Questions about Bullying and Lighting/Heating

[davy89]

So I've started to notice that when Im feeding my Leopards, Roberta and Missy, that I will give them each there own handful of whatever it is they're having, but Missy just ignores her food and will quite literally sprint from the end of the enclosure that she's at to where Roberta is and start eating her food. And she always goes for the bit of food that Roberta has in her mouth. It's as if she's snatching it from her.
And when I pick her up and put her back to the other end and try to feed her her own food, she just ignores it and does the exact same thing. When she does it, Roberta quickly withdraws into her shell and makes a hissing noise and just won't come out until Missy's gone. Is this a form of bullying, and if so what can be done about it?

And just a quick question regarding heating and lighting, I know the norm is to have a hot end with the heat sources and a cool end for maximum temp gradient, but I have them in a 3 foot by 1 1/2 foot table and am using a 125 Watt Exo Terra Solar Glo bulb which gives them a basking spot of minimum 95 degree, but the cool end is too far away so it doesn't get above 70 degrees very often. Would it be ok to suspend the bulb over a spot in the centre of the enclosure, so as to give a kind of hot area/basking spot in the middle third, with cooler temps either end of the enclosure? I've tried it just there and the temperature at each end is 81 with the bulb suspended over the middle. Would that be ok?

Thanks guys,

Dave

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, that IS bullying. Can you put one food area behind a sight barrier so it can't be seen from the other side?

I don't think it really matters if you have two ends room temp or "cooler," with the hot spot in the middle...or a hot end and a room temp end. However you manage the gradient, its fine. Just remember that he needs to be warmish in the humid hide and not cool.

 

[davy89]

Yes, that IS bullying. Can you put one food area behind a sight barrier so it can't be seen from the other side?

I don't think it really matters if you have two ends room temp or "cooler," with the hot spot in the middle...or a hot end and a room temp end. However you manage the gradient, its fine. Just remember that he needs to be warmish in the humid hide and not cool.

There's a log in the middle of the enclosure thats about a foot long and I have it sitting so that it's separating the enclosure if you get me? But it's as if she knows it's feeding time and that Roberta's down the other end eating and she's adamant to take her food. Apart from trying to introduce more visual barriers do you think there's anything else that can be done to prevent this?

 

[Seiryu]

Yes, that IS bullying. Can you put one food area behind a sight barrier so it can't be seen from the other side?

I don't think it really matters if you have two ends room temp or "cooler," with the hot spot in the middle...or a hot end and a room temp end. However you manage the gradient, its fine. Just remember that he needs to be warmish in the humid hide and not cool.

I agree that is definitely bullying. How old are the 2?

Not sure how you could split up a 3x1.5 ft table though for feeding, it would be awfully small. Although it would just be for feeding unless you decide they need to be separated for good (which might be).

Here is how I have mine set up.

The little semi-circle is where they can cross to the other side with. And I use that piece of wood on the cinderblock and just clamp it over the walkway when I feed 'em.

I also have 2 basking spots, in case one hogs the "best" spot. But usually they bask together and have no problems. I know torts are supposed to be more solitary, but mine are always together when they can be. They sleep in the same spots at night etc.

Neither bully each other one bit. Both eat their own stuff, but Sif (8 month old) being younger, eats slower than Thor (18 month old). So he will try and get some of her food once he's done. But she doesn't mind or retract. I usually just split them up for 30mins to an hour to let them both finish and then open it up again. To make sure they are both getting what they need.

 

[Cherbear]

That's a nice idea for hanging those long light fixtures. I might have to remember that for a future enclosure.