Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm thinking about picking up some leopard tortoises. I was wondering how these do outdoors in the Houston, TX area. I'm concerned about the humidity issue, as we often have moderate to high humidity. Was just wondering if anyone in Houston or other areas with a similar climate kept their leopards outside. Also, do you feed weeds out of the yard or do you go buy hay/grasses for them, and is that easy to find in bulk? Thanks a lot.

I live in St Pete Florida and have two leopard torts that I keep outside year round. They have thrived since I have owned them, I think about 5 years. They used to eat my grass, but it is since long gone. (sprinkler system broke, drought) I feed them mostly oxbow hay that I buy in a 25 pd box at the pet store, hibiscus and their flowers, and opuntia cactus. The occasional stray vegetable from the leftover dinner scraps. The humidity is high here most of the time, but they have done great.

Shawnon

I've been in the Beaumont area since 2002 with two leopards (and now an adopted sulcata) and all have done great inspite of the humidity. they live outdoors year-round, have a small "torthouse" with heat for those longer stretches of colder temps and are let out if daytime temps are getting about 65 to bask in the sun.

i live in tomball and i tryed some b.pardallis outside about a year ago and they did not take to it so well. now just because my luck wasnt so great does not mean it cannot be done. im sure it can be done. i have had better luck with outdoor burmese mtn. torts, ivory sulcatas, and redfoots. all of thoes have done outstanding and produce several clutches a year redfoots donot even require incubation they just pop up out of the ground with out humidity. yellow foots, b.pardallis and greeks i have not SEEN take our humidity so well.