What I’m doing wrong ?

[Tom]

Hello everyone!
Once again, I could really use your help!
It's been a couple of weeks since I moved my leopard tortoise into a bigger vivarium, and it seems like she still hasn't fully adjusted.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but she sleeps all day, doesn’t seem to explore much, and mostly stays on the hot side of the enclosure, even at night. She rarely goes to the cold side, and she doesn't use the humid hide. I’ve also noticed that sometimes she seems to have a little bubble in her nose, which made me wonder if she might be sick or possibly have a respiratory infection and because of that, I raised the temperatures a bit.Her nose is clean, she's still eating, and she’s putting on weight—currently at 73g! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I think your temperatures are fine and I wouldn't lower them if you are seeing bubbles. I keep mine hotter than that when I'm starting little babies and they thrive.

I think your issue is the species. Normal leopards tend to be very shy. It's one of the reasons I don't keep them. People over here sometimes like to argue that their leopards are not shy, but that is because the ones over here are of mixed genetics. Many have the South African genes mixed in and the personality can be all over the place from a pretty rock to bold and outgoing like a South African leopard.

Tortoises don't like change. It may be taking yours a little longer to adjust to the new surroundings.

 

[Ricardoleopard]

Okay great, that's the right one, although a bigger watt than needed.
Have you taken the temp right under the basking bulb to get its actual temp? You need to place a thermostat under it and leave it there for about an hour to get the correct reading. I have never had to use a bulb or che higher than 100watts.

Okay great, that's the right one, although a bigger watt than needed.
Have you taken the temp right under the basking bulb to get its actual temp? You need to place a thermostat under it and leave it there for about an hour to get the correct reading. I have never had to use a bulb or che higher than 100watts.

At home, I have all Arcadia floodlights: 150W, 100W, 75W, and 50W. Only the 75W gets to 94°F–95.4°F directly under the light after one hour, but I feel that’s not enough, so I bought a 100W and put it on a dimmer thermostat, setting it to 98°F. After noticing the bubble in the nose, I increased the basking temperature.

 

[Ricardoleopard]

I think your temperatures are fine and I wouldn't lower them if you are seeing bubbles. I keep mine hotter than that when I'm starting little babies and they thrive.

I think your issue is the species. Normal leopards tend to be very shy. It's one of the reasons I don't keep them. People over here sometimes like to argue that their leopards are not shy, but that is because the ones over here are of mixed genetics. Many have the South African genes mixed in and the personality can be all over the place from a pretty rock to bold and outgoing like a South African leopard.

Tortoises don't like change. It may be taking yours a little longer to adjust to the new

Honestly I’m just worried, I been doing everything to make sure she can feel comfortable, but somethings really concerning me like never seen her bask under the light, she only stay in the hotter side of the vivarium, she hide under the wood log for the most of the time!

 

[Tom]

Honestly I’m just worried, I been doing everything to make sure she can feel comfortable, but somethings really concerning me like never seen her bask under the light, she only stay in the hotter side of the vivarium, she hide under the wood log for the most of the time!

If the tortoise is already warm enough, due to you having the correct ambient temps already, they don't need to bask. Basking exposes them to predators. Hiding in the corners and under the bushes keeps them alive. For a shy species like this one, they are more likely to spend a lot of time hiding.

 

[wellington]

Honestly I’m just worried, I been doing everything to make sure she can feel comfortable, but somethings really concerning me like never seen her bask under the light, she only stay in the hotter side of the vivarium, she hide under the wood log for the most of the time!

This is where I totally disagree with Tom. It hasn't worked so far. When I had clutches of leopards, they never were kept so hot. Doesn't make sense to me to roast them.in a closed chamber they can't ever get away from. I never had a sick tortoise since I stated.
Pick a way and go with it. Both ways/temps work perfectly fine as for many years 80 was always the over all temp for leopards, 85 when/if sick.

 

[TammyJ]

It seems you are stressing yourself out and also maybe scaring her and making her hide even more than they usually do. If she is eating and gaining weight, then I think that's good .

 

[wellington]

My bulb is 100W, but I use a dimmer thermostat on the timer and set a specific temperature for it. I do the same for the night bulb, but this bulb doesn’t have a timer to keep the temperature above 80°F! And yes, I even got an infrared temperature gun... the temperatures are accurate!

