Sulcata Sizes-Question

[Cycere]

What is the approximate age Sulcatas reach their full length? How large do they get, on average? Average weight? Male, Female?
Thank you for your time!
-Izzy

 

[Tom]

They all grow at different rates.

Big males typically get up to 130 pounds, females rarely get over 80 and 60-70 is more common for an older mature female.

Male sulcatas from Sudan can get over 250 pounds..., but this is not the "norm".

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Izzy:

Full size and sexual maturity are not the same thing. They reach sexual maturity much sooner than they reach full size.

I have a male sulcata and I measure and weigh him once a year. His weight increased by leaps and bounds up until he reached 100lbs at 20yrs. That was about 5 years ago. Since then, he gains a pound or less a year and his length has increased very slowly, but not by much.

I can't say that Dudley is the norm, because he's the only sulcata I've ever raised that big. And he wasn't started correctly. He's quite bumpy.

If memory serves, you don't have a tortoise yet, right? So your question is in the mode of research for your decision making? If you get a baby sulcata, and raise him correctly - heat and moisture, then I'd be willing to bet your tortoise will reach 100lbs much sooner than my Dudley did. Probably at about 12 to 15 years of age.

A hatchling sulcata outgrows his indoor habitat by 3 years of age.

Does any of this help you?