Feeding hatchling leopard tortoises

[Mmarquis33]

Hello everyone!

I am a lifelong reptile keeper but am fairly new to tortoises and just wanted to make sure I’m feeding appropriately. I have two hatchling age leopard tortoises that I am currently feeding a mix of romaine with Timothy and orchard grass and an occasional green pepper or broccoli tops. There is a cuttle bone in the enclosure which they chew on and I put hardly a punch of a multivitamin on their salad once a week.

Both tortoises are displaying normal behavior defecating in their daily soaks and munching down plenty of food. My question is should I keep the status quo or should I add in more fiber or even a commercial tortoise food?

My enclosure is a 40G long aquarium with alfalfa pellet substrate. I have a solar glo 125 watt lamp that keeps my hot end in the high 80s with a basking spot of 93.1F on a digital thermometer. My cool end is low 80s. At night the enclosure is ambient temperature which is low 70s. Hides include a domed log and a cave with sphagmum moss which I mist daily.

I’ve attached a photo of the little guys

Any advice is welcome!

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, you are doing a few things not recommended. We have a leap arc tort section. Please go there and read our care sheets. It will give you all the info you need. Come back with any questions you may have.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Please give these 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/

-tortoises should not be kept in pairs. They are solitary, territorial creatures, and one often does much worse than the other. Yours need to be separated.

-they are too young to be eating hays, and broccoli and green pepper should rarely be fed. They should be eating mostly weeds from outside, or if that is not possible, foods like endive, escarole, arugula, or other high fiber grocery store foods along with pellets like mazuri or zoo med’s grassland tortoise grassland tortoise food for extra fiber.

-good call with the daily soaks. It is very beneficial.

-alfalfa pellets are much too dry, and mold in the 80-100% humidity you need. Use fine grade orchid bark, cypress mulch, or coconut coir instead.

-that lamp is likely too desiccating on their shells. Use a Phillips 65 watt flood light (says BR30 on the box), and a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for ambient and night temps. Temperatures should not be falling below 80 in the enclosure at any times, including night.

 

[Mmarquis33]

Thanks for the replies! I’m gonna find some turtle pellets and a new substrate today. Is there a preference of those three subs mentioned? Also I live in south Florida.. I have plenty of weeds out in my yard which isn’t treated with anything. Am I understanding that I can go out back and pick some dandelion leaf and other roughage for them to eat?

 

[TechnoCheese]

Thanks for the replies! I’m gonna find some turtle pellets and a new substrate today. Is there a preference of those three subs mentioned? Also I live in south Florida.. I have plenty of weeds out in my yard which isn’t treated with anything. Am I understanding that I can go out back and pick some dandelion leaf and other roughage for them to eat?

Fine grade orchid bark is my favorite out of the three, and any edible weeds are fine. You can check www.thetortoisetable.org.uk to see which ones are edible

 

[Tom]

Hello everyone!

I am a lifelong reptile keeper but am fairly new to tortoises and just wanted to make sure I’m feeding appropriately. I have two hatchling age leopard tortoises that I am currently feeding a mix of romaine with Timothy and orchard grass and an occasional green pepper or broccoli tops. There is a cuttle bone in the enclosure which they chew on and I put hardly a punch of a multivitamin on their salad once a week.

Both tortoises are displaying normal behavior defecating in their daily soaks and munching down plenty of food. My question is should I keep the status quo or should I add in more fiber or even a commercial tortoise food?

My enclosure is a 40G long aquarium with alfalfa pellet substrate. I have a solar glo 125 watt lamp that keeps my hot end in the high 80s with a basking spot of 93.1F on a digital thermometer. My cool end is low 80s. At night the enclosure is ambient temperature which is low 70s. Hides include a domed log and a cave with sphagmum moss which I mist daily.

I’ve attached a photo of the little guys

Any advice is welcome!

I just want to say hello and welcome. TechnoCheese spelled everything out perfectly.

 

[Mmarquis33]

I appreciate the help.. in the pinch I couldn’t find orchid bark.. there was some enriched bags at Lowe’s and the non supplemented ones seemed like pretty large chunks of bark though I’m not sure how fine you mean by fine. I did find a bag of the eco earth coconut fiber substrate. Is this the coco coir you were talking about?

 

[Tom]

I appreciate the help.. in the pinch I couldn’t find orchid bark.. there was some enriched bags at Lowe’s and the non supplemented ones seemed like pretty large chunks of bark though I’m not sure how fine you mean by fine. I did find a bag of the eco earth coconut fiber substrate. Is this the coco coir you were talking about?

Coco coir is too messy for leopards. Cypress mulch is okay, but I find it smelly, dirty, and I don't like the deforestation of our swamps. Either of the two can work, and they aren't harmful, but orchid bark is by far the first choice of the three.

You usually won't find orchid bark in the chain hardware stores. Look at local nurseries. Lots of people in South FL grow orchids and they need lots of orchid bark to do it. They are buying it somewhere. Its aka "fir bark". Be sure to get the fine grade. I buy 2.0 cu. ft. bags at my local nursery for $11.

 

[Mmarquis33]

Well shoot, Petco had the firbark I guess I’ll go and exchange

 

[Tom]

Well shoot, Petco had the firbark I guess I’ll go and exchange

You can use the Petco stuff. It is safe and good, its just very expensive for small quantities.

 

[Mmarquis33]

Yeah I agree it’s exoensive and I will definitely hit up the nurseries but for now I’m a quick pinch I’ll shell out

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi and welcome! Another vote for orchid bark here. I used to buy it at a local hardware store that has since gone out of business. I'm in your same boat now, and am having trouble finding places to buy it. I have found a plant nursery that will order it for me. . . same brand I bought at the hardware store, but at a higher price. I guess I have to pay it though. I buy a product called Black Gold, and it comes in three 'chunk' sizes, fine, medium and large. If you find a nursery that will order it for you, be sure to tell them to order the 'fine'.

This is what I mean by too expensive:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Gold-1411402-8-00QTP-8-Quart-Fine-Orchid-Bark-Mix/34050664

Walmart sells a 8 quart bag for $14, but I used to buy a 2 cu. ft. bag for $11 at the hardware store. Tom buys a generic fir bark from someplace like Home Depot. I have also used this in a pinch, but I really prefer to buy a product that specifically manufactured for orchids because it's a cleaner product.

 

[Mmarquis33]

Is the zoo led reptile bark too course? Here is a crappy picture of it through the bag

 

[Yvonne G]

It works in a pinch. I've used it before, but I prefer the fine/small

 

[Mmarquis33]

It works in a pinch. I've used it before, but I prefer the fine/small

What is the benefit of having the fine over larger bits.. my thought process would be the opposite as large pieces are less likely to be consumed

 

[Yvonne G]

What is the benefit of having the fine over larger bits.. my thought process would be the opposite as large pieces are less likely to be consumed

The smaller pieces eventually mash down to an almost smooth surface that is very easy for them to walk on.

 

[Tom]

Is the zoo led reptile bark too course? Here is a crappy picture of it through the bag

The ZooMed stuff is "fine" grade. That is the size you want.

 

[Mmarquis33]

You guys have been awesome, I wasn’t expecting such a huge response, and so quick. The substrate has been changed to the orchid bark (which smells awesome) and are happily munching down some arugula and Mazuri pellets as I write this. Thanks all!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi