Tortoise Not Growing?

Status
Not open for further replies.

aznwinx

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
56
I have 3 Sulcata tortoises and I haven't seen one of them grow yet. Its funny because the other two are growing very fast but the smaller one is staying it size. Could there be a problem? They all eat like a champ, I have uvb for all of them also they have a hot spot around 95-100. They get soaked about 4 times a week. Have I done something wrong? They are all about 4-5 months old.Is it normal to have a slower growing sulcata? Thanks!:tort:


Anyone??
 

reticguy76

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2012
Messages
238
Just remember, just like humans, all animals are individuals and dont "read the book" on growth, eating, etc. A friend of mine has clutch mates that are a year old, and one is twice the size of the other, but the smaller one eats waaaayyy more than the larger one. As with any animal, there are many factors that contribute to size/growth (ie, food amount, food quality, genetics, etc)

If all torts are active, eating normally and appear in good physical condition, then all is good.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Make sure the small one is not being bullied if they are all in the same enclosure. Sometimes, that could play a role.
 

bholmes88

Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
95
Location (City and/or State)
Taylor, Tx
Both of my sulcatss were housed together for six months. After one started to gain quite a bit of weight more than the other I figured there was some bullying going on. I separated them a while back and they continued the same growth, one grew in massive leaps and the other not so much. It could be bullying, but it may be like mine and is just a slow grower.
 

Baoh

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
1,827
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Rule out parasites, impaction, and bullying. If ruled out, try adding a significant amount of Mazuri or other energy dense food to the diet. However much the tortoise will consume. Add a probiotic to the soaking water for a couple of weeks to increase feed efficiency. Make sure environmental moisture is adequate. If growth does not take off after the implementation of these factors, then you likely just have a runt.
 

sibi

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
6,486
Location (City and/or State)
Florida, USA
Did you get all your sulcatas from the same place? And, at what age where they when you got them?
 

aznwinx

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
56
Thanks for the replies! Also what do you guys exactly mean by "bullying"?


sibi said:
Did you get all your sulcatas from the same place? And, at what age where they when you got them?

I got one of them a month earlier than the others. So two of them i got at the same time. I got them when they were about 2 1/2 months old.


LuckysGirl007 said:
I would recommend a fecal test for worms just to be safe.

How much would this cost at a vet?
 

sibi

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
6,486
Location (City and/or State)
Florida, USA
By bullying, we mean that one or more torts will hog up all the food and place their bodies in a position that doesn't allow the one being picked on to feed. Also, at times you may notice that a larger (usually the same one) tort will nip at the head or other part of the body of the one being picked on. The same type of behavior goes for the sleep spot, bask spot, or just roaming. It's as though the one being picked on is not wanted there, and the other tort(s) just start bullying. It is very stressful for the one being picked on, and it affects his weight, health, and general well-being.


aznwinx said:
Thanks for the replies! Also what do you guys exactly mean by "bullying"?


sibi said:
Did you get all your sulcatas from the same place? And, at what age where they when you got them?

I got one of them a month earlier than the others. So two of them i got at the same time. I got them when they were about 2 1/2 months old.

The one being picked on, is he/she the one of the two you got at the same time?

LuckysGirl007 said:
I would recommend a fecal test for worms just to be safe.

How much would this cost at a vet?



It depends. If the vet is only going to do a fecal test, it should only be about $20. If the vet gives you meds to treat a positive result, the meds may cost another $20. If you brought your tort to the vet to have all these things done, it will cost perhaps another $30. all in all, a visit like that may cost about $70-80. It would be a lot cheaper to just bring in a sample of poop for them to test. This way, you won't have to pay for the office visit (vet), and you may not have to buy meds if the results are negative.
 

aznwinx

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
56
Yeah one of them started to nip on the little ones feet once it passed its growth size. But that only happened for a very short while because I guess he was really hungry. He doesn't do that anymore though. As for hogging the food they don't do that they all eat together, but I am starting to consider separating them to see what will happen. Thanks!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top