Leopards in northern ca

Jenminer

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Hello, I'm still gathering information on various tortoises and one I had some questions about was the leopard tortoise. I've heard that leopard tortoises can be sensitive to higher humidity. I live in the foothills 2 hours out of Sacramento, it's been raining like a big dog lately, mind you that's good, we need the rain. But I ask myself even with an insulated, heated house how well would a leopard tortoise fair in this climate?
 

diamondbp

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Hello, I'm still gathering information on various tortoises and one I had some questions about was the leopard tortoise. I've heard that leopard tortoises can be sensitive to higher humidity. I live in the foothills 2 hours out of Sacramento, it's been raining like a big dog lately, mind you that's good, we need the rain. But I ask myself even with an insulated, heated house how well would a leopard tortoise fair in this climate?
I live in south louisiana where it rains frequently and the humidity is usually 80% or greater. My leopards do fantastic. My adults are outside year round with a heated retreat and I have zero issues. Humidity and rain isn't an issue. The only major issue you should avoid is if it's both cold and wet and a tortoise that wouldn't have a dry heated retreat to use. But as long as a dry heated retreat is available I wouldn't suspect your leopard to be harmed.
 

Jodie

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The low humidity theory is false. They need higher humidity. It has to be hot though. I keep my humid boxes 80F plus always. I am way up N in Spokane WA, so my leopards have a bedroom in my house, 2 actually but whose counting, for winter. In summer they have heated night boxes in their heavily planted, watered daily enclosures.
 

Jenminer

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Thank you, regardless of whatever tortoise I end up with a sound, warm shelter is something I intend to plan very carefully. Along with a good fence. Do leopards test fences much? I know the Hermanns climb over them and Sulcatas will try to dig under or bulldoze through them sometimes.
 

Markw84

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@Jenminer I also live in N California outside of Sacramento. With a heated night box / house, a leopard can do very well here. As stated, humidity is actually good for them, but not if they are allowed to get too cold. With a heated retreat, they will come out and graze / explore even on quite chilly days here. I just find they take a little longer than sulcatas to get used to using the heated retreat every night and have to be put in as they do not go in on their own as reliably as my sulcatas. Over time mine did learn and always went in. Just took longer. I believe Yvonne has stated before that she has one or two that still needs to be put in at night, though.

I have found that if the fencing is solid visually, they will not test it. They are not the bulldozers sulcatas can be, but even my sulcatas never test the fences. A leopard or sulcata will often choose to rest in a corner or against the fence - sometimes for security, oftentimes for warmth as the fence will heat up nicely in the sun on cooler days. When they do that, they habitually dig little pallets to rest in over time. With sulcatas, that sometimes could turn into a burrow, but mine do no do that. Even if they then start to burrow, they are not digging down and up - under the fence. They will continue to dig down at an angle. Its only if it is right next to the fence so the top caves in on the other side, that it creates an escape opportunity.

With so much of the year good weather, I have found this area a great area for most tortoise species if set up properly. Leopards can do very will here.
 

Jenminer

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It's encouraging to hear that leopards are not as sensitive to humidity as I originally thought. Also good to hear that they don't test fences so much. How fast do they eat out the vegetation in their enclosure? I plan on creating large area for a tortoise, but first I'll have to work the ground some. We have a low growing nasty plant around here called Mountain misery. We took it out with a brush hog and now the grass and weeds are starting to move in, but it definitely needs some improvement before its choice tortoise grazing.
 

Markw84

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It's encouraging to hear that leopards are not as sensitive to humidity as I originally thought. Also good to hear that they don't test fences so much. How fast do they eat out the vegetation in their enclosure? I plan on creating large area for a tortoise, but first I'll have to work the ground some. We have a low growing nasty plant around here called Mountain misery. We took it out with a brush hog and now the grass and weeds are starting to move in, but it definitely needs some improvement before its choice tortoise grazing.
With a good sized enclosure a leopard should not eat out the plants. A good mix of grasses and weeds, grape vines, rose of Sharon, honeysuckle and I've had some pretty self-sustaining enclosures. Even your mountain misery could provide some off season forage when other thing die back. Probably wouldn't be a favorite for a tortoise but could be eaten. Sounds like you have the room to give a tortoise a great home.
 

Jenminer

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Yes, it's my hope that after a lot of prep work I can give a tortoise a good home. Although I'll admit the research, planning, building and even shoveling dirt is part of the fun for me. Probably because I garden. Thank you for all the replies, joining this forum has been a valuable resource.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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Yes, I'll admit the shoveling dirt is part of the fun for me.
You're welcome up to my place anytime you feel you need to get more of that out of your system. I've got five acres here of prime, south facing pasture just waiting for more tortoise yards! LOL. And I cook good for a cowboy, and even have a guest room with 300 count Egyptian sheets.
 

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