Just bought a month old leopard hatchling

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Tortus

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I haven't received it yet. The price was decent and the breeder was helpful so I took the plunge, but are the survival rates for hatchlings pretty good? Or are they super-delicate? I've had hatchling lizards in the past (bearded dragons) and raised them to adults fine.

Anyway, the breeder sent me this care sheet. How would you rate it? Would you do anything differently? Thanks.

DBRbH.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Welcome, Tortus!!

I would soak every day. I would also use a substrate that can be moistened and omit to layer of hay. If you want to have hay in there, then put it in one spot, where its going to be dry so the hay doesn't mold. We have recently discovered that keeping sulcatas and leopard hatchlings more moist than we have in the past, keeps them growing smoothly and prevents pyramiding.

There is a good care sheet for leopard tortoises here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz25o21j900
 

Neal

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That care sheet is decent, but the one Yvonne linked is how I prefer to raise them.
 

Tortus

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Thanks for the info. Neal, what are the dimensions of the 50 gallon tub you use? Right now I have an underbed storage container as recommended in the care sheet I posted (I'm sure the tortoise will be only 2" or so), but of course I'll be moving up eventually.

The breeder is holding it until I get the enclosure set up. I'm just waiting for the lamp to arrive. I read a care sheet that said not to use coil style compact florescent bulbs for UVB. The breeder did recommend this so that's what I ordered. Any thoughts? Also, aside from a 100 watt bulb for day heat, is a ceramic heat emitter generally preferred over a heat mat combined with a thermostat? I want the secondary source to stay at a constant 75 or so degrees and it gets kind of cool in here during the winter. I have a hydrofarm thermostat that will keep it at a relatively constant temperature.
 

Tortus

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I forgot to add that the emitter or mat would be mainly for night benefit during the winter. It can get down to the high 50's/low 60's in here at night since no one's home and I keep the heat down. I know some people are totally against using heat mats. I would put that directly under the substrate with a thermostat probe set at 75. I have no experience with ceramic emitters but I know I can use the thermostat with that also. I need to get everything together quickly since he can only hold the tortoise for 30 days.
 

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Hello and welcome. Everyone you ask is going to have a different opinion. What I like to do is find someone who is producing the results that I wish to produce and try to emulate them. There are lots of threads in my signature for how to do things with baby leopards and sulcatas. Also understand that all of us are still learning and adjusting our techniques. For example, I have no interest in ever using an open topped enclosure ever again. They are in efficient and impossible to maintain saticfactory conditions in, in most cases.

Some of your care sheet is okay, but I would skip the sand and hay entirely. They also need a humid hide box and warm temps. I shoot for an ambient of 80 fday and night, and a basking spot of 100. They should always haven a water bowl available too. The emphasis on outside time is great. I don know that I'd offer dry hay to a baby, but it won't hurt anything unless it molds.

What is more critical than any of this is how your baby was started right after hatching. Daily soaks, high humidity, and a bout a week in a brooder box before they go into a regular enclosure, are all critical factors. If thou buy a baby that was started too dry and dehydrate, as most of them are, it won't matter what you do.

Read my "hatchling failure syndrome" threads in the links down there and make sure your breeder/seller has done it right. The consequences of buying from the wrong person are very frustrating and can be heartbreaking.

Good luck.
 

dmmj

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Welcome
everyone has a different opinion, mine though are the only ones who are correct.
 

Tom

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dmmj said:
Welcome
everyone has a different opinion, mine though are the only ones who are correct.

Really? Yours too? I thought I was the only one people said this about.:D
 

CourtneyAndCarl

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Tom said:
dmmj said:
Welcome
everyone has a different opinion, mine though are the only ones who are correct.

Really? Yours too? I thought I was the only one people said this about.:D

So if both of your opinions are right, no exceptions, what happens when y'all disagree? :p
 

Neal

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Tortus said:
Thanks for the info. Neal, what are the dimensions of the 50 gallon tub you use? Right now I have an underbed storage container as recommended in the care sheet I posted (I'm sure the tortoise will be only 2" or so), but of course I'll be moving up eventually.

The breeder is holding it until I get the enclosure set up. I'm just waiting for the lamp to arrive. I read a care sheet that said not to use coil style compact florescent bulbs for UVB. The breeder did recommend this so that's what I ordered. Any thoughts? Also, aside from a 100 watt bulb for day heat, is a ceramic heat emitter generally preferred over a heat mat combined with a thermostat? I want the secondary source to stay at a constant 75 or so degrees and it gets kind of cool in here during the winter. I have a hydrofarm thermostat that will keep it at a relatively constant temperature.

