Leopard tortoise pyramiding

weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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Help!!! I’ve got a problem, well I think I’ve got a problem.. my one leopard looks perfect he’s alittle high domed but no signs of anything wrong with his shell his growth rings are coming in smooth and he’s gaining a lot of new White coloration I’m seeing in his shell for the first time. My other leopard has gained no to very little white in his shell. His growth rings are a dark color and looked to be raised almost engulfing his smaller hatchling scutes. They are both in the same enclosure and eating great both are soaked daily and seem energetic what’s wrong with my one Leo’s shell??
 

weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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Anyone on here keep tortoises? I’ve had these two for 6 months and I’m wanting to make sure they are growing right and are healthy! Why would this happen to his shell, would attaching photos of both help? Also they seem really small just barley larger then they were when hatchings and they are now approaching 6 months, they eat great any ideas?
 
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weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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Feeding a mixture of collard greens, kale, and other leafy greens, natural grasses + weeds (I don’t use pesticides) and their mazuri pellet diet. I soak pellets first so they can eat them easily, also they are under a fairly new ReptiSun 10.0 UVB and a 80 Watt heat lamp
 

Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
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Aug 6, 2016
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Feeding a mixture of collard greens, kale, and other leafy greens, natural grasses + weeds (I don’t use pesticides) and their mazuri pellet diet. I soak pellets first so they can eat them easily, also they are under a fairly new ReptiSun 10.0 UVB and a 80 Watt heat lamp
Do they have cuttlebone to chew on? Helps torts get more calcium
 

weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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hmm.... I haven’t tried cuttlebone I’ll try to add some is it the same as the cuttlebone you buy for parakeets and cockatiels? Or is it some special type just for tortoises? Also I do have some calcium powder with vitamin D3 but I forget to sprinkle it on there greens so they rarely receive any should I try giving it to them more? If so how regularly? I’m sorry to change up my questions now but also how can I help these guys grow faster I feel like they are way behind the size they should be!!!
 
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Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
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hmm.... I haven’t tried cuttlebone I’ll try to add some is it the same as the cuttlebone you buy for parakeets and cockatiels? Or is it some special type just for tortoises? Also I do have some calcium powder with vitamin D3 but I forget to sprinkle it on there greens so they rarely receive any should I try giving it to them more? If so how regularly? I’m sorry to change up my questions now but also how can I help these guys grow faster I feel like they are way behind the size they should be!!!
I would do the calcium powder once a week, the cuttlebone can be the kind sold for parakeets, it's all the same thing anyway
(Bone from cuttlefish).

As far as faster growth,I would keep them in a outdoor pen during the warm months, this allows them to eat weeds,get plenty of exercise and a good dose of sunlight, just make sure the pen is escape proof
 

weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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I picked up a cuttlebone made for turtles and tortoises and put it in there enclosure yesterday. They haven’t shown any interest in it so far but I’m just gonna leave it in there and they can use it to crawl over if nothing else. Also I have been taking them outside all summer they’ve rotated between indoors and outdoors and gotten at least 2-3 days a week outside, they are in a open bottom pen I built when they are outside so they do have some natural sun light and time to graze. I know protein isn’t required for these guys like it is recommended for redfoots. Would giving them a option to have some cause any harm if I did so in moderation? I just don’t know why these guys aren’t growing!!
 
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Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
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Aug 6, 2016
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I picked up a cuttlebone made for turtles and tortoises and put it in there enclosure yesterday. They haven’t shown any interest in it so far but I’m just gonna leave it in there and they can use it to crawl over if nothing else. Also I have been taking them outside all summer they’ve rotated between indoors and outdoors and gotten at least 2-3 days a week outside, they are in a open bottom pen I built when they are outside so they do have some natural sun light and time to graze. I know protein isn’t required for these guys like it is recommended for redfoots. Would giving them a option to have some cause any harm if I did so in moderation? I just don’t know why these guys aren’t growing!!
A little protein may help, I recommend a mix of chicken (cooked) and insects, a couple bites each every other day is plenty
 

weston

Candiru
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Jun 14, 2015
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I don’t see these guys catching any live insects would you recommend occasionally giving freeze dried mealworms or crickets?
 
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