9 month old Sulcata

[DawnH]

It has been a while since I have posted and I am a bit worried about Tuleo. I have been looking for weight guesstimates online to see if his weight is looking good and cannot find anything. I am worried he isn't gaining the weight he should. I just weighed him and he is weighing in between 153 - 155 grams. He just turned 9 months old. Is this on track? He has had NO store bought foods since I have owned him (at 5.5 weeks) and has been in his outdoor enclosure when weather allowed. (He is filthy because I just brought him in to weigh/fret over him.) Any input would be great.

Thank you!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If you're worried about it, why don't you supplement with dark leafy greens for a while? Does he have good graze outside? Blooms, weeds, grape leafs etc.
Bob is 16 yrs and 150 pounds, has decent graze and I still feed him a healthy breakfast and collect dandelions and other good stuff to give him during the day. If the weather is bad and he's inside what does Tuleo eat?

 

[Dizisdalife]

He looks great. Don't worry so much about the weight as they all seem to grow at different rates. That's one reason you didn't find much when you searched. I think 150 grams at 9 months is okay. It might be on the small side compared to others, but nothing to worry about. Before long he will be gaining 10 grams a week and weighing half a pound. Just make sure he has a varied diet and gets plenty to eat.

 

[DawnH]

He has a great graze outside and I only feed him "fresh" goodness from our garden/yard. His outdoor enclosure (I have shown photos before) of his kiddie pool is planted with Sulcata pasture seed mix. I think his shell looks okay, didn't know if he was a slow grower or if someone with experience could see something "off." (I think he is looking healthy.) I tend to be a worry wart.

 

[TortyTom]

My Darwin was about that old and that size when I got him/her. Now just 18 months later he/she is 10 1/2 pounds. Your tort is fine and right on track!

 

[lismar79]

I'm starting to think my almost nine month old is a mutant at 390 g..... not sure but think I read mazuri helps with fast growth & mine gets some 2 times a week. Only a few pc though.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I just wanted to add, don't worry so much about fast growth, worry about healthy growth and he will be better off in the long run.

 

[DawnH]

Thank you so much everyone! I have spent the day revamping his outdoor pool area, planting new seed and looking up ideas for live plants that can create more shade that will hold up to Tuleo AND our Texas heat. I sure love the little bugger and want to make sure I have all my bases covered with the little guy.

 

[simiruco]

His shell looks amazing!!!

 

[mushmouth26]

Looks good to me.. Mine is 218g at 11 months.. I do feed her mazuri a couple times a week. Just to help cover any nutritional deficiencies from the weeds and greens she gets.

 

[Tom]

The weight is fine. How much time does he spend outside? When they spend hours a day outside at this size it really slows their growth. One that is housed primarily indoors in a humid closed chamber will typically be bigger than yours. One that is raised dry on rabbit pellets in a dry climate will typically grow slower than yours.

 

[Blakem]

Dex, my sulcata, piped in March of 2012. This is some of her results.


Here's some great plant identification websites I use.

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/diet.htm#plantlist

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[bouaboua]

very nice.