Leopard purchased from Tortoisetown

[JSStra]

Hey all,

Purchased a Leopard from TortoiseTown. I found out the shady rep after the fact. Just came in today.

It's a hatchling but has not eaten. It went into the hide after a 5 minute soak in some warm water and seems to be sleeping. I am not too weirded out by this behaviour as it might just be tired from the shock of a long trip from NJ to FL? Basking lamp at 95F, heating rock set to a regulator at 80F. UVB 10.0 light. I tried feeding 3 mazuri pellets soaked until soggy, some rose leaves, aloe vera leaves, and a bit of random weed/grass from the back yard.

I wanted to ask what to do if it does not eat soon. Also, does this look like a babcocki, pardalis, or a mix? I have read some reviews of people getting scammed or otherwise sent the wrong product by that vendor.

Any help is appreciated. I just want to provide the best home I can for the little one.

 

[Yvonne G]

Don't use a heat rock. Baby tortoises don't inderstand that they can move off it when it gets too hot. I use a radiant heat panel along with the tube type fluorescent UVB light.

Offer the baby chopped up dark, leafy greens like endive, escarole, etc. You can get more creatve with weeds and plants once he has acclimated and is eating.

It's not a South African and not a mix.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm glad that your baby arrived.
As long as he does start to eat and stays hydrated. Its perfectly normal for a baby to spend a lot of time hiding.
Especially since he's in a new home.

 

[wellington]

I second what Yvonne said. No heat rock. They need the heat from a source that hangs above them like the sun would do. The whole enclosure needs to be no lower than 80 day and night with a humidity of 80% in a closed chamber enclosure.
Please follow the caresheet. I will link for you.
Your tortoise has already started to pyramid and at that small size means it was started out wrong and dry. Getting the humidity up and daily 30 minute soaks are really important.

 

[wellington]

Thread 'The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181503/

 

[Tom]

Hey all,

Purchased a Leopard from TortoiseTown. I found out the shady rep after the fact. Just came in today.

It's a hatchling but has not eaten. It went into the hide after a 5 minute soak in some warm water and seems to be sleeping. I am not too weirded out by this behaviour as it might just be tired from the shock of a long trip from NJ to FL? Basking lamp at 95F, heating rock set to a regulator at 80F. UVB 10.0 light. I tried feeding 3 mazuri pellets soaked until soggy, some rose leaves, aloe vera leaves, and a bit of random weed/grass from the back yard.

I wanted to ask what to do if it does not eat soon. Also, does this look like a babcocki, pardalis, or a mix? I have read some reviews of people getting scammed or otherwise sent the wrong product by that vendor.

Any help is appreciated. I just want to provide the best home I can for the little one.

Soaks should be 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm the whole time.

What type of UV bulb did you get? If its a cfl type, those sometimes burn their eyes. Turn it off.

What type of basking lamp?

What are you using for night heat?

Is it a closed chamber or an open topped enclosure? What substrate?

Mazuri and rose leaves are god foods, but this tortoise has probably never seen either. Most tortoises won't eat aloe. None of mine will touch it. Random weeds? You need to know what they are. Some are toxic, and or unpalatable. Regular leopards don't tend to like grass either. You might have to get him started on romaine and mix in all the newer better foods, because that is probably what this one has been fed for most of its life.

Read that care sheet from Wellington, and come back with questions.

 

[JSStra]

Soaks should be 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm the whole time.

What type of UV bulb did you get? If its a cfl type, those sometimes burn their eyes. Turn it off.

What type of basking lamp?

What are you using for night heat?

Is it a closed chamber or an open topped enclosure? What substrate?

Mazuri and rose leaves are god foods, but this tortoise has probably never seen either. Most tortoises won't eat aloe. None of mine will touch it. Random weeds? You need to know what they are. Some are toxic, and or unpalatable. Regular leopards don't tend to like grass either. You might have to get him started on romaine and mix in all the newer better foods, because that is probably what this one has been fed for most of its life.

Read that care sheet from Wellington, and come back with questions.

@wellington as well:

Yeah, I have been soaking the little guy daily. I noticed the pyramiding, he came like that so I am doing my best to care for him as best as I am able.

