How many basking spots

leopardorgreek

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UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_8d2.jpg UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_8ce.jpg hey all, I just built a 6x3x2 closed chamber and I want to know if I should have 1 or 2 basking spots of 100 F. I have 2 7 month old leopards and one basking spot at 90 F and 1 at 100 F but its so big and they are so small I was wondering if I should just make them both 100 F.
thanks
Also, any advice on things I should change I am open to it, ambient temp is 82F (day or night)
 

Yvonne G

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One is probably enough, but with an enclosure that big you could get away with two, however two may make it too hot in there.
 

Tom

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Basking areas are necessary (At least it still seems so to me from my experiments and experience...) for some species at least, but they are very desiccating and contribute to pyramiding. I would only use one.

Also, tortoises should never be housed in pairs. Both suffer for it. You'll see in time that one grows faster than the other. This has little to do with obvious overt hostility. Its the subtle things that cause damaging long term chronic stress. They need their own enclosures, or add one or two more to make a small group. Group dynamics are very different than pair dynamics.
 

leopardorgreek

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Basking areas are necessary (At least it still seems so to me from my experiments and experience...) for some species at least, but they are very desiccating and contribute to pyramiding. I would only use one.

Also, tortoises should never be housed in pairs. Both suffer for it. You'll see in time that one grows faster than the other. This has little to do with obvious overt hostility. Its the subtle things that cause damaging long term chronic stress. They need their own enclosures, or add one or two more to make a small group. Group dynamics are very different than pair dynamics.
thanks Tom,
I appreciate the input. I am currently looking for 2 more to add to my 2, but I am in Canada and it is very hard to find leopards. I have 2 lined up from a different breeder than the one I got mine from but I want to make sure they where raised right and over 100g to avoid all the things I read on this forum about hatchlings and being raised dry. This makes it way harder for me, I had to turn down 3 different babies because they where kept dry and it worried me. Leopards cost between $500-$1000 per baby, so I can not invest that money and risk them having issues. So, long story short I will have a group, just trying to find the best ones to add to my collection.
Any advice you or anyone can give when selecting the new babies would be greatly appreciated. Am I being to picky with what I am looking for or should I stick to my guns and not settle?
thanks again.
 

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