Leopard Tortoise help

[DeanD]

Hello,

My name is Dean and I'm a new member. I'm considering getting a leopard tortoise however this would be my first tort and I would really appreciate some help with the amount of space they need. I live in northern Ontario in Canada so the majority of his/her life would be spent indoors. I want to build an L-shape enclosure thats roughly 44sq ft. So how long would an enclosure of that size last? and secondly I understand bigger is better but what size of an enclosure would I have to build to create a comfortable home for my tort when it reaches adulthood? Any info would be helpful, I just want to make sure I can provide a good environment for the tort his/her entire life before I commit to getting one.

Thanks,
Dean

 

[EllieMay]

Welcome Dean! It’s so good that you are doing your research first! You and the tortoise will both appreciate that... and this is a great place to learn all the right info. There is another member @Reptilony who is not far from you raising a Sulcata..
here is a link to get you started until some more experienced members come along.

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.78361/

 

[wellington]

I housed two females in a 10x12 foot greenhouse in my basement for a winter. Outside for warm months they had a very big area.
I think the 10x12 would be good for one adult leopard. If they got outside more often it could be a smaller.
I only have males now and are only kept inside for about 3-4 months in a heated shed. However they have the option on most days in the cold months to go out on their own or stay in.

 

[Michael231]

Hello Dean!

Thanks for visiting the forum and doing your research! It will definitely pay off!

I own an adult desert tortoise and have experience keeping a wide range of tortoise species in California. For all adult tortoise species (minus the smaller Testudo, Psammobates, Chersobius, and Malcochersus) I suggest a pen no less than 100 sq. ft. Adult tortoises need lots of room to graze and move around. I also generally suggest keeping adult tortoises outside as much as possible. Not that indoor keeping can’t be done, but it is more costly and generally the tortoises don’t do as well as outside. Granted, I’m not familiar with the weather conditions up in N Ontario, so I’m not sure if outdoor keeping is feasible, but I’m assuming it is quite cold most of the year?

With leopard tortoises, the nominate subspecies Stigmochelys pardalis pardalis tends to be more temperature sensitive compared to the other subspecies Stigmochelys pardalis babcocki. In general I’d say leopards should be taken inside if the temperature drops below 55 Fahrenheit, and if it is rainy I’d take them in if the weather hits 60-65. However, in their native range in southern and central Africa, leopards have been seen in <30 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve even heard reports of tortoises in snow, albeit I’m not sure how accurate these reports are. With this said, I would never keep an adult leopard tortoise outside in this frigid weather in captivity!

If your climate is not conducive of keeping a leopard tortoise outside for a good portion of the year, I would even suggest getting a smaller species such as a Russian or Greek tortoise. Specifically, Iberian Greek tortoises can take colder weather. These are Testudo tortoises, and they grow much smaller than leopards that can reach 16-20 cm. They do better in indoor settings and require less room.

Cheers! Reply back if you have any questions!

 

[Michael231]

Hello Dean!

Thanks for visiting the forum and doing your research! It will definitely pay off!

I own an adult desert tortoise and have experience keeping a wide range of tortoise species in California. For all adult tortoise species (minus the smaller Testudo, Psammobates, Chersobius, and Malcochersus) I suggest a pen no less than 100 sq. ft. Adult tortoises need lots of room to graze and move around. I also generally suggest keeping adult tortoises outside as much as possible. Not that indoor keeping can’t be done, but it is more costly and generally the tortoises don’t do as well as outside. Granted, I’m not familiar with the weather conditions up in N Ontario, so I’m not sure if outdoor keeping is feasible, but I’m assuming it is quite cold most of the year?

With leopard tortoises, the nominate subspecies Stigmochelys pardalis pardalis tends to be more temperature sensitive compared to the other subspecies Stigmochelys pardalis babcocki. In general I’d say leopards should be taken inside if the temperature drops below 55 Fahrenheit, and if it is rainy I’d take them in if the weather hits 60-65. However, in their native range in southern and central Africa, leopards have been seen in <30 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve even heard reports of tortoises in snow, albeit I’m not sure how accurate these reports are. With this said, I would never keep an adult leopard tortoise outside in this frigid weather in captivity!

If your climate is not conducive of keeping a leopard tortoise outside for a good portion of the year, I would even suggest getting a smaller species such as a Russian or Greek tortoise. Specifically, Iberian Greek tortoises can take colder weather. These are Testudo tortoises, and they grow much smaller than leopards that can reach 16-20 cm. They do better in indoor settings and require less room.

Cheers! Reply back if you have any questions!

I should add, it is best to keep your adult leopard tortoise warm at night! You don’t want it to be subject to temperatures below around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you can keep it outdoors during the day, you can transfer it inside or make an insulated hide house for it at night. This way you won’t have to spend money on indoor lighting for some of the year.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

The L shape is a good idea. The smallest I recall seeing, once adult size, is a surface area of two sheets of plywood in a corner, so that's 64 square feet.

That said, if they grow up there, and don't know otherwise, it's not much different than a bird in a bird cage, jumping across one foot of space from one perch to another. Sorta pulls at you, but doable.

 

[DeanD]

I just wanted to thank everyone who responded. This has helped so much, thank you.

 

[Reptilony]

Welcome Dean! It’s so good that you are doing your research first! You and the tortoise will both appreciate that... and this is a great place to learn all the right info. There is another member @Reptilony who is not far from you raising a Sulcata..
here is a link to get you started until some more experienced members come along.

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.78361/

It ain’t easy to do that in Can, but I do believe with money and effort you can do it, just make sure you are able to provide a large very much heated area for the rest of your life...I think having something like a russian is a much easyer solution here. Thanks @EllieMay

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Dean!