Sulcata Leonidas "Leo"

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Sulcata Leonidas "Leo" Leo is a Sulcata Tortoise with an incredible personality. Take a journey with us as we watch Leo gro

It's that time of the year when the Prickly Pear cactus fruit are plump and juicy! 🌵💋
17/09/2021

It's that time of the year when the Prickly Pear cactus fruit are plump and juicy! 🌵💋

A cute photoshoot with a hungry tortoise 😅
13/08/2021

A cute photoshoot with a hungry tortoise 😅

Three Autumn Harvest Sunflowers with one Tiny Dinosaur ❤️
13/08/2021

Three Autumn Harvest Sunflowers with one Tiny Dinosaur ❤️

Just hanging out after some pool time 😆
09/08/2021

Just hanging out after some pool time 😆

A wonderful day for a walk in the park. Leo is getting so big!
03/07/2021

A wonderful day for a walk in the park. Leo is getting so big!

Over the past month, I built Leo a new home. I was told that other tortoise owners might benefit from my building plans ...
16/06/2021

Over the past month, I built Leo a new home. I was told that other tortoise owners might benefit from my building plans so I wanted to share!

It always takes a while to get Leo used to a new home and this one had its fair share of lessons learned. The ramp was too high for Leo to climb, even with the skid tape, (he got stuck and just wiggled his legs around..super cute and funny), so I had to make a make shift ramp until I can complete a nicer half-octogon shaped ramp built. Also, the house is only in the sun for 2 hours in the day from 4-6pm... when the desert sun is the hottest. So I had to add an old Gazebo curtain to hang from the patio blocking the evening sun.

Update: I've lowered the doorway by 3 inches and Leo is far more willing to actually go into to the house at night.

Originally, I hired a contractor to build the home in a week (according to his estimate) but after 4 months of excuses I was done with him and with Leo living in the laundry room at night. So... I took my plans and went out for supplies. Everything was purchased from Lowes or Amazon and totalled about $700 and It took a total of 6 days (8 hour weekend days). Its not perfect but I saved $1500 in labor costs by building myself 😊.

Here is the house info:
6' wide x 4' deep x 3.5'/4' tall, insulated and heated, removable door that turns into ramp, hooks for UVB light during winter, ventilation holes as well as drainage hole for easy spray cleaning, FRP plastic interior for durability against scratching and for easy cleaning.

Materials:
Frame: 3"x2" rough cut wood
Insulation: 2" poly foam boards (Looking back, I should have gotten thinner boards, i.e. 1.5-1.75". The 2" was too thick for the wood frame)
Backing: Thin plywood (for roof and floor), Hard board (for walls, to save on costs from plywood expenses)
Interior wall protection: White FRP panels
Exterior walls: Bead board
Trim: 1"x2" boards
Roof: Tuftex plastic panels
Heater: Dog house heater (Amazon)
Hardware: Piano hinges, eye and hook for roof, tuftex foam and screws, construction deck screws 1" and 2", 1.25" nails with nail gun for trim and beadboard, hooks for interior hanging items.
Glue: waterproof silicone, loctite pl3 premium glue, FRP fast grab
Paint: standard outdoor primer, mistinted blue paint (lol), and outdoor white for trim

Lounging with the girlfriend ❤
26/05/2021

Lounging with the girlfriend ❤

Sibling bonding time ❤ They are truely so cute together. -Sadie will bring Leo the ball and excitedly wait for him to th...
16/04/2021

Sibling bonding time ❤ They are truely so cute together.
-Sadie will bring Leo the ball and excitedly wait for him to throw it.
-Leo sniffs sadie when she is in his way then he completely walks around her her to continue his journey, but God forbid he walks around the furniture or anything else that gets in his path. -Sadie will cuddle up next to Leo and Leo just looks at her before falling back to sleep.
-Sadie will keep checking in on Leo if he is in an unfamiliar area.
-Leo will get veggies for treats and Sadie will ALWAYS steal pieces from him.

Leo has moved to New Mexico and boy what a change it has been for him! Here are some of his adventures since the move 1....
05/03/2021

Leo has moved to New Mexico and boy what a change it has been for him! Here are some of his adventures since the move 1.5 months ago:

It's been a few years since Leo had a day this rough. Luckily I checked on him before I left for work!
04/11/2020

It's been a few years since Leo had a day this rough. Luckily I checked on him before I left for work!

