New Owner Enclosure

[Xxlilcasonxx]

Hey there! This is my new tortoise! I was gifted him by a family friend that had to move. They said he’s about 2 years old, he’s about 12 inches long. Not sure exactly what kind of leopard he is or how big he will be. Right now he’s is in an indoor enclosure but I would love to build him a nice outdoor enclosure so he can be outside 24/7. I live in Glendale AZ and have no idea where to even start. Help😂🤞🏼

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome!

Start right here. There is a leopard tortoise care guide at the bottom, and we will help you get sorted with outdoor housing too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

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[Tom]

In your climate, this will allow you to keep a 12 inch leopard outside full time:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Heavy shade, misters and soaking pools are critical for your summers.

 

[wellington]

Tom has posted everything you need to know.

 

[Xxlilcasonxx]

In your climate, this will allow you to keep a 12 inch leopard outside full time:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Heavy shade, misters and soaking pools are critical for your summers.

Hey Tom! Thank you so much! Do you have any ideas how I can keep the soaking pools cooler? The area he will be in is going to be shaded 80% of the day and will be heavily planted to hopefully cool down the area even more

 

[Tom]

Hey Tom! Thank you so much! Do you have any ideas how I can keep the soaking pools cooler? The area he will be in is going to be shaded 80% of the day and will be heavily planted to hopefully cool down the area even more

You can drop ice blocks in the pools.

Heavy shade along with evaporative cooling from misters and sprinklers will usually get the job done.

 

[TammyJ]

Your tortoise is gorgeous! Let us know in pictures how you progress with his setup, please!

 

[wellington]

12 inches at 2 years is not likely according to the leopards I have had.
@Tom, would you think this leopard is more like 4 years or even more?
I know they all grow at their own pace, but that's big for a 2 year old.
Most of mine that I have hatched and raised for a bit was still in a closed chamber at 3 years and not more than 6 to 8 inches.

 

[Tom]

12 inches at 2 years is not likely according to the leopards I have had.
@Tom, would you think this leopard is more like 4 years or even more?
I know they all grow at their own pace, but that's big for a 2 year old.
Most of mine that I have hatched and raised for a bit was still in a closed chamber at 3 years and not more than 6 to 8 inches.

It's certainly possible. If the tortoise was started correctly, kept hydrated, warm, and well fed, 12 inches in two years is reasonable. My SA leopards were 8-10 inches at 18 months, and that was with mostly grass and weeds. If someone fed Mazuri every day, or lots of clover, 12 inches is easily attainable in 24 months.

 

[wellington]

It's certainly possible. If the tortoise was started correctly, kept hydrated, warm, and well fed, 12 inches in two years is reasonable. My SA leopards were 8-10 inches at 18 months, and that was with mostly grass and weeds. If someone fed Mazuri every day, or lots of clover, 12 inches is easily attainable in 24 months.

Yeah I can see the SA leopards, but this one doesn't look like that. It also wasn't kept well hydrated with high humidity at least.
Mine didn't have SA in them, unless that one from you had some mixed in, and mine were raised in closed chamber. Unfortunately fed more on grocery greens and mazuri cuz they were always hatched in winter.
Seems awful big for only 2.

 

[Tom]

Yeah I can see the SA leopards, but this one doesn't look like that. It also wasn't kept well hydrated with high humidity at least.
Mine didn't have SA in them, unless that one from you had some mixed in, and mine were raised in closed chamber. Unfortunately fed more on grocery greens and mazuri cuz they were always hatched in winter.
Seems awful big for only 2.

"Regular" leopards are usually a mix of genetics from all over the range. Most of them have some SA mixed in, but I'm sure that if we did DNA testing, we would find that some do not. We see bold 18 inches female "regular leopards" pretty regularly.

 

[Xxlilcasonxx]

Your tortoise is gorgeous! Let us know in pictures how you progress with his setup, please!

Thank you! I will

 

[Xxlilcasonxx]

12 inches at 2 years is not likely according to the leopards I have had.
@Tom, would you think this leopard is more like 4 years or even more?
I know they all grow at their own pace, but that's big for a 2 year old.
Most of mine that I have hatched and raised for a bit was still in a closed chamber at 3 years and not more than 6 to 8 inches.

I was gifted this tort from a friend and I honestly don’t have much idea of what they were feeding it. I know they would get greens from out food pantry at our church and they gave me zoomed natural grassland tort food

 

[wellington]

I was gifted this tort from a friend and I honestly don’t have much idea of what they were feeding it. I know they would get greens from out food pantry at our church and they gave me zoomed natural grassland tort food

Yeah, I'm thinking he wasn't housed or fed in the best way. I also doubt he is only 2 years. A better guess would be 3 years for sure, likely closer to 4. Either way, he is out of the closed chamber stage and big enough to live outside 24/7 and a cutieno matter his age
Btw, the way to measure is the bottom shell from head end to tail end. If you measured that way and still got 12 inches he is likely older than 2. If you measured up and over the top shell then the measurement is wrong and he could likely be 2 as he will measure smaller when done the right way.