Jennifer Nicole
New Member
We received our leopard tortoise yesterday from TortoiseYard... (Vicky is amazing!). I soaked her immediately and then placed her in her habitat with some food. She ate yesterday and then laid in the dirt to the side of her basking lamp spot (I have a upside down terracotta bottom right under it... I am think about taking it out if I never see her on it. I figured it would help radiate heat (ant its only warm to the touch)... I do not want her to not use the basking spot because she does not like the feel of it. Anyways she laid there for a couple of hours tucked into her shell. By the time we came home from dinner her lights were off and the CHE was on. She was sleeping in some moss I have Stacked in the warm side of the tank (86 on the farthest wall) I am going to buy another temp gage (the other two I have are the digital ones) to place directly under the CHE. I kind of just moved the moss to make sure she was in there and then put it back (I just saw her shell). This morning I checked on her (her lights just came on about 15 before) and she was still under the moss. I misted the moss and wet side of the tank... gave her more water. Placed some dry moss on the cool side for her to burrow in if she wants (I lightly misted it just so that it didn't have the fly aways... and fluffed it nicely). I placed a little more damp moss around the moss she was in. Then I carefully moved some to check on her. Her head was tucked in and when she breathes her whole head moves up and down... not sure if that is normal or not. I covered her gently and went to work. My husband texted me 2 hours later said he peeked his head in and she was "Up and about". I know she will be shy and kind of stand offish for a while... and I am not wanting to stress her out but I cannot find anything on normal tortoise behavior right after you get them, (when they are still scared). So what is normal?
Some info...
86 on the furthest Warm wall
76 on the furthest cool wall
About 90 in basking (I tested it with the digital ones on the wall when I set it up) and probably under the CHE lamp
Half log with damp moss on the warm side (damp moss in the corner for her to burrow in)
A container with a "door" cut out, moss next to it in the cool end.
I am going to soak her every day.... and feed her every other day. But since today is a no feeding day I was thinking about taking the breeder's advice and try hand feeding her a little bit of greens.
Thank you in advance!
Some info...
86 on the furthest Warm wall
76 on the furthest cool wall
About 90 in basking (I tested it with the digital ones on the wall when I set it up) and probably under the CHE lamp
Half log with damp moss on the warm side (damp moss in the corner for her to burrow in)
A container with a "door" cut out, moss next to it in the cool end.
I am going to soak her every day.... and feed her every other day. But since today is a no feeding day I was thinking about taking the breeder's advice and try hand feeding her a little bit of greens.
Thank you in advance!