeps all day with his eyes closed for most of the day is this because my humidity is low? should i switch to cypress mulch or a bark substrate
i am totally confused here do they need more humidity or less i thought less. he eats very little just leaf lettuce and a bit of mazuri i tried grass weeds different veggies but he will not touch anything he don't even get up when the lights come on. could it be my mercury vapor bulb his temps are 90 hot side 72 cool side.

 

[Zelanova]

The soil/sand mix has been shown to be a very good substrate for little Leopards, my little leopard is 3 months old and he/she seems to do well with it. I have also noticed though, that it does get kinds dry so I added a little bit of Orchard bark. That seems to help a little. I would also do good to keep a small dish of water in the tank in which to give you little tort an opportunity to water himself/herself if she so chooses. I hope this helps. Have a great day.

 

[Zelanova]

I have also read that desert torts can handle a bit more humidity then previously thought, and may be a major factor in pyramiding.

 

[Cam]

How long have you had him?
How old is he?
Is this new behavior?

Is he peeing/pooing?
Are you soaking him?
What supplements are you using?

What time do his lights go an and off?
What are the nighttime temps?
Have you had a fecal check?

Sorry so many questions, but it would seem something besides the substrate to be the cause of the lethargy...

 

[Yvonne G]

I have several very young baby leopards and they are quite active. They come running when they see the food god dropping food onto the feeding station. I keep them on orchid bark, but you can use cypress mulch too. I water it really well, and by the end of the day the top layer is dry. But if you dig down with your finger, it is damp underneath. Its really not normal for your baby to be sleeping that much. They do hide a lot because they are prey, but you should see some action too. Maybe your habitat is too open and he doesn't feel safe. My baby habitats are solid wood sided and a closable roof. They can't see out and so they feel very safe. Also there are quite a few site barriers for them to move around. Your temps seem ok to me, so maybe its the safety issue. Do you have the habitat in a well travelled area where he is constantly being bombarded with people walking by or kids making lots of noise? Can you shoot us some pictures?

Yvonne

 

[scotth42]

I have several very young baby leopards and they are quite active. They come running when they see the food god dropping food onto the feeding station. I keep them on orchid bark, but you can use cypress mulch too. I water it really well, and by the end of the day the top layer is dry. But if you dig down with your finger, it is damp underneath. Its really not normal for your baby to be sleeping that much. They do hide a lot because they are prey, but you should see some action too. Maybe your habitat is too open and he doesn't feel safe. My baby habitats are solid wood sided and a closable roof. They can't see out and so they feel very safe. Also there are quite a few site barriers for them to move around. Your temps seem ok to me, so maybe its the safety issue. Do you have the habitat in a well travelled area where he is constantly being bombarded with people walking by or kids making lots of noise? Can you shoot us some pictures?

Yvonne

no it's in my room i added some cypress mulch he has a hide he is more active now i soaked him and now he is more active he still paces and tries to climb the corners but is not sleeping as much.