Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet

Temperature

Day 24 - 28 º C
Basking area 30 -32º C

Night 22º C (essential temperatures never dip below 20º C).

Substrate

50:50 organic/unfertilised top soil and play-pit sand, (soil depth: approx. height of the shell, e.g 1-3” deep for hatchlings, 6”+ deep for adults).
Lightly mist substrate daily to prevent it becoming dusty, help with humidity and thermoregulation. Change substrate every 4-6 weeks

Recommend having a hide/half log with damp sphagnum moss inside to create a humid hide area

Food

70% of diet to be made up of:

  • Grasses (free from chemicals/weed killer etc) e.g. timothy, meadow, orchard, cats grass, lawn;
    Hay e.g. orchard, meadow, timothy (2nd cut of hay is softer, has less spiky heads, more fibre than other cuts – go to horse feed suppliers as cheaper & farmer will know hay mix)

30% of diet to be made up of tortoise-safe weeds/flowers (free from chemicals/weed killer etc) e.g.:

  • weeds: dandelion, plantain, hawksbeard, mallow, sowthistle

  • flowers: pansy, campanula, forget-me-knot, african violet, hibiscus

  • salad mixes (when weeds unavailable in frosty spells): Lambs leaf, florette crispy salad mix (green or pink label).(see ‘useful websites’ section for more info on what is safe to feed)

NOTE: offer the equivalent of 3⁄4 the size of the tortoise in food, once a day (per tortoise); in warmer months they won’t need as much as they will be outside grazing on grasses, weeds

Food supplements

1⁄4 teaspoon of limestone/calcium supplement on food every other day (e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri) 1⁄4 teaspoon of Nutrobal on food alternate days to limestone/calcium (e.g. Tue/Thu/Sat) Leave one day free (e.g. Sun)
Leave Cuttlefish (whole) in the enclosure for tortoise to nibble on for extra calcium

Water

Provide fresh water daily (in a shallow water dish that they can easily step in/out of)

Bathing

Frequency:
0-1 year: Every other day for 10 minutes;

1-2 years: twice per week for 20 minutes;

2+ years: once a week for 30 minutes;

Shallow bath (1⁄4 height of tortoise) in lukewarm water (30-32°C). Ideally in the morning, before food.

Basking and UVB

UVB is vital for the health of your tortoise

  • Use a combined UVA + UVB bulb for the basking area.

  • Turn on basking bulb for 12 hours per day (summer); 8 hours per day (winter).

  • Make sure the tortoise is unable to touch the bulb to prevent burning/overheating (bulb should be

    approx 30cm away from top of the shell, depending on manufacturer’s instructions).

  • Replace bulbs every 6-12 months as UVB degrades and no longer beneficial to your tortoise

  • Weighing

    Weigh weekly before their bath and keep a record of the weight. Weight should gradually increase each week (0-2g for 0-2 years).

Disinfectant/cleaning

Clean all feeding / drinking trays daily and enclosure weekly with hot water and tortoise-safe disinfectant.

Housing/habitat

  • Hatchlings/ Juveniles can be housed indoors in open-topped tortoise table with correct heating (avoid using vivariums as they can overheat and have poor air quality/limited air circulation). Access to sunshine is important for their health and for growing strong bones and shell, so they should also have a suitable predator-proof outdoor enclosure BUT only when temperatures permit.

  • Sub-adult/Adults can be housed in a heated shed or greenhouse with access to secure grassy area to encourage natural grazing and give them the all-important sunshine to keep them healthy and bones/shell strong.

  • Note: Leopard tortoises need lots of space, so allow at least 10x the length of your tortoise to calculate the length and width of the enclosure. E.g. a tortoise that’s 1ft long would need an enclosure that’s 10ft x 10ft (minimum)

    Worming

    Worm your tortoise yearly (using a tortoise worming powder) or as directed by a vet

    Vets

    Make sure your vet is a reptile specialist

    Hibernation

    Leopard tortoises DO NOT hibernate

Below is an example of my daily routine checklist for hatchlings (excludes bathing, weighing, worming, changing substrate):

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Example of hatchling indoor area using builders mixing tubs joined together (items in tub should be away from edges to prevent climbing and injury)

indoor tortoise setup for baby leopard tortoises

Example of outdoor area

Example of outdoor area with plenty of grass & tortoise safe weeds/flowers. Hatchlings and juveniles should only go outdoors when temperatures are above 20°C

An example of outdoor leopard tortoise enclosure

Useful Websites

©2017 Sharon Pavoni. All rights reserved.