What's the story about how your pet became yours? My husband and daughter went to the fish store to buy some fish for my husband’s aquarium and decided to surprise me with purchasing Leo.

What is your pet's favorite treat(s)? He absolutely loves strawberries!

How spoiled is your pet? I’m not sure if I would say spoiled, but he’s definitely well taken care of! Leopard Tortoises are rather high maintenance and require a certain amount of light, heat, and humidity.

What's a typical day for your pet? Leo starts his day with a soak in water for 20 to 30 minutes, afterwards he is offered a variety of organic Romaine, Dandelion and Green leaf lettuce along with fresh hibiscus and honeysuckle flowers from our yard. When weather permits (above 75 degrees) he spends his time in a secure outdoor enclosure that we have built for him. When it’s too cold for him to be outdoors he has a nice Indoor enclosure in our spare room.  Regardless of where he’s at he enjoys spending several hours a day basking in the sun or under his UVA/ UVB lamp and gets plenty of exercise climbing the rocks and small ramps in his enclosure.

How has your pet enriched you/your family? My family and I are enjoying a new experience as first time tortoise owners and have gained a lot of knowledge and interesting facts about this breed!

Is there anything else we should know about your pet? Leo developed a very serious bacterial infection last month that required an emergency visit to a local exotic pet vet. The doctor was skeptical if he would survive since he was so small, but she still sent me home with all the meds and directions to try and nurse him back to health. After being shown how to administer an injection, I injected him with antibiotics myself for the next 14 days along with a topical that needed to be applied to his arms, legs, and head. Since we had a family trip planned to go to California, we brought him along with us so I could take special care of him in the hotel room while he was recovering. We are very thankful that he has recovered and seems to be thriving now!