Aging my tortoise

1289Gabe

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I got my tortoise as a baby last year for Christmas, but he wasn’t newly born, is there a way to determine his age? His plastron was kinda soft still when I got him.
 

Minority2

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1. What type of tortoise is this?
2. What is the length of the carapace?
3. Clear pictures of the front and back of the tortoise shell would be most helpful.
4. Soft plastron would be normal for a young hatchling. They harden with age. Now if the carapace is still soft a year later then that would be an issue.
 

Tom

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I got my tortoise as a baby last year for Christmas, but he wasn’t newly born, is there a way to determine his age? His plastron was kinda soft still when I got him.
You can only estimate if you don't know the hatch date. Did he have an egg tooth? Those drop off by around 6 weeks usually.
 

1289Gabe

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He’s a leopard, carapace is 3 inches
 

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Tom

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What’s a egg tooth? Also, here are the picks
See the little sharp point at the tip of the snout? Egg tooth. They use that to get out of their egg. It fades away by around 6 week old. Most sulcata and leopard babies sold by most sellers still have one.
IMG_1172.jpg
 

1289Gabe

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I can’t find any good pictures when I got him, but on the website (tortoise town), it was “well started baby”

See the little sharp point at the tip of the snout? Egg tooth. They use that to get out of their egg. It fades away by around 6 week old. Most sulcata and leopard babies sold by most sellers still have one.
View attachment 303852
 

Srmcclure

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I can’t find any good pictures when I got him, but on the website (tortoise town), it was “well started baby”
Mine said that from them as well and im pretty sure he was much younger than they had lead me to believe...
 

Srmcclure

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So, @Tom what do you think? The website said it was well started baby, does that mean a few weeks, or more months?
By what they told me, well started means 6 months old ? I dont trust anything they say.
This was my baby the first fee days I had him and I think that may be the egg tooth on him ?
I may be wrong on the tooth, but im 99% sure he wasn't 6 months lol
Screenshot_20200818-231558_Gallery.jpg
 

Tom

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So, @Tom what do you think? The website said it was well started baby, does that mean a few weeks, or more months?
"Well started" means housed, fed and cared for correctly, which they do not. Its not an indicator of age.
 

Tom

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There is no way to know unless you know the hatch date.
 

Tom

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Idk, just would like to know how old he is, for purposes like growth checks or stuff like that
Just start from the time you got him.

The only other thing to do is contact the seller or breeder and try to find out the actual hatch date.
 

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