Does a Leopard tortoise make a good pet? We have had a Russian Tortoise for 4 + years we really enjoy her a lot.Posted by Anonymous, Oct 12, 2019 05:2
Does a Leopard tortoise make a good pet? We have had a Russian Tortoise for 4 + years we really enjoy her a lot.
Posted by Anonymous, Oct 12, 2019 05:26 PM
I live in Houston, Texas. My leopard Tortoise is 5 years old. The temperature this summer exceeds 100 degrees daily. He used to come out in the morning when the suns comes up, but now I have to pick him up and bring him to his food. He eats good but he stays under a large plant, in a corner, next to our wooden fence all day and night. Do you have any idea what could be wrong? My wife thinks he might have eaten some grass sprayed with weed killer. If so, will he eventually begin to move on his own or continue to be idle?
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 21, 2019 10:37 AM
I live in Houston, Texas. My leopard Tortoise is 5 years old. The temperature this summer exceeds 100 degrees daily. He used to come out in the morning when the suns comes up, but now I have to pick him up and bring him to his food. He eats good but he stays under a large plant, in a corner, next to our wooden fence all day and night. Do you have any idea what could be wrong? My wife thinks he might have eaten some grass sprayed with weed killer. If so, will he eventually begin to move on his own or continue to be idle?
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 21, 2019 10:25 AM
Please help! My dog got a hold of my sister leopard tortoise that I was looking after. It has broken its shell. The tortoise is moving inside, but I am worried as the shell is broken through on the top. Please urgently assist.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 19, 2019 04:57 AM
Where can I get the answers to these questions?
Posted by LAwoman, Feb 7, 2019 06:40 AM
My leopard tortoise don’t seem to be growing much and it’s beak or mouth has a piece on the top is that normal ?
Posted by Robin, Dec 27, 2018 02:43 PM
How do I know if I am feeding my leopard tortoise enough? I feed him a diet of kale, green pepper, zucchini, dandelion greens, and sometimes tomatoes. He is about 8-9 years old.
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 8, 2018 02:22 PM
Is Aspen Bedding okay for Leopard Tortoises?
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 12, 2018 11:56 AM
I have thin, not able to eat, wood chips in the bottom of my Leopard tortoise’s cage. Is that good or do you recommend soil, sand, grass {if so, fake or real}, or something else?
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 20, 2017 08:32 PM
I have been feeding mostly Kale… Is cabbage okay?
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 15, 2017 07:51 AM
I do have a leopard tortoise, my concern is that it doesnt eat, im worried about this. Please can u hrlp me please
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 14, 2017 04:18 AM
Are Leopards ok to live alone?
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 13, 2017 09:18 PM
my leopard tortoise is a very finicky eater. What can I do to increment her appetite? Perhaps Vit. B12
Posted by gretell, Aug 24, 2017 12:56 PM
How wide is a Leopard Tortoise?
Posted by Anonymous, Jun 16, 2017 06:11 AM
I got a normal from backwater reptiles and named him “Beastmaster.” Love the little guy.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 12, 2017 02:49 AM
mi piacciono le tartarughe senza letargo geochelone pardalis senza letargo sono attente vivacii intrapedenti hanno stimolo voglia di vivere voglia di giocare andare avanti gli sono molto affezzionata e mi piacciono anche le tartarughe testudo horsfieldi in letargo amche quelle differnti ci sono affezionata mi piacciono sono tutte miei amici e amiche della famiglia con luciano mastroianni amante dei canarini amo queste bestie perchè ti danno la forza di vivere e gioire con loro e ti regalano tanti sorrisi.,
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 8, 2016 04:47 AM
I understand its just the sweet potato leaves!!! If this is the case then, we cannot buy the leafs of a sweet potato in the market… So, I would recommend growing you own with a sweet potato in a cup of water, just like we grow an avocado pit in water…. Many leaves will form….
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 2, 2016 04:48 PM
Re hibernation – leopards do not hibernate. Mine has a converted room indoors in UK where he has a mercury vapour bulb (MVB) This gives heat, light and essential uvb in one bulb. Torts need darkness to sleep so at night I use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) which just gives heat and run it through a thermostat to keep temps even. He goes out if ground temps are 70’F+ and there is no chilly wind rain etc.
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 20, 2016 07:07 PM
“No you should not mix species as different species have different care requirements – temps, humidity, diet etc and they can pass on different pathogens they carry to each other and become very sick. Unfortunately zoos do it, but they have the budgets for vet bills.
Also you should not keep pairs of torts tas hey are ALL territorial – even leopards contrary to what the care sheet for them says here.
Posted by Anonymous, Aug 20, 2016 06:56 PM
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“I have been looking at various advice columns from experts and other “”knowledgeable”” people on African tortoise nutrition, and only once, from a pensioner, not a specialist, have I seen someone who knows that tortoises eat white dog droppings. (he did not mention hyena droppings, which most certainly contain much more calcium than any other predator). So, instead of buying calcium products, collect the droppings from your dog or someone else’s mut. The tort. may not eat this offering at first, if it doesn’t know what’s good for him, but keep trying, all savvy torts eat this offering with disgusting relish. Mine do.
One thing which worries me very much is the tiny size of the cage or enclosure advocated for some of the very unfortunate torts. Let them roam over your entire property, just making sure to fence off all exits. They roam over an enormous territory in the wild and I think it is positively cruel to keep them cooped up like that, even though they will receive constant loving care, which they will not really appreciate; they are not like dogs, and prefer to be alone with only occasional contact with their keepers. Steve.
Posted by Steve, Jul 31, 2016 10:01 AM
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I have a pair of Stichmochelys pardalis (I think which is the same as Leopard tortoise?) Anyway they are still very small bottom measurement 7cm. I want to keep them as close to their natural habitat as possible so want to ultimately make a little enclosure with natural garden for them outside and then when they are bigger they can roam in the garden freely. We live in Gauteng, South Africa and are entering winter now. My question is do they hibernate, I have read a few contradictory articles, and because they are so small still do you suggest I put them inside with UV light and infrared at night. And do you let them out during the day in the warm sun, but won’t it then disturb their hibernation cycle. When I let them free in the garden now, they go and hide and sleep most of the time? Please help with some advice. And what happens to them when it rains. Our winters are warm days, cool nights where temp could drop below zero.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 20, 2016 07:17 AM
I have a pair of Stichmochelys pardalis (I think which is the same as Leopard tortoise?) Anyway they are still very small bottom measurement 7cm. I want to keep them as close to their natural habitat as possible so want to ultimately make a little enclosure with natural garden for them outside and then when they are bigger they can roam in the garden freely. We live in Gauteng, South Africa and are entering winter now. My question is do they hibernate, I have read a few contradictory articles, and because they are so small still do you suggest I put them inside with UV light and infrared at night. And do you let them out during the day in the warm sun, but won’t it then disturb their hibernation cycle. When I let them free in the garden now, they go and hide and sleep most of the time? Please help with some advice. And what happens to them when it rains. Our winters are warm days, cool nights where temp could drop below zero.
Posted by Anonymous, Apr 20, 2016 03:09 AM
“Just a bit of feedback from an old pensioner that has kept and bred them in a country where they occur naturally. Firstly they can survive very low temperatures and will “”hibernate”” when it is cold enough.
We have experienced temperatures as low as 18 degrees in winter and our adult tortoises live outside.
We provide a heap of straw and they will hide underneath that when the temperatures are low.
In winter they will stay under the straw and not emerge at all.
Please note that we are not suggesting that you do this if you are able to provide a warmer environment – we are merely saying that they are tougher than most care sheets suggest.
Our tortoises roam freely in an area of approximately 60 feet by 150 feet with a variety of vegetation.
We have fenced the area with a double layer of old tyres (245’s) which is better that fencing with bricks or steel as it does less damage to their shells – they tend to walk along any fence.
Regarding the incubation of eggs we have found that it is best to leave them undisturbed where they have been laid underground. Even with our cold temperatures we have experienced better hatching rates outside that in an incubator. Sandy soils are preferable as the hatchlings has to “”climb”” through the sand. Tortoises will usually hatch after a period of sufficient rain. There may be two reasons why nature has ordained it this way – either the fact that in some of the semi-arid areas where they occur the rainfall will be a precursor to adequate food or the fact that the damp soil will be easier to dig out off.
With sandy soils the hollow formed by the eggs will collapse allowing the hatchlings to climb upwards. In heavy clay soils the hatchlings have difficulty to emerge and tend not to survive.
In nature the tortoises eat predator (jackal and foxes, wild cats) droppings to supplement their calcium intake.
What follows may sound gross but from time to time we buy some “”sawdust”” (meat and bone) from our local butcher and feed that to our dogs. This results in pure white dog droppings (after lying in the sun for a couple of days) which both the big tortoises and the hatchlings devour.
Hope this is of value to some of the tortoise owners out there
Posted by Anonymous, Jan 25, 2016 05:04 PM
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Is romaine lettuce and kale an acceptable diet for tortoises? I also use a calcium and vitamin d supplement.
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 15, 2015 10:43 PM
No you shouldn’t keep different species together. They may have very different care needs regarding temperatures, humidity, diet etc,and may carry bacteria that may be tolerated by the one species but can infect another and cause illness.
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 11, 2015 12:13 PM
“Surprise to see you talking about keeping a pair. No tortoises should be kept in pairs. They are solitary territorial creatures who don’t need company. Small groups are Ok if the gender mix is right, but pairs is risky.
When in pairs one becomes dominant and will subtly bully and harass the other by following or even just the way they look at them or they may be quite aggressive and barge them, bite and even flip them over, causing stress and illness and sometimes death.
So don’t risk it.
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 11, 2015 12:07 PM
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“i would like to know if sweet potatoe must be raw and grated or cook it a bit then thinly slice or grate it?
Same for Pumkin, Butternut, Squash,etc…
Please can someone answer me on this?
Posted by Anonymous, Nov 10, 2015 01:24 PM
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No I believe not the tortiose is like a chicken it will just lay infertile eggs
Posted by Anonymous, Sep 13, 2015 08:47 AM