I'm not sure of the exact dimensions, but off the top of my head it's about 48 inches long by 18 inches wide, and maybe 18 inches tall. They sell them at Home Depot for about $20.

There have been a lot of bad reports about those coil types of bulbs in the past. I do not recommend them. Go with an MVB or florescent tube florescent as a safer alternative.

I prefer the CHE to the heat mats. I'm sure if you played around with it, you could get the temperature where you want it, but for me, it's always been easier to use the CHE. If you do use the CHE and MVB you will need ceramic fixtures, not plastic.
 

Tortus

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Thanks for the welcomes and advice everyone. I wish I found this place sooner.

Tom said:
Hello and welcome. Everyone you ask is going to have a different opinion. What I like to do is find someone who is producing the results that I wish to produce and try to emulate them. There are lots of threads in my signature for how to do things with baby leopards and sulcatas. Also understand that all of us are still learning and adjusting our techniques. For example, I have no interest in ever using an open topped enclosure ever again. They are in efficient and impossible to maintain saticfactory conditions in, in most cases.

Some of your care sheet is okay, but I would skip the sand and hay entirely. They also need a humid hide box and warm temps. I shoot for an ambient of 80 fday and night, and a basking spot of 100. They should always haven a water bowl available too. The emphasis on outside time is great. I don know that I'd offer dry hay to a baby, but it won't hurt anything unless it molds.

What is more critical than any of this is how your baby was started right after hatching. Daily soaks, high humidity, and a bout a week in a brooder box before they go into a regular enclosure, are all critical factors. If thou buy a baby that was started too dry and dehydrate, as most of them are, it won't matter what you do.

Read my "hatchling failure syndrome" threads in the links down there and make sure your breeder/seller has done it right. The consequences of buying from the wrong person are very frustrating and can be heartbreaking.

Good luck.

I'm not exactly sure where this breeder keeps his right after hatching. Didn't think to ask. Here's one of the pics he sent me right after they hatched. Mine is second from the left at the top (the one I asked for anyway). He said it's mud on their heads:

zVxn3.jpg


I just noticed his care sheet doesn't mention humidity. I was also scratching my head because the heat source is at one end of the enclosure, and the UVB is at the other. It seems like they should be together so the tortoise would bask and get UBV at once.

My lamps should be here Friday but it sounds like I need to get this baby here asap.
 

Tortus

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I can't see my last post yet since it's being moderated so I can't edit, but I have a few coconut fiber bricks as well as organic peat moss that I could use as bedding. Would a mixture of these two be good? I'll leave out the sand (even though I just got 20 lbs. of it). I'll just put a little hay in the food area.

How often do you change the substrate in your enclosures? My sheet says every other week. Excessive? Not enough? I know you can't keep them too clean but if you have a large area at 6" or so deep, it seems like you'd be going through tons of substrate.
 

CourtneyAndCarl

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coconut coir is really good. And if you want to add a little sand just to get rid of it, that is perfectly fine. I'd say about 40% peat moss 40% coconut coir and then 20% sand would be a good mixture.

I have honestly never changed the substrate... Carl is fairly clean, he doesn't poo in his enclosure, only in his soaks, and I got a whole ecosystem going in there with snowfleas and pill bugs (which you will probably get too, at least the snow fleas, don't be alarmed :p ) that probably takes care of any messes. Carl is also outside most of the time, I will probably change it more often when he moves inside.
 

Tortus

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He said since the summer was so hot there's a good chance they're female. So I'll just call her "she" for now.

I should have splurged on the 2 day Amazon shipping, but I won't be ready for her to ship until next week when everything is set up. Then I'll take some pics. I have a spare lamp I can use for a couple days if I have to. So hopefully Wednesday...
 

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I use coco coir and its been in there about a month without me changing it. And it hasn't molded or anything!
 

Neal

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Tortus said:
I can't see my last post yet since it's being moderated so I can't edit, but I have a few coconut fiber bricks as well as organic peat moss that I could use as bedding. Would a mixture of these two be good? I'll leave out the sand (even though I just got 20 lbs. of it). I'll just put a little hay in the food area.

How often do you change the substrate in your enclosures? My sheet says every other week. Excessive? Not enough? I know you can't keep them too clean but if you have a large area at 6" or so deep, it seems like you'd be going through tons of substrate.

a coco and peat moss substrate is good, that's what I use with some larger pieces of coco fiber and cypress on the top.

I change the substrate every couple of months. I clean up their poop every day and I don't leave any food in their enclosure for long periods of time.
 
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