New Owner, New Enclosure, Any Suggestions?

[ess_ay_em]

I have a 10 month old leopard tortoise hatchling. I just built this set up for him and was hoping to get some feed back as I am new to owning a tortoise. The enclosure is 3' by 4' with heating lights and UV raise 20" from the substrate. Area under heating lamp stays between 80 and 95 F. the opposite side gets to 65 at night around 80 during the day. I did my research and think I have everything covered but not totally sure. I plan to keep him here for the next year or 2. I live in SoCal so the plan is to have him outdoors when he's large enough. Any advise or suggestions would be great to make sure he stays happy and healthy.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome to the forum! There’s a lot that needs to be changed.

-your night time temps are much, much too cool. Your temps should never fall below 80 in the coolest part of the enclosure.

-there is no way to keep the 80-100% humidity or warm temps you need in an open enclosure. You need to make it completely enclosed with very little ventilation, which can be done with a shower curtain.

-your uvb light is likely doing very little or nothing at that height. What kind of uvb light are you using, and what brand?

- those ramp bowls are huge flipping hazards, and it should be changed to a terra cotta saucer.

- your thermometers need to be at tortoise level. You’re currently measuring the temps above the enclosure, not inside it.

-your tortoise will likely be able to climb over the walls soon, if they’re as short as they look in the picture.

Please give these a read, and come back with questions-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

That really IS a beautiful enclosure, and a very pleasing addition to any room, however, it's really not the best place to keep a hatchling leopard tortoise. There are a few things you can do to improve it, however those 'things' will also detract quite a bit from the beauty of the presentation.

Baby leopard tortoises hatch out during the monsoon season, and living in those wet, humid, warm conditions during their first few months of life contribute greatly to how smooth or bumpy the baby's shell grows.

A bumpy, or pyramided leopard tortoise:


A smooth leopard tortoise raised in warm humid conditions:


So, the enclosure needs to be covered to keep the humid, warm air inside and the cooler, dry air from your house out. Also, the substrate will have to be moistened in order for it to be humid in the covered enclosure.

In order to get the best benefit from your UVB light, the light should be about 12" from the top of the tortoise's back. A lower light also helps keep the enclosure warm, and a baby leopard's enclosure should be an all over temperature of 80-85F degrees. The cover will also help maintain the correct temperature.

A note of explanation about the links in the above post - the one about "young sulcata" is also good for young leopards. They require the same care as hatchlings.

I'll leave you with a picture of where my leopard hatchlings live: