Worried about my leopard tortoise

CAustin · 4th December 2009, 05:56 AM

Hey guys, this is my first post here. Nice to meet you all. I've looked online at guides for taking care of leopard tortoises, but none of them seem to outline the problems I've been having.

Anyway, I received a baby leopard tortoise last August as a birthday gift. He seemed relatively healthy at first but was never much of a big eater. I read online that they like to eat clovers and many types of weeds, both of which are plentiful in my backyard. Wikipedia said that grape leaves are also a nutritious supplement to their diet, so I gave him some of those from the grape vine outside as well. Mainly I've been feeding him collard greens and kale from the grocery store, with some vitamin supplement sprinkled on top. Despite the variety of food presented to him, he never seems to really go for anything. He'll take a couple bites and then either walk around (if he's outside) or just go to sleep (if he's in his terrarium).

Now at first I just figured that this was normal and these turtles didn't have large appetites. However, after almost 4 months of owning him, he's hardly grown at all. I've even been weighing him. He was 46 grams around the time I got him and now he's about 50 grams. This seems very unhealthy to me, considering how young he is. Aren't they supposed to experience a growth spurt until adolescence? I'm starting to worry that his growth may become permanently stunted.

Also, he seems perpetually sluggish. He spends the day time in an enclosure in the backyard that's about a square meter in size. I know these tortoises are supposed to have large areas to walk around in, but I feel he's too small for that. I've already nearly lost him once when I was letting him walk around the entirety of the backyard. Nevertheless, he seems... depressed when he's in his enclosure or his terrarium. Even though he has more than enough room to move around, he tends to just find a corner and go to sleep. The only time he appears active is when he's outside of it. The problem, of course, is that I can't just sit there in the backyard watching him for several hours every day. It seems to be the only thing that would make him happy, but it's just not a practical solution.

Lastly (sorry, this is getting ridiculously long), I'm worried about his environment being too cold for him. I can control his terrarium's temperature of course, but that's where I try to make sure he spends the least amount of time. Outside it's starting to get pretty cold during the day, even here in Southern California. It's also overcast most days now, so he's not getting proper sunlight. I suppose I should look for a large outdoor heat lamp that I can install over his enclosure?

Well, thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I'd really appreciate it.

swsarah · 18th December 2009, 11:18 AM

Leopards must have a diet of 70% grass and 30% weeds
What temperatures do you keep him at?
Yes your right he should gain more weight than that. Have you had him tested for worms and protazoa?

Redsquire · 1st January 2010, 07:42 PM

Leopard Tortoises require a lot more grasses than they do dark leaves and fruit. I suggest going to your local petshop, and asking if they have (or can order in) a make of tortoise food called ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food. Get the big one. It should last you a while.

I feed my Sulcata on this stuff, and tortoises naturally seem to know what their body needs regardless. They may seem like fussy eaters sometimes, but really, their just telling you what they want more than what they dont want. Also, a terrarium is unsuitable for a hatchling, I feel. He should be in a nice warm tortoise table, for easy air flow.

Make sure if your feeding him plants from your garden that they do not, or have not ever, had pesticides or anything of the likes sprayed on them. Keep a warm, shallow dish of water in his enclosure *at all times* and pop him in it every so often, as I find hatchlings are often very lazy to get to the water themselves. If he's going to sleep, it may simply be a little too cold in his terrarium. Tortoises, even at optimum temps though, still tend to go a little sleepy in our winters in Scotland, I've noticed. The hibernating species especially do this, but yours, thankfully, doesnt do that.

- They are a high calcium requiring species. Sprinkle calcium powder on their food every so often.
- DO buy a complete food like the one I suggested. In the long run, it should work out any problems of them not getting a certain vitamin or two.
- Always wash your hands before touching him, and after. Keep giving him small, warm baths, as this will boost his mobility and he should eat more.
- If you buy the complete foods which require water to be added to them, use warm water. I do this for my Sulcata and he loves it, it warms him up from the inside. Just like, dont make it COOKING hot or something. Lukewarm is fine.

Always remember to de-worm your tortoise if hes outdoors grazing. Buy a de-wormer from your local petstore, designed for tortoises.

Hope this helps. : )

Gisela · 5th July 2010, 08:03 PM

my leopard tortoise loves cut up cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, grapes besides grazing....they don't eat as much as sulcatas, for sure, and they are kind of shy and hide a lot. In their native habitat, Africa, they have lots of enemies especially Laemmergeier, a raptor, that's why they hide.

terrypin · 15th August 2010, 07:54 AM

hi on sunny days most leopards will graze short cropped grasses.also i bulk up their diet with mixed plantains.once they take these readily you can add very finely chopped grasses to their food.i know it is difficult with little ones but well worth the effort.
here is one of my hatchlings eating a pile of chopped grasses.
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