Leopard tortoise info thread - Page 3

terrypin · 23-09-2006, 12:11 AM

hi ,carl why do you think captive bred leopards dont grow as big as wild caught specimens.my thought is that like other reptiles and fish if you keep them in a small enclosure or tank it will stunt the growth my opinion is that the more exercise they can get the better they can process their food and are able to eat greater quantitys of bulky fibrous foods.as soon as they are big enough mine spend day and night outside with the adults i will have more idea how they develop next year as this is a new much larger enclosure and i will be keeping weight and scl measurements throughout the season.
terry

carl20 · 23-09-2006, 12:17 AM

hi terry, i have read on a few sites that captive reared leopards tend to be smaller than those seen in the wild.
That is all i based it on, although this is probably due to the fact that there is very very few fully grown leopards in this country, i for one have never spoke to any1 who has a fully grown adult leopard, you and phil have big leos but they are still quite young.
The parents of my three youngest were both quite small.

terrypin · 23-09-2006, 07:39 AM

hi carl i understand that the normal average size for an adult leopard tortoise is between 15 and 18 inches ,that being the case my 2 largest females are wild caught one is 17 1/2 inches and the other 15inches, my captive bred female is between 11 and 12 years old and she is 14 1/2 inches scl, my 3 captive bred males the largest is about 10 1/2 inches scl, and within a year of the females age, i also have a wild caught male who is 13inches he has shown no growth until this year i can see some on the edge of his scutes he has never eaten well and doesnt like to eat from a tray this year he has lived on graize only and has put on lots of weight he has even started to sniff around the food tray which is a good sign, i might be able to get some calcium powders down him ,the new enclosure has been great and my juveniles went wild for nearly three months out there and i hardly saw them at the shed in the summer even at night.
terry

carl20 · 23-09-2006, 02:03 PM

thats good info thanks terry, so it looks like the females in your bunch are going to remain bigger than the males

terrypin · 24-09-2006, 12:15 PM

hi i understand that this is normal with the babcocki and it is the paradalis pardalis that have the very large males i read that the largest male ever recorded was 656mm and weighed 43kg surely it must have been one of them. in the same book it says that the largest female measured 498mm and weighed 20kg my own large female is just over 440mm and weighs just under 16 kg so i dont know how big she will end up as she is still growing.
terry

carl20 · 24-09-2006, 07:59 PM

woe terry, have you ever spoken to any1 who has a full grown adult leopard because i havent

24-09-2006, 08:34 PM

Those sizes sound magnificent! I hear that there aren't many (if any) fully grown adults in the UK!

Does anyone know the oldest known?

29-09-2006, 08:20 AM

I am currently building Jez a temporary outdoor enclosure and wondered about the substrates available to him. I presume that if he is on the ground then whatever soil, grass, weeds are avilable are ok! But I am building a raised table (due to issues in the garden at the moment) and I wondered what I should put in it ie. regular garden soil or do I go for the 50:50 sand top soil mix?

Any help would be great!

With the above in mind, as he is only 8/9 months old when does it become unsuitable (temp wise) to let him outside?

carl20 · 29-09-2006, 03:35 PM

if heated up first indoors under the basking light then he can go outside for a short while as long as its not frost. Then bring him back in to warm up again. If its too cold hell just curl up so to speak and youll know he is cold.

29-09-2006, 06:11 PM

I have noticed that even at a young age - Jez is very strong and will move things (even stones) if they are in his way - I understand that they are VERY strong as they get older and are able to break through boundaries that are not up to the task! What do you guys use as fencing for your adults?

23-09-2006, 12:11 AM	#21
terrypin Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: jersey c.i. Posts: 2,928	hi ,carl why do you think captive bred leopards dont grow as big as wild caught specimens.my thought is that like other reptiles and fish if you keep them in a small enclosure or tank it will stunt the growth my opinion is that the more exercise they can get the better they can process their food and are able to eat greater quantitys of bulky fibrous foods.as soon as they are big enough mine spend day and night outside with the adults i will have more idea how they develop next year as this is a new much larger enclosure and i will be keeping weight and scl measurements throughout the season. terry __________________ these are my own opinions do with them what you will. _________________

23-09-2006, 12:17 AM	#22
carl20 Member Hatchling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: north east Posts: 516	hi terry, i have read on a few sites that captive reared leopards tend to be smaller than those seen in the wild. That is all i based it on, although this is probably due to the fact that there is very very few fully grown leopards in this country, i for one have never spoke to any1 who has a fully grown adult leopard, you and phil have big leos but they are still quite young. The parents of my three youngest were both quite small. __________________

23-09-2006, 07:39 AM	#23
terrypin Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: jersey c.i. Posts: 2,928	hi carl i understand that the normal average size for an adult leopard tortoise is between 15 and 18 inches ,that being the case my 2 largest females are wild caught one is 17 1/2 inches and the other 15inches, my captive bred female is between 11 and 12 years old and she is 14 1/2 inches scl, my 3 captive bred males the largest is about 10 1/2 inches scl, and within a year of the females age, i also have a wild caught male who is 13inches he has shown no growth until this year i can see some on the edge of his scutes he has never eaten well and doesnt like to eat from a tray this year he has lived on graize only and has put on lots of weight he has even started to sniff around the food tray which is a good sign, i might be able to get some calcium powders down him ,the new enclosure has been great and my juveniles went wild for nearly three months out there and i hardly saw them at the shed in the summer even at night. terry __________________ these are my own opinions do with them what you will. _________________

23-09-2006, 02:03 PM	#24
carl20 Member Hatchling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: north east Posts: 516	thats good info thanks terry, so it looks like the females in your bunch are going to remain bigger than the males __________________

24-09-2006, 12:15 PM	#25
terrypin Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: jersey c.i. Posts: 2,928	hi i understand that this is normal with the babcocki and it is the paradalis pardalis that have the very large males i read that the largest male ever recorded was 656mm and weighed 43kg surely it must have been one of them. in the same book it says that the largest female measured 498mm and weighed 20kg my own large female is just over 440mm and weighs just under 16 kg so i dont know how big she will end up as she is still growing. terry __________________ these are my own opinions do with them what you will. _________________

24-09-2006, 07:59 PM	#26
carl20 Member Hatchling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: north east Posts: 516	woe terry, have you ever spoken to any1 who has a full grown adult leopard because i havent __________________

24-09-2006, 08:34 PM	#27
Glitter Guest Posts: n/a	Those sizes sound magnificent! I hear that there aren't many (if any) fully grown adults in the UK! Does anyone know the oldest known?

29-09-2006, 08:20 AM	#28
converted Guest Posts: n/a	I am currently building Jez a temporary outdoor enclosure and wondered about the substrates available to him. I presume that if he is on the ground then whatever soil, grass, weeds are avilable are ok! But I am building a raised table (due to issues in the garden at the moment) and I wondered what I should put in it ie. regular garden soil or do I go for the 50:50 sand top soil mix? Any help would be great! With the above in mind, as he is only 8/9 months old when does it become unsuitable (temp wise) to let him outside?

29-09-2006, 03:35 PM	#29
carl20 Member Hatchling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: north east Posts: 516	if heated up first indoors under the basking light then he can go outside for a short while as long as its not frost. Then bring him back in to warm up again. If its too cold hell just curl up so to speak and youll know he is cold. __________________

29-09-2006, 06:11 PM	#30
converted Guest Posts: n/a	I have noticed that even at a young age - Jez is very strong and will move things (even stones) if they are in his way - I understand that they are VERY strong as they get older and are able to break through boundaries that are not up to the task! What do you guys use as fencing for your adults?

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