I am actually turning the A/C off on this side of the house to keep it around 80 passive temperature (78-84 depending on outside temp, but the zoomed UVA/Basking bulb I have raises the ambient temperature to always 80 according to my in-enclosure thermometer. No need for 'night heat'.

The UV bulb is a Zoomed Reptisun T5 HO bulb. I don't see anything about CFL on it. That being said, once Florida warms up, I plan on taking him out daily.

The enclosure is closed topped but open sides. A repurposed rabbit enclosure that is about 4'x3'. The substrate is cypress mulch mixed with coconut fiber to be more than just wood.

You're right about the food, he won't touch mazuri or rose. He's eating SOME of the aloe (I am trying to locate some prickly pear). He chows down on carrot, and he loves spring mix (minus spinach). I have been trying to slowly expand the palate. I plan on introducing some hibiscus leaves.

Just had its first bowel movement. I'm not exactly sure how often hatchlings should be going, but the little bugger doesn't seem to want to do anything but sleep, which I was told is normal.

 

[wellington]

Why no night heat?
They need to be kept no lower then 80 all the time day and night. With a basking spot of 95-100. If you don't close the enclosure you won't stop the pyramiding. Open enclosures with high humidity, 80% won't do it and neither does just a humid hide.
If your uvb bulb is a tube fluorescent then it's the right kind.
Carrots is not really meant to be a part of the daily diet. Chop the greens up small along with romaine. They seem to always love romaine. As he starts to eat more, give less and less of the romaine until you don't need to add it. It can be fed sparingly but get him hooked on better foods first. Then also start to add in the soaked mushy mazuri. Smear it on the chopped foods.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@wellington as well:

Yeah, I have been soaking the little guy daily. I noticed the pyramiding, he came like that so I am doing my best to care for him as best as I am able.

I am actually turning the A/C off on this side of the house to keep it around 80 passive temperature (78-84 depending on outside temp, but the zoomed UVA/Basking bulb I have raises the ambient temperature to always 80 according to my in-enclosure thermometer. No need for 'night heat'.

The UV bulb is a Zoomed Reptisun T5 HO bulb. I don't see anything about CFL on it. That being said, once Florida warms up, I plan on taking him out daily.

The enclosure is closed topped but open sides. A repurposed rabbit enclosure that is about 4'x3'. The substrate is cypress mulch mixed with coconut fiber to be more than just wood.

You're right about the food, he won't touch mazuri or rose. He's eating SOME of the aloe (I am trying to locate some prickly pear). He chows down on carrot, and he loves spring mix (minus spinach). I have been trying to slowly expand the palate. I plan on introducing some hibiscus leaves.

Just had its first bowel movement. I'm not exactly sure how often hatchlings should be going, but the little bugger doesn't seem to want to do anything but sleep, which I was told is normal.

Any screw in UVB source is not an effective or reliable UVB source.(in this case an MVB bulb)
They don't provide heat or UVB consistantly. The light is too harsh and the whole thing is just very desicating.
I myself have sent hundreds of dollars trying to make them work.
I hope your experience will be different.

 

[JSStra]

Why no night heat?
They need to be kept no lower then 80 all the time day and night. With a basking spot of 95-100. If you don't close the enclosure you won't stop the pyramiding. Open enclosures with high humidity, 80% won't do it and neither does just a humid hide.
If your uvb bulb is a tube fluorescent then it's the right kind.
Carrots is not really meant to be a part of the daily diet. Chop the greens up small along with romaine. They seem to always love romaine. As he starts to eat more, give less and less of the romaine until you don't need to add it. It can be fed sparingly but get him hooked on better foods first. Then also start to add in the soaked mushy mazuri. Smear it on the chopped foods.

Yes, it is a tube. I appreciate the advice on a formal closed area.

And thank you for the food help as well. I'll start trying it. He must have been calcium deficient because yesterday he was trying to nom the powder residue on the stone. So I gave his food a good coating and he just ate it off the top of all the food. Tortoise stone, obviously just got ordered. I guess they don't always get all their calcium from food/supplements on the food.

His soaks have been getting more 'active'. Been drinking, moving around a lot more, pooping in the water. So all in all, I think he's a lot better than when I got him. And to think, my fiancee wants to relocate the little guy as soon as possible since he's not the giant we ordered Oh well, it's not going to stop me from giving him the best life I can in the meantime.