GIANT SOUTH AFRICAN LEOPARD TORTOISE FEMALE CENTRAL FLORIDA NO SHIPPING -- $800
message REALCHUCK about this adUP FOR SALE IS THIS ATTRACTIVELY PATTERNED SOUTH AFRICAN LEOPARD TORTOISE - ALSO KNOWN AS THE GIANT SOUTH AFRICAN LEOPARD TORTOISE. HATCHED IN AUGUST 2021 IN USA. I RAISED HER FROM A SMALL LITTLE THING SINCE MAY 2022. CARAPACE (UPPER SHELL) IS CURRENTLY 16 INCHES LONG. WEIGHT IS CURRENTLY 30 POUNDS. BELIEVED TO BE A FEMALE ALTHOUGH THIS TORTOISE IS NOT YET SEXUALLY MATURE AT THIS AGE. SEE PHOTOS OF SMALL TAIL & SEEMINGLY FLAT PLASTRON (LOWER SHELL) WHICH BOTH SUPPOSEDLY INDICATE HER TO BE FEMALE, BUT I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE AT THIS STAGE. AT THE RATE SHE IS GROWING, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE WILL REACH 22 OR 24 INCHES IN LENGTH, BUT THAT IS ONLY MY GUESS. COULD BE MORE, COULD BE LESS. COULD REACH 50 POUNDS OR MORE. STRONG, HEALTHY AND CONSTANTLY ACTIVE IN MY BACK YARD IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. YOU CAN PET HER HEAD AND HAND-FEED HER BUT SHE GETS HUFFY IF YOU GET IN HER WAY, HOWEVER, THAT IS PAR FOR THE COURSE FOR THIS SPECIES. SHE LIKES GRAZING MOST OF THE DAY ON GRASS & WEEDS IN MY UNFERTILIZED BACK YARD. NO POISON CHEMICALS ARE EVER PUT ON MY GRASS. HER GRAZING IS SUPPLIMENTED WITH COLLARD GREENS, KALE, SPRING MIX, MELON RINDS WITH A LITTLE MELON LEFT ON, CACTUS AND MAZORI TORTOISE FOOD AND A WATER SUPPLY. PHOSPORUS FREE POWDERED CALCIUM SUPPLIMENT FOR REPTILES ONCE TO TWICE PER MONTH. AND/OR POWDERED REP-CAL HERPTIVITE ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH SPRINKLED ON HER FOOD. TORTOISES NEED LOTS OF FIBER. APPARENTLY, TORTOISES DO NOT NEED MUCH PROTEIN, BUT PROTEIN SUCH AS CHOPPED UP HARD BOILED EGGS (WITH SHELL STILL ON) SHOULD BE OFFERED ON OCCASION. A WARM BATH IS A GOOD IDEA ONCE A WEEK. THIS TORTOISE REQUIRES A LARGE YARD TO WALK AROUND IN FOR MOST OF THE DAY ESPECIALLY APRIL TO OCTOBER IN FLORIDA. SHE SHOULD NEVER BE OUT IN COLD RAIN OR WEATHER LESS THAN 65 DEGREES. COLD RAIN COULD CAUSE SICKNESS. I LEAVE HER OUTSIDE 24/7 FOR MOST OF THE SPRING SUMMER AND FALL IN FLORIDA (IN WARM RAIN) BUT ONE SHOULD BE AWARE IF THERE ARE RATS OR RACCOONS AROUND THAT MAY WANT TO HARM HER, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. TRY NOT TO LEAVE PET FOOD OUTSIDE AT NIGHT WHICH WILL ATTRACT RODENTS. TORTOISES REQUIRE BOTH SUN AND SHADE. IN WINTER I TAKE HER OUTSIDE IN THE AFTERNOON WARMEST PART OF THE DAY FOR TWO TO FIVE HOURS DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE. NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH WILL REQUIRE HER BEING TAKEN INTO THE HOUSE OR GIVEN A SMALL LAMP-HEATED OUTDOOR DOG HOUSE WHERE SHE CAN MOVE FREELY IN AND OUT OF THE HEAT AS NEEDED ON COLD NIGHTS. MY BACK YARD IS 50 FEET BY 70 FEET AND IS FENCED IN. THE FENCE GOES 4 TO 5 INCES INTO THE GROUND. THIS SPECIES IS NOT KNOWN FOR DIGGING BUT WILL TRY TO BREAK THROUGH A WEAK FENCE IF THEY FEEL THEY WANT TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE. I HAVE SEE-THROUGH FENCING AND SHE HAS NOT BEEN TOO BAD WITH THAT, BUT SOLID NON-SEE-THROUGH FENCING ( AT LEAST 2-FEET TALL) IS CONSIDERED BEST FOR OUTDOOR TORTOISES. IF A FULL GRASSY YARD WITH PLANTS TO HIDE UNDER IN EXTREME HEAT IS NOT POSSIBLE THEN A SOLID NON-SEE-THROUGH FENCED AREA OF AT LEAST 15 FT X 15 FT WITH PLACES TO HIDE SHOULD BE SUPPLIED. FOR THIS PARTICULAR TORTOISE, 25 FT X 25 FT WOULD BE BETTER AND SHE MUST HAVE PLANTS OR SOME SORT OF COVERING TO HIDE UNDER TO COOL OFF IN THE HOT FLORIDA SUN. SHE WILL QUICKLY EAT ALL THE GRASS IN THE ENCLOSURE SO A FULLY FENCED BACK YARD WITH PLANT COVERAGE IS PREFERRED FOR HER. SHE IS TOO BIG NOW TO TAKE ON CROSS COUNTRY CAR TRIPS DUE TO DEALING WITH MANY MOTELS AND MY OTHER PETS SO i AM OFFERING HER FOR SALE. TOO EXPENSIVE TO BOARD HER FOR 6-WEEKS AT A TIME. I COULD EASILY KEEP HER IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY EXTENSIVE CAR TRAVEL TO COLDER CLIMATES. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE NO ACCESSERIES TO OFFER THE BUYER OF THIS TORTOISE. i AM OFFERING ONLY THIS TORTOISE FOR SALE. PLEASE CONSIDER THE CARE OF THIS ANIMAL VERY CAREFULLY. SHE IS USED TO HAVING HER OWN BACK YARD IN THE FLORIDA SUN & SHADE. LOCATED IN NEW PORT RICHEY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. PICK-UP ONLY. THANKS FOR VIEWING THIS LISTING
message REALCHUCK about this ad