Outdoor enclosure.
- Thread starter blyned1
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Looking good, but refresh my old memory what type of tortoise and how old?
Looks great to me!
That looks very nice! Some wire over it to keep the top to keep rabbits out?
Very nice, what is the size of the enclosure?
Nice!
blyned1 said:It's about a 4ftx4ft enclosure. He's pretty small, so this area is giant for him.
You'll be surprised at how fast a healthy young leopard will out grow a 4 X 4 enclosure...time to start planning it's new home. You've got probably a year or so (baby torts grow fast, because the quicker they grow, the better their chance of not becoming something else's dinner!)
A leopard can get up to about 18", eventually, so it's going to need about 10' X 6' or 8' X 8', if you favor using landscaping timbers (an excellent building material, btw).
I have had him for about 4 years. There are pics of him if you search Rand545. I was told when I purchased him to keep him on alfalfa pellets and give him a rib of romaine to eat. He has grown very little. I can only hope that he will get to be 18".
During the past 4 years I have doing my research on the breed and have been working on keeping him the correct way.
I wish I had found this forum sooner. I fear that the damage has already been done.
During the past 4 years I have doing my research on the breed and have been working on keeping him the correct way.
I wish I had found this forum sooner. I fear that the damage has already been done.
Hey, you can not change the past, only the future and it looks like your on your way to making the future for this tortoise awesome! Can you please tell me what all you have planted in there? Some I know or think I know what they are, but a couple I don't. Thanks!
blyned1 said:I have had him for about 4 years. There are pics of him if you search Rand545. I was told when I purchased him to keep him on alfalfa pellets and give him a rib of romaine to eat. He has grown very little. I can only hope that he will get to be 18".
During the past 4 years I have doing my research on the breed and have been working on keeping him the correct way.
I wish I had found this forum sooner. I fear that the damage has already been done.
Tracked down that thread...interesting.
Does seem incredibly stunted, but now that you're feeding him the right foods (other than I'd feed him, at most, maybe one spinach feeding a month), and he's getting sun, he might start growing again...no idea if he'll ever get as large as a typical Leopard, though.
OTOH, other than being tiny, he looks pretty good, and I note that you mentioned that the little dude has a pretty goood appetite! If he's eating good, getting a good soak every other day, pooping regularly, then there's a good chance that he'll start growing soon.
Are you offering him chopped cactus pads? High in calcium and quality fiber, so it'd be good for him to get some 2X a week, at least.
It'll be interesting to see how much/fast he grows...may I suggest you measure and weigh him about once a month and keep compiling the data? Could be very useful info to share w/ your fellow tortoise nerds, particularily for folks who rescue tortoises from folks who don't care to give their torts the right kind of care.
And welcome to our little slice of Chelonean Heaven!
I have wandering jew, day lillies, ice plant, spider plant, and a variety of lettuce. Yesterday I threw down some bird seed. Hope is sprouts.
He's been on a "good" diet i would say for the past 2 1/2 years. It took awhile for him to get over the romain fetish. He has't grown much in that period of time. So I don't know he will be getting much bigger. I keep my fingers crossed.
Hope is sprouts. He's been on a "good" diet i would say for the past 2 1/2 years. It took awhile for him to get over the romain fetish. He has't grown much in that period of time. So I don't know he will be getting much bigger. I keep my fingers crossed.
blyned1 said:I have wandering jew, day lillies, ice plant, spider plant, and a variety of lettuce. Yesterday I threw down some bird seed.
He's been on a "good" diet i would say for the past 2 1/2 years. It took awhile for him to get over the romain fetish. He has't grown much in that period of time. So I don't know he will be getting much bigger. I keep my fingers crossed.
For whatever reason, the color red translates to "major yummies" to tortoises, so you might mixing some red food dye in with the water you soak his Mazuri in (or try out the Marion Red Sticks tortoise kibble, which my 4 literally inhale, they eat it so fast!)...might help him grow a little faster.
Also, as I mentioned previusly, weigh and measure him once a month, to see what kind of growth he experiences...might end up with some vital info to share!
blyned1 said:Will give it a go.
I went out this weekend and picked some prickly pears for him. He had no interest at all.
Chop a little cactus up very finely into almost a goo and mix some shredded carrot into it or a little red food color over it...might get him interested.
Update**
I have been keeping my guy outside in his pen. He doesn't really cruise around. He normally heads for cover under the wandering jew. We had a bit of colder air come in last week. I kept him indoors in his terrarium. I was super surprised to see him walking around. He was alert, and even sat on his rock and basked for a bit.
I started putting his food onto a red plate to encourage him to eat more. It seems to be working. Who knew? LOL
I have been keeping my guy outside in his pen. He doesn't really cruise around. He normally heads for cover under the wandering jew. We had a bit of colder air come in last week. I kept him indoors in his terrarium. I was super surprised to see him walking around. He was alert, and even sat on his rock and basked for a bit.
I started putting his food onto a red plate to encourage him to eat more. It seems to be working. Who knew? LOL
blyned1 said:Update**
I have been keeping my guy outside in his pen. He doesn't really cruise around. He normally heads for cover under the wandering jew. We had a bit of colder air come in last week. I kept him indoors in his terrarium. I was super surprised to see him walking around. He was alert, and even sat on his rock and basked for a bit.
I started putting his food onto a red plate to encourage him to eat more. It seems to be working. Who knew? LOL
Yup, red = "munchies!" to most tortoises...hadn't thought about using a red dish, though...pretty clever!
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