The pic you posted says higher than 100

 

[Ricardoleopard]

The pic you posted says higher than 100

The pic you posted says higher than 100

Yes, I raised the temperature because I saw the bubble in the nose, but before that, the temperature was always around 98°F–99°F on basking spot directly and this are my night tempssee pictures)

 

[Ricardoleopard]

It seems you are stressing yourself out and also maybe scaring her and making her hide even more than they usually do. If she is eating and gaining weight, then I think that's good .

Yes maybe, but when you see your tortoise hiding all the times, not exploring stay in the hot area all the times you will feel concerned, I want to give a good life to her as his keeper

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like the enclosure is a closed unit. In my opinion the overall temperature should be 80°F all over the whole enclosure - no hot side, no cool side.

 

[wellington]

Yes, I raised the temperature because I saw the bubble in the nose, but before that, the temperature was always around 98°F–99°F on basking spot directly and this are my night tempssee pictures)

No, I mean the pic of the bulb. Sorry, I should have specified

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

This is where I totally disagree with Tom. It hasn't worked so far. When I had clutches of leopards, they never were kept so hot. Doesn't make sense to me to roast them.in a closed chamber they can't ever get away from. I never had a sick tortoise since I stated.
Pick a way and go with it. Both ways/temps work perfectly fine as for many years 80 was always the over all temp for leopards, 85 when/if sick.

I would completely agree(and generally speaking I do) but in this case I’m thinking baby can’t be feeling too warm if they’re spending most the time in the warmer end surely? That aside as there’s a possible RI starting I’d probably keep them were they are for now personally

 

[wellington]

I would completely agree(and generally speaking I do) but in this case I’m thinking baby can’t be feeling too warm if they’re spending most the time in the warmer end surely? That aside as there’s a possible RI starting I’d probably keep them were they are for now personally

Not likely an RI starting when it's only been a couple times and only after a soak.
As far as where the temps are now, I have almost gotten lost. They seem to be posted differently all over the place.
The original temps posted are too warm. I actually have raised leopard babies and so has Yvonne, Tom too of course. I never would have that high of temps and that's not what was ever suggested in my years here, by anyone, except recently. In a closed chamber they can't get out of those high temps. Actual experience with my own hatchlings and adults tells me what works and those original temps are not it!

 

[Ricardoleopard]

Not likely an RI starting when it's only been a couple times and only after a soak.
As far as where the temps are now, I have almost gotten lost. They seem to be posted differently all over the place.
The original temps posted are too warm. I actually have raised leopard babies and so has Yvonne, Tom too of course. I never would have that high of temps and that's not what was ever suggested in my years here, by anyone, except recently. In a closed chamber they can't get out of those high temps. Actual experience with my own hatchlings and adults tells me what works and those original temps are not it!

Thank you I will go back to the original temperatures (80F overall) and pay more attention to see if the bubbles in her nose still appear! Just to mention, when I set 80F on the dimming thermostat, some parts of the enclosure will be at 77F–78F at night is that a problem ?

 

[wellington]

Thank you I will go back to the original temperatures (80F overall) and pay more attention to see if the bubbles in her nose still appear! Just to mention, when I set 80F on the dimming thermostat, some parts of the enclosure will be at 77F–78F at night is that a problem ?

Yes, and no. If she doesn't go there it would be a problem but I would add another che in that area for night time so it's 80

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Not likely an RI starting when it's only been a couple times and only after a soak.
As far as where the temps are now, I have almost gotten lost. They seem to be posted differently all over the place.
The original temps posted are too warm. I actually have raised leopard babies and so has Yvonne, Tom too of course. I never would have that high of temps and that's not what was ever suggested in my years here, by anyone, except recently. In a closed chamber they can't get out of those high temps. Actual experience with my own hatchlings and adults tells me what works and those original temps are not it!

Fair play, definitely trust your guidance!

 

[Tom]

I never would have that high of temps and that's not what was ever suggested in my years here, by anyone, except recently.

What has been suggested here for years is that 80 degrees is the MINIMUM in the coldest part of any enclosure, day or night. Minimum. Not optimal daytime temp. That's the minimum overnight temp or daytime temp on the coolest side of the enclosure.

Do you think it's only 80 degrees in that part of Africa every day? Its not. The daytime high is much higher, and in practice, they do better with higher daytime temps, dropping to 80 at night. I base this assertion on experiments raising thousands of baby tortoises of many species at differing temps.