MordecaiDark
04-15-08, 03:54 PM
Hi everyone,
I'm new here. I'm also the proud new owner of my very first Leopard Tortoise. I just got my tortoise two days ago from a reputable breeder and I was/am very excited about it. I've done lots of research on care, feeding, habitat, etc so I'm comfortable that I know the general things i need to know to take care of my tortoise.
Anyway, so I brought my tortoise home and soaked him in tepid water for a bit (15-20 mins) while I finished setting up his digs. I put him in. And then, he basically slept. I put his food dish in yesterday and this morning and he's definitely eaten but not a lot. He wakes and and moves to a new spot every few hours and then goes back to sleep. I'm not sure what to make of this as I know turts are active creatures.
Maybe something is wrong with my habitat. I'm just looking for some advice before i take him back to the breeder so they can take a look at him.
I have a 10.0 UVB bulb and a 150W ceramic heat bulb (it's a bit colder in my house). The temperature in his basking spot is a steady 86-87 F while the other end of the tank is 74ish F. I've used Bed-A-Beast coconut substrate (that's all I had at the time but i'm thinking of going to repti-bark, as i've heard it's good). The substrate is still a bit damp (not very) from when I expanded it. He's got two hide spots (one warmer and one colder) and a weird tree decor thing on one corner. He also has a shallow dish to take a bath in. See the picture for a clearer idea of what it's like.
If anyone knows why he might be sleeping like he is, give me a suggestion or two.
CHeers,
MD
I'm new here. I'm also the proud new owner of my very first Leopard Tortoise. I just got my tortoise two days ago from a reputable breeder and I was/am very excited about it. I've done lots of research on care, feeding, habitat, etc so I'm comfortable that I know the general things i need to know to take care of my tortoise.
Anyway, so I brought my tortoise home and soaked him in tepid water for a bit (15-20 mins) while I finished setting up his digs. I put him in. And then, he basically slept. I put his food dish in yesterday and this morning and he's definitely eaten but not a lot. He wakes and and moves to a new spot every few hours and then goes back to sleep. I'm not sure what to make of this as I know turts are active creatures.
Maybe something is wrong with my habitat. I'm just looking for some advice before i take him back to the breeder so they can take a look at him.
I have a 10.0 UVB bulb and a 150W ceramic heat bulb (it's a bit colder in my house). The temperature in his basking spot is a steady 86-87 F while the other end of the tank is 74ish F. I've used Bed-A-Beast coconut substrate (that's all I had at the time but i'm thinking of going to repti-bark, as i've heard it's good). The substrate is still a bit damp (not very) from when I expanded it. He's got two hide spots (one warmer and one colder) and a weird tree decor thing on one corner. He also has a shallow dish to take a bath in. See the picture for a clearer idea of what it's like.
If anyone knows why he might be sleeping like he is, give me a suggestion or two.
CHeers,
MD