Three Leopard TORT Babys !

[luke]

From left to right. Turty, Koopa, and Dora

Turty
Got him and Koop in mid January 2011.

Koopa (Aka Mr. Koop)
He's proboably the most active of the bunch and his white is starting to kick in. He also has a good amount of pyramiding, more so than Ive seen in other babys

Dora
Picked her up not form the same pet store I got the other two. Also, I've only had her for about 8 days now. They all seem to be doing fine even tho I didn't quarantine. In fact Id say Turty is doing far better than before Dora came around.

Dora fliped herself in the shallow pool. She usualy flips back in under two minutes.

Here is one of Turty longnecking.

My wife and I are new to the pleasures of Tort parenthood. I have to admit its a lot of fun and I'm considering adding more members to the family.

 

[Tom]

Just before I saw the pic of the flipped one, I was going to type up a big warning to you to be careful that they don't flip in that water bowl. Hahaha. I guess you already know. Terra cotta plants saucers work much better. They only cost a couple of bucks. I bury them flush with the substrate.

Have you already seen this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1FJpyAZkK

I typed it up for sulcatas, but since then I (and many others) used it for several other species, including babcocks.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[luke]

Just before I saw the pic of the flipped one, I was going to type up a big warning to you to be careful that they don't flip in that water bowl. Hahaha. I guess you already know. Terra cotta plants saucers work much better. They only cost a couple of bucks. I bury them flush with the substrate.

Have you already seen this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1FJpyAZkK

I typed it up for sulcatas, but since then I (and many others) used it for several other species, including babcocks.

Thanks for the pics.

I've read your sulcata page before. I plan on using those methods when I upgrade their enclosure to a double decker turtle box.

Here is what my curent set up looks like.

 

[Jacqui]

I am sitting here trying to figure out which one I like the best and it's a hard choice they are all three so pretty.

 

[luke]

Yeah I know what you mean. I have a lot of free time now days and I spend a lot of it with my torts. They have diffirent personalities thats for sure. Dora still hasnt fully aclimated to her habitat as she continues pasing up and down the sides.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Great job on your enclosure and beautiful lil' leo's!!!

 

[tortoises101]

Absolutely beautiful!

 

[hali]

beautiful torts

 

[coreyc]

Very nice I think Dora my fav I like her light color but they are all great

 

[luke]

Check out these pics of Koops pyramiding. It seems prety extream to me. I'm not to woried about it because he's still prety active and loves to eat. But why so much pyrimiding? I soak these fools everyday.

 

[Yvonne G]

And it looks like the substrate is moist. Don't know what to tell ya. Do they have a humid hide?

 

[luke]

not a proper humid hide. Its just a big hallow log and I keep the substrate wet there.

 

[Cherbear]

That's what I was doing at first too, just the log hide. But when I saw he was starting to pyrimid, I could see it wasn't good enough. Now that I have a "proper" humid hide he seems to have stopped pyrimiding and growing smoothly again. (knock on wood). My little guy spends a good deal of time in it too. By the way, your little ones are so cute!

 

[Tom]

not a proper humid hide. Its just a big hallow log and I keep the substrate wet there.

As you are seeing, and others are noting, a hollow log is not sufficient. You need a closed in chamber with only a small opening to hold in humidity.

I saw plastic shoe boxes on sale at Home Depot the other day for .99 cents.

Here's how I make them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Humid-Hide-Boxes-II#axzz1FSQF5KMg

 

[tortoises101]

not a proper humid hide. Its just a big hallow log and I keep the substrate wet there.

As you are seeing, and others are noting, a hollow log is not sufficient. You need a closed in chamber with only a small opening to hold in humidity.

I saw plastic shoe boxes on sale at Home Depot the other day for .99 cents.

Here's how I make them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Humid-Hide-Boxes-II#axzz1FSQF5KMg

Mmhmm. For leopard hatchlings, a humid hide is almost mandatory to raise them without pyramiding.

 

[spikethebest]

very cute pics, and take Tom's advice very serious. he knows what he is talking about.

 

[Seiryu]

I personally don't think a humid hide alone will fully keep them from pyramiding either, but you should have one. You need to spray their shells 1-2 times a day from the get go.

 

[luke]

Thanks for the tips guys. For the first couple of weeks I had them on alphalfa pelets and I was soaking everyother day. Now I have two humid hides and I spary at least once a day.

Hope this slows Koopas pyramiding. Dora and Turty both have smoth shells so far.

 

[shiwolfe]

I love the name Koopa, I'm a huge mario fan Hope his pyramiding has slowed down, thanks for sharing too, it helps peeps like me learn too

 

[DocNezzy]

Study, study, study. So much to learn to care for them correctly. Looks like you are off to a great start though. Congrats.