Happy Halloween! We enjoyed a long walk in the park tonight 🎃
01/11/2020

Happy Halloween! We enjoyed a long walk in the park tonight 🎃

Leo enjoys sitting at the gate to watch the world go by. P.s. the black netting is to make him less noticeable to strang...
18/10/2020

Leo enjoys sitting at the gate to watch the world go by.

P.s. the black netting is to make him less noticeable to strangers but still allow him to creep on people haha

Even during fall when the grass is dead, we love walks in the park. Leo could walk for hours! So much energy stuffed in ...
14/10/2020

Even during fall when the grass is dead, we love walks in the park. Leo could walk for hours! So much energy stuffed in this little dinosaur 🦕

22/09/2020

A recent conversation in a Sulcata tortoise group has sparked something in me.

Sadly, there is no "golden" standard for tortoise care. You will find different suggestions from different corners of the internet and who is to say that any of them are trustworthy.

John Doe from the internet may claim to have had great success raising tortoises over a span of 10 years, but we don't know what is happening to the animals on a biological level. Did high humidity, feeding occasional dog food, or even eating infected f***s cause the animal to have irreversible internal damages? We just simply do not know yet.

We as reptile lovers need to put pressure on organizations, researchers, and universities to conduct the studies that we so desperately need for these beloved giants. There have been scattered studies and scholarly articles over the years but we need someone with some form of authority to say what is considered proper care vs. Neglect. Only then can owners be properly held accountable for their actions.

We must advocate for those that can't speak and tell their owners what they need. Reach out to local, state, and even federal organizations, and just ask "is there being something done and what can I do to help?"

And remember, until we have facts and evidence about proper husbandry, do your own research. Don't rely on internet groups, reptile sale pages, or blogs. Vets do what they can with the information available to them. Petstores follow corporate guidance, but corporate doesn't know what information is accurate.

So Instead, find scholarly articles, books, and data. Loving a giant can be difficult, but its worth it in the end to do it the right way now. ❤

27/08/2020

When the humans don't deliver the foods quick enough, you must climb to the foods!

This guy keeps surprising me!

06/08/2020

Freshly power washed clean sidewalk? I don't think so! 😈🐢

03/08/2020

Ever since Leo's den flooded during a rain storm, all he wants to do is come inside for bed. If the screen door is in use he can actually open the door and come inside.

17/06/2020

Guess who just turned 6 years old! This guy! 🎂🎉🎈

He's a ginormous baby now at a whopping 83lbs. 🐢

Today he was treated with a fruit salad and lots of love. 🍓🍇🥗

Last week he recieved an early birthday gift, a new den for him to dig as much as he wants!! Leo loves in his new den just as much as the dog loves running over it.

13/05/2020

Leo is loved by all the neighbors, they bring him delicious treats all the time ❤😊

15/04/2020

Oh boy, I had such high expectations for him year after year. He turns 6 in June and he finally started digging. I pray he doesn't escape one day! This 80lb beast does what ever he wants 🐢❤

08/02/2020

It's been awhile since we said hi because Leo got a little sister a couple months ago! 🐕 Let me tell you something, if I thought taking care of a giant tortoise was hard, it was only because I never had a puppy.

Leo wasnt a fan of his sister Sadie at first and he would try to follow her around the yard to defend his territory but now we are at a point where they coexist happily. They even nap next to each other. It's quite adorable. It was quite entertaining watching him try to catch up to a speed demon dog for an hour straight. 😂

So here is what you missed

27/12/2019

Rain and floods? No problem. He prefers it this way lol

16/10/2019

Well that was a first 🤦‍♀️

09/10/2019

At our new home, leo tried to eat a snail. In order to prevent rat worm lung disease, we have to prepare the yard. The first weekend, I went out with a flashlight and found 33 slugs and 2 snails. Of course I cant kill them, so I relocated them. A couple days later, I found 12 slugs. The next week I found 4 slugs and 1 snail. It seems endless but the end is coming!!

05/10/2019

A much needed update on Leo.

Our home owner decided to spray herbicides against our agreement terms at our rental property and never told us of his actions.

Leo got pretty sick and wanting answers, I reviewed the security cameras... I saw the owner spraying chemicals 3 weeks prior. Long story short, we immediately went to the vet who helped us get Leo back on track and I found a new rental house. We now face probable legal problems with our old property but honestly, I could care less. As long as my baby is safe, I can take what the world throws our way.

Leo did have some confused and panicked days around the move date. He was very confused to see our old house empty and when we got to the new house, he of course needed to try to get out of this new cage yard.

