Well, it's been 24 weeks now and I'm getting mixed results in my husbandry.

Gaia is not doing well, while Eros is growing leaps and bounds. Gaia has lost 10 gm in the last 2 weeks. She is 1yr old, she weighs 47.1gm and is 5.8cm long.


Now Eros, on the other hand, has packed on 20 gms in the last 6 weeks and is adapting well to his Batchlor Pad! He is currently 6.6 months old weighs 72.6gm and is 6.5cm.


I'm not sure whats going on with Gaia, but starting tomorrow I'll start her on babyfood soaks in the mornings. Her eyes are clear, she has no discharge from her nose, she's very active and untill a couple of weeks ago her growth was VERY, VERY slow and now has reverced. She shows little or no intertest in fresh vegies or cactuse and will eat about 1/2 a piece of soft mazurri after her morning soak.

Eros looks great!! He is so smooth and glad that he is gaining weight. Im sorry to hear about Gaia.....hopefully one of the other experienced ones will give you some advice. I hope her shell is not getting soft. I would see if you can find out where she hatched at from the previous owner and try to contact them.....it may even be in an old post from when she first received Gaia.
Hope she will start to feel better soon...

(07-21-2012 03:24 PM)jesst Wrote:  Eros looks great!! He is so smooth and glad that he is gaining weight. Im sorry to hear about Gaia.....hopefully one of the other experienced ones will give you some advice. I hope her shell is not getting soft. I would see if you can find out where she hatched at from the previous owner and try to contact them.....it may even be in an old post from when she first received Gaia.
Hope she will start to feel better soon...

Thanks! Eros started kinda slow but now his weight gain is steady and so is his shell growth.

So far so good on the "Soft Shell" subject. If it wasn't for the sudden and dramatic weight loss I'd say she was fine!

They both look great! Do they get any outside time?

Zamric I would certainly get a very fresh stool sample and take it to the vet for a parasite check. She may very well have parasites. If not, then I would have the vet take a look at her. There must be something wrong for such little weight gain. Hopefully, it will just be a matter of a little medication for worms.

(07-21-2012 06:10 PM)DesertGrandma Wrote:  Zamric I would certainly get a very fresh stool sample and take it to the vet for a parasite check. She may very well have parasites. If not, then I would have the vet take a look at her. There must be something wrong for such little weight gain. Hopefully, it will just be a matter of a little medication for worms.

Good post Joy, I was going to ask what the tortoises poop looked like, but if there is that much weight loss in a baby tortoise I think a vet visit would be first on my list.

Took Gaia to the Vet today and the Vet said she looks great! Very small for her age but her eys are clear her shell is sound she is active and eating well. I will find out the result of the feces test tomorrow to find out about worms and parasites.

I hope all goes well. They both do look really good.

very nice lil leo !!! =)

Hey try hibiscus leaves mine chow down on those.

Well, got the results for the Fecal Test. Gaia is clean and free of worms and parasites! YAY!

...now, Why is she so small and why did she lose weight?

are they kept separate?

Yes they are. I just had a big Build called "Twin Enclosure" here are links to it..

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Twin...Phase-I-II
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Twin...-Phase-III
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Twin...e-Phase-IV
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Twin...l-Assymbly

Wow that is a great one! Has she started to gain back her weight?

Torts grow at different rates, so if she is showing signs of being healthy then I wouldn't worry too much. It sounds like she is just in a slow growth stage. Mine did that for a while and then one day just started shooting up in weight. Try some different foods, spring mix lettuce, flowers, cut up cactus pad and see if you can find something she really likes. Just keep feeding and as long as she eats, drinks and poops then she will grow eventually.