A year of doubt then a year of hope

diamondbp

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Nearly two years ago I purchased this beautiful p.pardalis with hopes of raising a fast growing giant leopard. Much to my disappointment and confusion she stayed the exact same size FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! Now I have been raising turtles and tortoises for many years and I knew what was necessary for good growth. She got all the sunshine, soaking, variety of food, etc necessary for a healthy leopard and yet still wasn't growing. She was initially being housed with 3 similar sized baby leopards who started to quickly out grow her. Well roughly after the first 8 months I got so frustrated that I isolated her from any others in hopes that that must have been the reason. Even though they always had PLENTY of food and I never witnessed bullying she still just wasn't growing .
3-4 additional months passed with ZERO growth when finally 10 months ago I noticed some small white specks of growth. It was to good to be true. Now nearly a year later she has blown past the 1pound mark and is on pace to pass up the largest.
So if you are currently hanging in there waiting for your tortoise to grow, don't give up. Sometimes it takes a little change here and there to trigger something. Thanks for readingImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1404911449.378909.jpg
 

shanu303

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Wow, it is really interesting as to how largely the growth rate differs from individual to individual... by the way really nice p.pardalis :)
 

diamondbp

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Thanks guys. It was a long confusing road but she is surely turning out to be a beautiful specimen :)
 

wellington

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So patience and persistence is I guess the moral of the story here:D They are looking great, good job. I hope the patience and persistence work for the little leopard I rescued a few months back. She hasn't grown since I got her. She eats like a pig though. She is also walking much better then when I first got her, at least we got past that hump some.
 

WillTort2

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Do you think she's just a late bloomer; or do you think she was intimidated by the other tortoises?
 

diamondbp

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I honestly think it was a mental trigger. Diet/habitat/care etc was identical other than her being isolated. It was at the point at times that I thought she was going to die because she just didn't seem right. What makes it even stranger is that she is now much bolder than she used to be.
 
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