Juvenile Aldabra growth-rates

[HI Tortoise Rescue]

Okay, as I promised, please check out the growth rate of our 4 juvenile Aldabras in this graph.

Bob, Ginny, & Bolo were all born in late 2010, & while we're not sure about Thor (he was a rescue), our herpetologist friend from the Honolulu Zoo told us that he is approximately 8 years old. Thor was badly dehydrated when we rescued him, & acted like he was starving when we got him back to our facility, so his big jump in weight is due to our putting him on an appropriate diet. I'll keep updating this chart as my wife weighs them, although I'll probably switch to pounds fairly soon!

Ken

 

[wellington]

I don't know, but it seems 150 ounces, 9.375 pounds, kinda small for a 6 year old?
If I remember correctly, I believe Yvonne posted one time that hers were like 150 pounds at 7 years.
Will be interesting to see.
@Yvonne G @ALDABRAMAN How does this seem to compare to yours?

 

[HI Tortoise Rescue]

I can't speak to that, Wellington, but I know our data are accurate. And I can't see how any tortoise could eat as much as our Aldabras do, let alone enough more to get them nearly 20 times larger! The four Aldabras alone eat a full 50-pound sack of Mazuri each month, along with a good chunk of a bale of Timothy hay, & a lot of fruits, vegetables, hibiscus, Opuntia, etc., etc.

Ken

 

[Fredkas]

Yes, i think it is a bit small. But i am newbie in tort stuff. I would like too see others opinion. I am not familiar with ounces and pounds, but i converted it, 150 ounces is 4.25kg. Hmm... i am waiting eagerly for your sulcatas, if i missed it, tell me

 

[HI Tortoise Rescue]

We do have some juvenile Sulcatas, Fredkas, but we get so many that I'm not sure if my wife tracks them. If she has data, I'll post the chart in the Sulcata forum.

Ken

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I don't know, but it seems 150 ounces, 9.375 pounds, kinda small for a 6 year old?
If I remember correctly, I believe Yvonne posted one time that hers were like 150 pounds at 7 years.
Will be interesting to see.
@Yvonne G @ALDABRAMAN How does this seem to compare to yours?

~ Can you post a picture, that is very light. We would have a fecal sample tested by a vet. Our six year olds are typically 35 pounds minimum.

 

[ben awes]

I have experience with only one so I'm no expert, but I've just not heard of an Aldabra in captivity growing that slowly. They are simply fed too well and too much to not grow faster I think. My leopard tortoises were over 15 pounds in 6 years.

My Aldabra (don't everyone rip me too hard) is 40 pounds at 4 years. I feed him every other day a chopped up pile of soaked orchard hay about the size of a baseball, with about a 1/3 cup Mazuri every other time. And fresh stuff as often as possible instead. I don't know how to slow him down. I'm not going to starve him. He's indoors half the year and grazing is not possible then.

Here is a also screen shot of my growth chart i keep on my phone in a graphing app. This is weight (pounds) (y) x months(x).

 

[wellington]

I'm afraid your aldabras are either loaded with parasites or are being grossly under fed. Too much fruit isn't good for them either. I would get them checked out for parasites, cut out the fruit and bump up the hay, grasses, and Mazuri. That's just way under weight. Aldabraman keeps them probably the best of anyone and has had many. He doesn't try to grow them fast either. Th mostly graze with some added Mazuri, cactus and occasionally water melon, peppers, pumpkin, from what I can remember.

 

[Yvonne G]

I was very surprised at how quickly my two male Aldabs grew, much faster than the sulcata. I didn't keep a growth chart, but I have a health record where I noted down weights and measurements occasionally.

They were hatchlings when I got them in 2000. The first time I weighed them after that was 3/2/04 and one of them weighed 26lbs the other 17lbs. I next weighed them 3/18/10 and one of them was 123lbs the other 130lbs. Then in October of 2011 one weighed 148lbs the other 182lbs. They are both over 200lbs now, and I can't weigh them anymore.

 

[HI Tortoise Rescue]

We bring fecal samples to our vet annually, & she hasn't found any problems so far. They all get a big serving of Timothy hay each day, along with about 1/2 pound (.25 kg) of mazuri, & their pen has grass, Opuntia, & as many weeds that we can block off to grow before they eat them. We give them a melon about once a month (watermelon or canteloupe), & any mango that are overripe & drop from our tree. What else do you suggest, Yvonne?

Ken