When exactly is the juvenile growth spurt?

[RosemaryDW]

We talk hatchlings all the time and to some extent juveniles. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard when a baby starts having those teenager growth spurts?

Obviously it varies in the wild but for a healthy captive bred tortoise, when would we see that jump? Six months? Two years?

I’ve got a Russian but would be interested to her about any genus/species.

 

[Markw84]

For my experience only with stars, leopards, and sulcatas. I can say that I like to really see them double their hatching weight. That is quite variable sometimes, but "normally" can be in 3-4 months. Once they quadruple their hatch weight they can grow quite consistently and will go from 5% -12% weight gain per month. So a 150 g tortoise will gain 8-18g in a month, but a 3000 g tortoise is gaining 150-400g in a month. Once they reach about 2/3 their "listed max adult sizes" that tends to slow down.

 

[Tom]

I haven't noticed any pattern with any of mine. They just grow when they grow. In the last 8 years or so, I've been raising lots of groups of hatchlings. Sulcatas, SA leopards, Sudan sulcatas, russians, CDTs, and my stars. I certainly notice growth spurts, but I don't notice specific ages or times frames for the spurts. They just happen when they happen.

 

[Markw84]

As additional food for thought for this conversation... I really have come to think there are really not so much growth spurts as growth slows/stops. My observations have caused me to believe that they actually grow quite consistently as mentioned above when given optimal conditions. But there are so many things that can trigger a slow or stop in growth. Obviously a hibernation will. A change in their routine/enclosure, and added stress, a buildup of parasite load, an illness that can even never develop to obvious symptoms, a change in lighting duration and intensity, a change in diet and diet preferences, etc, etc, etc...

I have always weighed and measured my growing tortoises very regularly each month. I use a change in growth rate as an indicator to really watch that tortoise and will most always pull out the microscope and check the fecal just to be sure. Sometimes I expect it as when I move some to outside enclosures. I personally feel it is a great barometer of overall health and vigor to see consistent growth.