newby with a few questions

[Marianka]

1. Hi there.
   
   I became the new owner of a male and female South African Mountain tortoise today. The male is 18 months old and the female about 1 year.
   
   I have been reading some posts on your forum and have already decided to bathe them in the morning as they are both very dirty. Does tepid water mean body temperature?
   
   The male is very shy and has not come out of his shell in over 4 hours. Is this normal? The female seems to be quite confident and was walking around all over the place. She has had some apple and carrots to eat.
   
   I have not yet prepared an enclosure for them and as it is cold and rainy outside tonight I am keeping them in a cardboard box lined with a blanket and have placed a little food in the corners, although i now realise that they wont be warm enough to eat during the night...
   
   Any tips on preparing and building their enclosure tomorrow? I really would like to make them as comfortable as possible and to have them be healthy and happy. any help and input would be appreciated.
   Marianka, 5 minutes agoReport Concern
   Reply
   

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Marianka, and welcome to the Forum!

I've never heard of a South African Mountain tortoise. Just to be sure we're all on the same page and we give you the correct info, please post a picture of your tortoise.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

It seems, says Google, that South African Mountain tortoise is another common name for leopard tortoises. Cool.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

Here is leopard tortoise info, but I would also like to see a picture to verify.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[annabell.the.sulcata]

They may be cold if you have a heating pad or something that you can put under a blanket and put them on it that would warm them up until you can get a uvb and heat lamp