Sulcata growth

Zantino1

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Apr 2, 2018
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Redlands
Is it normal for a 5 year old “female”sulcata 9 inches long?
I know growth rates are different but it seems she could be bigger.
I fed her spring mix and dandelions for a long time and stoped a about a month ago, I am trying to get her alfalfa as her regular and some more cactus. She also eats cuttlebone with a pinch of calcium supplement on her food when I give it to her.
She lives in a 4 foot by 2 foot enclosure with coconut coir as the substrate, a humidifier, and a day light and night light.
I give her baths everyday and she has water available but she usually just steps in it.
So if there’s any more I can do please tell me ,last time I weighed her she was 5 pounds.
 

Hutsie B

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I head a sulcata 5 years old that was 9 inches long. You can't tell if they are male or female yet. It was just starting to grow faster before I rehomed her due to health issues with myself. My husband wasn't too keen on taking care of my two sulcatas, so I rehomed them. I miss them.
 

Jay Bagley

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Hello, I don't know if there is really a normal for a sulcata. When I acquired mine he or maybe a she was right around two and a half years old. I too thought that he was small for his age, at 2 and 1/2 years old he was only 4 inches long and weighed only a mere pound. 6 months later, he is now just over 9 inches long and weighs almost 6 lb. The previous owner fed only spring mix. I have given him a much more varied diet since he has come to me and his growth has really seemed to take off. When I did use hay, I was using the Timothy. But after a few recommendations from people on the forum, I switched to the Orchard Grass. It's not nearly as tough, and much easier for him to eat. I offer a few mazuri pellets with whatever I am feeding him as well. A varied diet will do wonders.
 

Zantino1

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Apr 2, 2018
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Redlands
Hello, I don't know if there is really a normal for a sulcata. When I acquired mine he or maybe a she was right around two and a half years old. I too thought that he was small for his age, at 2 and 1/2 years old he was only 4 inches long and weighed only a mere pound. 6 months later, he is now just over 9 inches long and weighs almost 6 lb. The previous owner fed only spring mix. I have given him a much more varied diet since he has come to me and his growth has really seemed to take off. When I did use hay, I was using the Timothy. But after a few recommendations from people on the forum, I switched to the Orchard Grass. It's not nearly as tough, and much easier for him to eat. I offer a few mazuri pellets with whatever I am feeding him as well. A varied diet will do wonders.
Thanks you I will try to get some
 

Tom

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That is on the small side. They can easily reach 50 pounds by 5 years old and that is eating mostly grass, weeds and opuntia. Nothing wrong if they are only 20-30 pounds at 5 years old, but 5 pounds indicates some sort of problem to me.

2x4' is the size tank to start a hatchling in. That is way too small for for a 3-4 inch sulcata much less a 9 inch one.

Please read these threads for proper care and feeding:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
 
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