Possibly moving

[Macheteslaststep]

Ok, so we are going to be looking at a 3 acre 4 bedroom farm this week to rent. This means more space for babies!! There are 2 bedrooms and a living room in the lower level (it's a ranch house) that me and the fiance will be taking. My parents will be on the main level. I'm hoping to make the one bedroom into a reptile room

I've been looking through the enclosures section for ideas for the two leopards, since they need to be seperated now. I found this thread http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-13742.html?highlight=leopard and really like the concept. I was thinking of putting one in each corner (opposite sides of the room) and then the aquatics indoor pond in the corner between them.

For two adult male leopards (one is 8" and one is almost 6" now) what dimensions do I need? The smallest bedroom in the house is 9' x 11' - so use those measurements just in case. Thanks!

Saranna

P.S. - I would love to make an outdoor enclosure, but living in NJ - the weather isn't suitable year round. I do take them outside now though on warm sunny days and will continue to do so.

 

[Tom]

I'm not going to touch the living with your parents thing. Gives me chills just thinking about it, but that's your call.

An adult Leopard needs at least a 25'x25' pen in my opinion. Yes feet, not inches. They need to roam around and get exercise. Can they survive in something smaller? Well yes, of course. Bigger is better. The 3 to 4 acres sounds GREAT for warmer weather, but I'd try to make the whole 9x11' room their pen. Divide it in half if they don't get along. You could build the other cages on shelves and the leos could use the space under the other cages as cover. You could also hang your basking lamps from the other cages. Paving stones to get to the other cages would look nice and keep your feet out of the substrate.

I did something like this with my sulcatas in one house where I lived and it worked great for about three years.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I would put them in a heated insulated outside shed with access to a yard. They are adults and need to be outside all day. I have Bob in a shed with a doggie door and that way he can utilize as much outside time as possible. There are times he goes out in the snow. Your animals need to be outside in an easier place to live other than a bedroom. You can move them to a bedroom during the winter, but now they should be in an outside shed...

 

[Macheteslaststep]

Unfortunately giving them the whole room or a shed outside is not feasible since the house will be a rental. I can't put up any outside structures or damage flooring

I will give them as much room as possible and may be able to leave them out on warm days in an empty paddock if the fencing is ok. They would then come in at night. I know having them indoors and in a more confined area isn't ideal - but it is all I can do right now until I can get my credit built up and save some money for my own farm (hence living with the parents I'm only 24 and have no credit yet - I'm trying though)

So, with that in mind - what would then be a fair enclosure size since it would be in the whole corner? I was thinking 4' x 5' x 3' maybe? Would that be decent enough until I can get better living conditions?

Saranna

ETA: That would be for each tortoise.

 

[Tom]

I would wait until you can get into the house and then take a tape measure and just make the pen as big as you can in the space you have. 4x5' won't kill them and you already realize that its not perfect, so just do your best. The more outside time you can give them the better it will be. Since their indoor accommodations are going to be a little cramped for a while, you really ought to invest in making a large outdoor pen for as much of the year as your weather will allow. There are ideas on how to do this all over the enclosure section. I like cinder blocks or plywood attached to stakes in the ground. If you saw the plywood in half, lengthwise, one sheet will stretch 16'. Both are easy to move and require no permanent "changing" of the landscape.

Good luck and I hope the move goes smoothly.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

By 4' x 5' feet I mean one half of the enclosure against one wall will be 4' x 3' and the other half against the second wall will be 5' x 3' - so it would actually be 9' x 3' I guess. Does that make more sense? Of course I need to see the actual room first - but I think the way the enclosure in the link I posted would give the most room in the smallest space without stacking enclosures.