Need help aging

abbygailz96

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Hi there!! I have a pancake tortoise named Waffles, and he is a rescue. However, where I got him from they couldnt give me an age. He is full grown and is now in good condition. Any help would be much appreciatedIMG_5658.jpgIMG_5659.jpg IMG_5663.jpg
 

dmmj

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a pancake tortoise named waffles? That sounds like the start of a bad joke. It will be next to Impossible without a hatch date.
 

wellington

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Like dmmj said. There is no way of telling a torts age. They all grow at different paces and a lot has to do with how they were raised.
 

abbygailz96

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a pancake tortoise named waffles? That sounds like the start of a bad joke. It will be next to Impossible without a hatch date.
I got him from a zoo where he was already named, not a bad joke, just cute.
 

abbygailz96

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Like dmmj said. There is no way of telling a torts age. They all grow at different paces and a lot has to do with how they were raised.
I understand that they grow at different paces but there has to be an average size per age, right?
 

Gabriel Mattei

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Nope not really these tortoises can live up to 40 years once they reach at least 5 years of age they grow extremely slowly so there is no way of knowing.
 

JoesMum

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I am with the others on this. There is absolutely no way of telling a tort's age unless you know a the hatch date.

And double that lifespan estimate. You could be looking at 80 years and more in captivity
 

abbygailz96

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That really sucks. I wish there was a way of knowing. Thanks for your help guys.
 

Rue

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He is super cute!

Do you know how long the zoo had him? See if you can work backwards...and then just pick a number for his approximate age...and go on the premise he'll live on the longer side! :)

Ex: The zoo had him 10 years. Likely wild caught...so add 5 years...so that would make him at least 15...etc.

Totally random - but you'll have a "number" to work from...
 

leigti

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Hello, I like the name waffles. My pancake tortoise is named Jack, as in flapjack. I know it is frustrating not to know how old tortoises are, I always wonder how old mine are also. But there's just no way to tell when they're wild caught or you don't know their history.
 

Tom

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I understand that they grow at different paces but there has to be an average size per age, right?

There are many variables that determine growth rate. Food, humidity, hydration, temperatures, stress levels, etc… Some can reach adult size in two or three years, while other can take more than 10 years to reach the same size. This makes any sort of "average" meaningless.

You little guy looks pretty dry. They do best with damp substrate and regular soaks.
 

abbygailz96

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He is super cute!

Do you know how long the zoo had him? See if you can work backwards...and then just pick a number for his approximate age...and go on the premise he'll live on the longer side! :)

Ex: The zoo had him 10 years. Likely wild caught...so add 5 years...so that would make him at least 15...etc.

Totally random - but you'll have a "number" to work from...
The zoo had him for about a year, and they got him from a museum and they never said how long he was at the museum. :( i just kind of picked the age of 6, it makes the most sense. and I set his birthdate to the date i received him!
 

abbygailz96

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There are many variables that determine growth rate. Food, humidity, hydration, temperatures, stress levels, etc… Some can reach adult size in two or three years, while other can take more than 10 years to reach the same size. This makes any sort of "average" meaningless.

You little guy looks pretty dry. They do best with damp substrate and regular soaks.
Thanks very much for that info!! I'll get working on it right away, i give him regular soaks but had no idea about the substrate!
 
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