Gender and size

[Mich]

Quick question, I have a female leopard tortoise that is aprox 7yrs old and nearly 12" long. I'm looking at a male that I'm told is 8yrs old and 9" long. I don't know a lot about the male yet, I know he was housed in a large 10x10 enclosure with a red foot of similar sized. I don't believe his diet was the best.

Is it typical for a female a year younger to be nearly 3" larger? Or is it more likely that the size difference at this age is due more to diet and environmental conditions? I know adult sizes can vary among gender but I'm just curious because both of these tortoises still have a lot of growing to do.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know about ALL leopards, but in my tortoises' case, the females are larger than the males.

 

[Mich]

I figured the female would be larger, I guess maybe I just assumed a female of the exact same age would keep growing a little more after the male reached his max...but perhaps they outgrow the males gradually along the way.

I haven't purchased this male yet and I'm curious about his much smaller size (makes me question his health or husbandry a little)

 

[Tom]

Growth rates can vary wildly depending on many factors. I wouldn't worry about this size difference.

If you are getting this tortoise for breeding purposes, he should be able to get the job done.

 

[deadheadvet]

Sometimes a smaller male has an easier time servicing a bigger female.