Found this lil guy/gal. Advice needed please

Ywania

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Found this little guy in my yard. Was afraid my dogs would get him. Trying my best to settle him in to his new home. Still learning as well. I'm working on getting a proper enclosure with uvb lighting. Will this setup suffice in the meantime.?. Does all look OK? Should I remove the lamp? Any info or care and setup will be appreciated. I will also peruse through the forum.

Am I right that it is a lepord tortoise? Can anyone tell the gender?

Thanks in advance
 

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pguinpro

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Personally, I would not use small rocks. That's almost a guaranteed trip to the vet or worse...Try some forest floor cypress mulch or coco coir or both. Also, best to identify species before feeding any fruits. Mazuri should suffice until then.
 

Yvonne G

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No, it's way too small to know if it's a boy or a girl. . . but I can tell you FOR SURE: It IS a boy or a girl!! :D

It looks to be a hatchling leopard tortoise - and welcome to the Forum!

He needs a hiding place so he can get away from the harsh light, a different substrate (I like fir bark or cypress mulch, but a lot of folks here use coco coir), leafy greens instead of all that red food, and a warm, humid environment. Take a look at this thread:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

( @CarolM - a fellow countryman er person)
 
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Ywania

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Thanks for all the feedback. Tomorrow morning I will change the bedding. Pet store recommended the gravel . They had this 2nd hand enclosure. Is this ideal? How long till he outgrows it? They said it has heating pad and light fitting. They also suggested I dust reptile calcium powder on the veggies I give him. Is that OK? Thank u

IMG_20181110_140301.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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The reason I sent an alert to CarolM was because she has angulated tortoises and would know if Ywania's new baby is a leopard or an angulated. The shell pattern is not quite what I'm used to seeing on a leopard.
 

Yvonne G

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Thanks for all the feedback. Tomorrow morning I will change the bedding. Pet store recommended the gravel . They had this 2nd hand enclosure. Is this ideal? How long till he outgrows it? They said it has heating pad and light fitting. They also suggested I dust reptile calcium powder on the veggies I give him. Is that OK? Thank u

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Ywania: First of all, is it legal to pick up wild tortoise babies in your neck of the woods?

Secondly, that enclosure will be fine for a while. Depending upon how fast your baby grows, he may or may not outgrow it quickly. Glass aquariums are usually quite a bit more expensive than plastic tubs like you show in your first picture. I think you could buy a plastic tub bigger than that aquarium for quite a bit less, and then modify the lid (cut holes for the light/heat) and you have a nice, closed chamber for the baby. Don't use a heating pad. Baby tortoises aren't savvy enough to move off that area if they get too hot. Not only that, it may cook his insides. All the info you need is in the care sheet we linked for you. He should be eating leafy greens, not veggies, and you only need a small pinch of calcium powder a couple times a week.
 

Maro2Bear

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Ywania

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Ywania: First of all, is it legal to pick up wild tortoise babies in your neck of the woods?

Secondly, that enclosure will be fine for a while. Depending upon how fast your baby grows, he may or may not outgrow it quickly. Glass aquariums are usually quite a bit more expensive than plastic tubs like you show in your first picture. I think you could buy a plastic tub bigger than that aquarium for quite a bit less, and then modify the lid (cut holes for the light/heat) and you have a nice, closed chamber for the baby. Don't use a heating pad. Baby tortoises aren't savvy enough to move off that area if they get too hot. Not only that, it may cook his insides. All the info you need is in the care sheet we linked for you. He should be eating leafy greens, not veggies, and you only need a small pinch of calcium powder a couple times a week.
I'm in South Africa. I highly doubt we have any laws like that. I suspect he mosied in from neighboring plots. Couldn't find owner on community whatsapp groups. We've found our dogs messing around with others in the past.luckily this 1 was saved before they got hold of it. Thanks for the links. I am still going through them.
 

Yvonne G

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I'm in South Africa. I highly doubt we have any laws like that. I suspect he mosied in from neighboring plots. Couldn't find owner on community whatsapp groups. We've found our dogs messing around with others in the past.luckily this 1 was saved before they got hold of it. Thanks for the links. I am still going through them.
I found this on the web:

THE KEEPING OF TORTOISES AS PETS AND IN CAPTIVITY IS NOT ADVISED OR ENCOURAGED.

PLEASE LEAVE TORTOISES IN THE VELD WHERE THEY BELONG.
Indigenous tortoises may not be kept in captivity or removed from the wild without the required permit from Nature Conservation authorities.
https://nspca.co.za/tortoises/

I just don't want you to get into trouble.
 

Ywania

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I found this on the web:

THE KEEPING OF TORTOISES AS PETS AND IN CAPTIVITY IS NOT ADVISED OR ENCOURAGED.

PLEASE LEAVE TORTOISES IN THE VELD WHERE THEY BELONG.
Indigenous tortoises may not be kept in captivity or removed from the wild without the required permit from Nature Conservation authorities.
https://nspca.co.za/tortoises/

I just don't want you to get into trouble.
I was just reading the same article. I will contact them on Monday. Thank u
 

Cathie G

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I'm in South Africa. I highly doubt we have any laws like that. I suspect he mosied in from neighboring plots. Couldn't find owner on community whatsapp groups. We've found our dogs messing around with others in the past.luckily this 1 was saved before they got hold of it. Thanks for the links. I am still going through them.
You're so blessed! If the dogs were playing with the little tortoise...I'm sure any countries laws would say protect the baby first..
 
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