New overly worried leopard hatchling mom

[rikadizo]

So very very sorry - you have tried so hard to help her, and you mustn't blame yourself - these things happen - sometimes baby tortoises are sold who have damage or weakness from the beginning, and nothing can help them. Don't let this put you off from trying again - you are the sort of caring person some little tortoise will be just waiting for in the future.
Very best wishes from Angie

@zolasmum Angie, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate yours and everyone’s kindness and compassion here. I was hoping Snow wasn’t just a learning lesson but I’ve learned so much. Keeping a tort is not easy and it’s admirable how much everyone does here to ensure theirs and other’s tort pets are kept happy and thriving. I will try again when ready.

I'm really sorry for your loss, I hope you know you did everything, and absolutely everything possible to ensure the good health and happiness of your tort💔
You know, I find this to be an exceptionaly rare case. You improved your torts condition, extremely quickly, to absolute perfection.
I'm no expert on it, but your torts looks like it was kept too dry just after hatching, as in the breeders fault, you can almost see it on the plastron, and where the yolk sack was connected, that area doesn't look healthy.
As @zolasmum said, when torts are started wrong, it's causes almost irrepareble damage to them, and eventually they die.
It wasn't at all that you picked her up, changed and implented UV or checked the shells firmness.
I wasn't going to to post, I know it's gut wrenching, but it struck me that any little leopard would be extremely grateful and lucky to be in your care .
When you feel ready, and if you would ever want to try again, I'd recommend you contact a breeder like @Tom

@TheLastGreen Thank you for your thoughtful post. I finished burying her in our yard early this afternoon. It’s comforting to hear from you all here.
Much of me can’t help but wish I had acted sooner. Yet part of me believes she chose me to keep her for her short time and tiny space kept in this world. Her grass started to grow in and I wish she’d had a chance to enjoy it. She loved staring and being near the aloe vera I planted so I threw in a piece where she now rests.
It’s crazy the amount of love grown for a tortoise baby in a short amount of time. When the time comes I can open my heart to another.
Her last photo:

RIP my baby 💛

I'm sorry. Don't blame yourself. This was not your fault. That baby would not have made it in anyone's hands because of how it was started. Read this:

"Hatchling Failure Syndrome"

I've heard this term for many years and I don't like it. Its a way to excuse our ignorance and failure. I will agree that an occasional hatchling is born that is just not going to make it no matter what anybody does, but MOST of them, if they make it full term and hatch, SHOULD survive and...

tortoiseforum.org

@Tom I sincerely appreciate it. I’d come upon that post before and it was my worst fear. I felt her struggle in the last few days and it’s better she’s no longer suffering.

Thanks so much again, all.

 

[jeff kushner]

I didn't know Snow had passed till this morning.....I am very sorry......of course it sucks, we're turtle people!

There are a couple of upsides to this though once you get your stages of grief realized and put into proper perspective.......

Same story, different victim; you were just some $$ to the breeder and Snow was the means...................that ain't on you sister!!

Okay, Upsides;
A. you have all the "right stuff" now.
B. You know the folks here will point you to a breeder they can vouch for.

You "have it", that love for turtles that not everyone shares. To me, it would be a shame for you not to experience all you had hoped to with, with a new little friend.


jeff

 

[rikadizo]

I didn't know Snow had passed till this morning.....I am very sorry......of course it sucks, we're turtle people!

There are a couple of upsides to this though once you get your stages of grief realized and put into proper perspective.......

Same story, different victim; you were just some $$ to the breeder and Snow was the means...................that ain't on you sister!!

Okay, Upsides;
A. you have all the "right stuff" now.
B. You know the folks here will point you to a breeder they can vouch for.

You "have it", that love for turtles that not everyone shares. To me, it would be a shame for you not to experience all you had hoped to with, with a new little friend.


jeff

@jeff kushner it’s been a week now. I still feel the hole in my heart (same size as Snow as small as she was!). I really was ready and willing to carry out the routine we built up and that space has felt so empty since. Time will heal…

All the kind words here from TFO has really helped soften the blow. I’m so thankful for the support system.

Maybe in the coming months I’ll feel ready again. I have lots of questions coming from this experience and maybe I can find in some existing threads, when I’m up for it. I’d love to try and start with a baby leopard again but am also scared now if I should be planning on getting one that’s older. More questions to come when I get there…

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi and welcome! Try adding some plants around inside the enclosure. It helps them feel safer, rather than out in the open.