Leo has since settled down and seems to really love this place even though the yard is smaller. I'm just happy he is finally grazing again. ❤😊🐢

01/09/2019

When you walk past the dog park and the known pack leader submits to your tortoise. Lmao. We will conquer the world one park at a time 😈

23/08/2019

This was posted on a dog page. Is it weird that my tortoise fits each description?

09/08/2019

Leo is finally big enough that he can be caught by the motion detector camera! Now I can see when he does naughty things like climb up and down the stairs all day 🙄
Sorry this video leads you on only to cut off right before the best part haha 😅

07/08/2019

It's been quite some time since Leo had a designated bath. He entered the bathroom and the second the shower was turned on, his weiner came out. He has never done his business at night so I know for a fact that he was excited for the bath. I love this misfit so much but damn have I raised a monster!

29/07/2019

Just another walk in the park. Hes so content 😊

06/07/2019

We went to the park but Leo wasnt in the mood to walk, so mommy took full advantage of a stationary tortoise! I'm sure he was annoyed with all the photos I was taking of him 😄

04/07/2019

This big b***y got a holiday enclosure upgrade! He loves it and he can finally fit his whole body in his hide 😅

23/06/2019

🎵Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood🎵🌼🐢

13/06/2019

🎉Guess what! Its Leo's birthday today! He turned 5 years old today 😁 For his gift he got a beautiful handmade fruit cake followed by a long bath! 🍓🎂 My baby is growing so quickly! 😯

09/06/2019

Going for a walk in the park when all the trees are in full bloom 🌺 Its so peaceful

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Videos

Going for a walk in the park when all the trees are in full bloom 🌺 Its so peaceful

When it gets really hot out, I'll pour a little of my ice water over Leo to help cool him. Occasionally ice cubes fall out, today leo munched on the cubes for the first time and appeared to love them! 😄🐢❄

This little monster will pick through his food and only eat his favorite pellets. You can actually see in the video he drops the tinothy hay pellets from his mouth to go after the mazuri pellets. #Whenyourkidsarepickyeaters

Our daily walks have evolved quite a bit! I started letting Leo dictate where and how long the walks are! We start off strong with an incredibly fast pace, hes almost sprinting with excitement! .2 miles in, Leo heads over to the playground and visits with kids nearby. .5 miles in, Leo starts to get hot so I pour cold water on him then he's refreshed and ready to keep going! .75 miles in, Leo starts getting a little tired so he finds some shade and rests every couple minutes. .9 miles in, Leo completely gives up and starts waddling around until he finds a spot to just sit and watch the world. The last portion of our mile walk, 1.5 hours later, mom has to carry Leo home... The cart really makes moving a 45lb dinosaur much easier!

We got a new door greeter but Leo wasn't too keen on the new addition

Leo decided to start his walk without me so I lurked behind him to see how far he would make it on his own. Sadly he did the whole .25 mile walk without knowing his momma was right behind him

Leo loves the weekends! Why? He gets to walk around the neighborhood all day! He averages .4 miles each day! He eats the neighbors flowers, meets passer-byers, and searches for cat poop relentlessly! Now he has learned our normal route and sticks to the sidewalk, if he starts to venture the wrong way, he only needs a human to walk him back to safety. Hes the best companion I could ask for. P.s. The video is double speed, he's not actually a sprinter!

Christmas with a tortoise ☃🌲🐢

When your tortoise is lazy and he is perfectly fine with you doing all the work for him 😅

When your not a morning tortoise

We have a big announcement! Leo has officially confirmed himself to be a BOY!! He will be 3 years old this June and he has now flashed me 3 times this week! He frightened himself the first time his goodies hung out. It's really comical because it's like watching a teenage boy come into puberty! 😂 Sorry no tortoise wiener pictures 😉

Call me crazy but when he looked strait into the camera, it felt like a butterfly fluttered in my stomach. Is this what love feels like? 😂 ❤

Leo was being a dork today!

After discovering that Leo has a wierd fear of BLUEBERRIES, I couldn't help but experiment with him. He shall now be known as the BERRY-I-NATOR

Today we learned that Leo is afraid of BLUEBERRIES! This is the funniest thing I have ever seen him do!

Leo has such an incredible personality, it's amazing. I've walked in on Leo snuggled in his bed a couple times now. I'm just glad I can make him happy 😢😍😘

Leo seems to be becoming more agrivated that he can't graze. He is bound to the deck until we find a new place to live without herbicide use. He paces like this for hours at a time! At least I can say he is getting his exercise!

Here's a quick video of Leo obsessing over the towel I used to relocate a local snapper!

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