Leopard Tortoise Babies

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Ariane520

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I owned a ornate box turtle for almost 20 years. Found him in my backyard when I was 12 and sadly "Mr. Turtle" died last year. So I think that I have a SMALL amount of knowledge on basic turtle/tortoise needs.

I purchased two 12 week old leopard tortoises last night (one male and one female) and could not have been happier. They are set up in a 20 gallon tank with peat moss as bedding. They have lots of fake plants to hide under and I have uv lighting as well as a heat lamp. I placed a small shallow dish in the middle of the cage as the breeder stressed the importance of not putting it near the sides as the tortoise may fall over upside down in it.

This AM I woke up and placed a mixture of red/green romaine, cilantro, parsley and spinach in the tank. The female has been VERY active. Eating nearly all the food I placed in there and drinking. (If the amount of food her little 2 inch body consumed this AM is any kind of sign of how much she will eat in the future I think I'll need to be planting a garden as well. lol)...However...the male is far less active. He did not eat this AM and was out basking for about 10 minutes and then retreated to his hiding spot. I am not sure if will take him awhile to become safe in his new home or if I should be alarmed at the difference in activity. ALSO, and this is the most alarming, he make this movement with his neck when he breathes. Kinda like a bull frog does with his neck when he craoks. He is not making any noise just the neck movement. I did not notice him doing it last night.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am not sure if I an freakin out for no reason or if I should take him to a vet. I contacted the breeder and she said that he had been fine and that he was just going to take a little longer than the female to get used to his new home.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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Turtles may appear to be bobbing their heads when they breathe, but that's only because their gular throat pouch is expanding and contracting to force air into and out of their lungs. This is all perfectly normal turtle ventilation, and nothing to worry about.

As for why your tortoise is so shy, it could be simply because he is very young and still frightened of being out in the open, which is also normal. However, it could also be because the other one is bullying him, which is not unusual, particularly in small enclosures, but must not be allowed to continue or he might not eat, get injured, etc. I would get them a much larger enclosure, like a 55-gallon Rubbermaid tote (only about $12 at the hardware store), or even bigger if at all possible. You might also want to separate them, perhaps giving each one its own private tote.

I keep other tortoises, but have never kept leopard tortoises. I'm sure someone who has experience with this species will come along soon enough to give you even more relevant husbandry advice.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Ariane520:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

And may we know appx. where in the world you are?

I agree that a 20 gallon tank isn't very big, but its probably ok for the first 6 months or so. Did the breeder tell you the tortoises were temperature sexed during incubation? If not, then you really don't know the sex of them until they get quite a bit bigger.

What I would do is every morning, take both the babies and place them into a shallow dish of warm water. Leave them there and go about the business of turning on the lights, chopping up the food, etc. After about 15 minutes, place both babies in front of the food and step out of sight. If you still can't get the one to eat, then instead of one feeding station, make two, one at each end of the tank. Then throughout the day, every time you think about it, place them in front of the food again until its all gone.
 

Ariane520

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Thanks for the info. I was cleaning their tank earlier this evening and I was thinking their enclosure was a little small. I havent noticed the girl bullying him and I watch them like a hawk. Do you think that keeping them separate will effect their socialness?
 

Neal

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Here is our care sheet for some tips if you'd like: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1kfH5iJgV

I would suggest trying some different types of food like spring mix, escarole, or dandelion greens to see if the one who is not eating will go for any of those. If he doesn't eat soon, a vet visit might be needed.

What type of UV lighting do you use?
 

wellington

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pryncesssc

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I don't have leopard torts but usually turtles and torts are not social animals in general ..
 

Ariane520

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Thanks for your information. I live in tucson az which us where dr. fife is based out of. I am currently trying to locate his book online.
 

Ariane520

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Neal said:
Here is our care sheet for some tips if you'd like: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1kfH5iJgV

I would suggest trying some different types of food like spring mix, escarole, or dandelion greens to see if the one who is not eating will go for any of those. If he doesn't eat soon, a vet visit might be needed.

What type of UV lighting do you use?

I an using a zoo med uva basking light and a uvb 10.0 bulb. He seems to be more active today. Ate a very small amount of raddichio. I am going to go to the store and see if I can find something else for him to eat.
 

Ariane520

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Thanks yvonne, I have been trying the warm bath as you suggested. He did eat but is still not eating like the female. But I think she eats like a pig, I mean if you put food in front of her she ll eat it. :)

My name is actually Ariane (pronounced Are-Ee-On) and I live in sunny Tucson Arizona.
 

Jacqui

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Ariane520 said:
Thanks for your information. I live in tucson az which us where dr. fife is based out of. I am currently trying to locate his book online.

Did you get them from Fife?
 
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