Welcome home, Atlas!

counting

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Still loving tortoise keeping life. It's pretty magical and surreal. Around here tortoises are so rare it's a little bit like having a pet unicorn- and a total dream come true, haha.

Atlas is much less of a baby over the past week. They stay up later, and wake up earlier and faster. They also have had a HUGE increase in appetite and I believe a little growth spurt.

Here is my cutie eating some breakfast!

Screenshot_20190720-192840_Gallery.jpg
 

counting

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It may also sound silly, but, I'm also super proud of how Atlas is growing. They had a TINY bit of a bump to the carapace when they came home. All the new growth so far seems pretty flat and even so I feel great about that. I don't want to be the one that deforms one of these beautiful, ancient creatures for life. inCollage_20190720_195226178.jpg
 

SweetGreekTorts

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It may also sound silly, but, I'm also super proud of how Atlas is growing. They had a TINY bit of a bump to the carapace when they came home. All the new growth so far seems pretty flat and even so I feel great about that. I don't want to be the one that deforms one of these beautiful, ancient creatures for life. View attachment 276914
Beautiful growth. Nice job! [emoji106]
 

dmilam

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Have you been tracking his weight? I just adopted a little and it’s 30g. At first I thought it was a yearling. Now I’m thinking more like 6 months or less.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Have you been tracking his weight? I just adopted a little and it’s 30g. At first I thought it was a yearling. Now I’m thinking more like 6 months or less.
Do you have a hatch date for yours?

They grow at different rates, so without a hatch date nobody can guess exactly how old a tortoise is.

Perfect example:
I have 2 horsefieldii babies that are turning a year old this week. They were in the same clutch and hatched on the same day (7/31/18). Both have separate, identical enclosures since they were 2 months old. Exact same everything. One of them weighs 140 grams, while the other weighs 58 grams and is visibly half the size.
 

dmilam

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Do you have a hatch date for yours?

They grow at different rates, so without a hatch date nobody can guess exactly how old a tortoise is.

Perfect example:
I have 2 horsefieldii babies that are turning a year old this week. They were in the same clutch and hatched on the same day (7/31/18). Both have separate, identical enclosures since they were 2 months old. Exact same everything. One of them weighs 140 grams, while the other weighs 58 grams and is visibly half the size.

Unfortunately I don’t have that date. It currently weighs 30 grams.
 

counting

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Have you been tracking his weight? I just adopted a little and it’s 30g. At first I thought it was a yearling. Now I’m thinking more like 6 months or less.

No I have not been tracking weight, so no help there. There is a huge difference in growth rates between individuals and possibly also different subspecies.
For instance sweetgreektorts has a greek hatchling, also named Atlas, right about the same age as mine, and I believe was close to 1/2in larger than my Atlas.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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No I have not been tracking weight, so no help there. There is a huge difference in growth rates between individuals and possibly also different subspecies.
For instance sweetgreektorts has a greek hatchling, also named Atlas, right about the same age as mine, and I believe was close to 1/2in larger than my Atlas.
My Atlas, the Moroccan Greek, currently weighs 51 grams and measures 2.5 inches. He'll be 4 months old tomorrow.20190726_050237.jpeg
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Unfortunately I don’t have that date. It currently weighs 30 grams.
I am raising a bunch of different subspecies of Greeks to breed when they are big enough. I got them all as hatchlings to raise myself. I weigh them all every week on Friday under the same circumstances (right after they defecate in their morning soak and before they get breakfast).

Just for comparison data...

My 3 terrestris/Mesopotamian, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 6 months, 2 months, and 2 months.

My 3 marokkensis, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2 months, 4.5 months, and 3 months.

My 3 ibera from Ankara Turkey, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2.5 months, 2 months, and 1.5 months.

My 3 ibera from Northern Turkey, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2 months, 4 months, and 2 months.

There has been speculation that the females also grow larger and faster than the males, since as adults they are the larger of both genders. But once mine are all big enough to confirm gender, I'll have more data to look into that theory.

So lots of factors are involved, which is why the weight and size alone of a tortoise cannot accurately guess the age.
 

counting

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I am raising a bunch of different subspecies of Greeks to breed when they are big enough. I got them all as hatchlings to raise myself. I weigh them all every week on Friday under the same circumstances (right after they defecate in their morning soak and before they get breakfast).

Just for comparison data...

My 3 terrestris/Mesopotamian, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 6 months, 2 months, and 2 months.

My 3 marokkensis, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2 months, 4.5 months, and 3 months.

My 3 ibera from Ankara Turkey, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2.5 months, 2 months, and 1.5 months.

My 3 ibera from Northern Turkey, reached 30 grams in weight at ages: 2 months, 4 months, and 2 months.

There has been speculation that the females also grow larger and faster than the males, since as adults they are the larger of both genders. But once mine are all big enough to confirm gender, I'll have more data to look into that theory.

So lots of factors are involved, which is why the weight and size alone of a tortoise cannot accurately guess the age.
Are you recording the lengths? I'm curious with my Atlas being an intergrade what species they will take after for size :).
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Are you recording the lengths? I'm curious with my Atlas being an intergrade what species they will take after for size :).
Yes, I measure them all on the 1st day of each month. Since yours is a mix of terrestris and ibera, I'll just share the data I have of mine for those two subspecies.

Starting the first month that I received them -

Apollo (terrestris): 1.75", 1.85", 2.0", 2.1", 2.1", 2.1", 2.2", 2.2", 2.3", 2.5", 2.5", 2.5"

Lyssa (terrestris): 2.1", 2.5", 2.8"

Theia (terrestris): 2.0", 2.3", 2.6"

Orion (ibera): 2.0", 2.0", 2.0", 2.1", 2.2", 2.4", 2.6", 2.8", 3.0", 3.3", 3.4"

Demeter (ibera): 2.0", 2.25", 2.35", 2.5", 2.7", 3.0", 3.3", 3.6", 3.9", 4.2", 4.5", 4.8"

Selene (ibera): 1.75", 2.0", 2.25", 2.45", 2.6", 2.9", 3.2", 3.5", 3.8", 4.2", 4.4", 4.7"

Hermes (ibera): 1.75", 2.0", 2.25", 2.6", 2.9", 3.2", 3.5", 3.8", 3.9", 4.1", 4.3"

Kleio (ibera): 2.0", 2.15", 2.25", 2.5", 3.0", 3.3", 3.6", 3.9", 4.2", 4.5", 4.8"

Athena (ibera): 2.0", 2.1", 2.2", 2.3", 2.6", 2.7", 2.8", 3.0", 3.1", 3.2", 3.4"
 

dmilam

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I appreciate this information. I’m very new to the tortoise life so it’s nice to see the information for comparison. Do you measure from head to tail over the carapace or the plastron. Are there any other measurements you suggest keeping for your records?

Since the tortoise lives so long, I was thinking of starting a journal to record measurements and make notes about life events.

Sorry counting, I’m really not trying to hijack your thread.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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I appreciate this information. I’m very new to the tortoise life so it’s nice to see the information for comparison. Do you measure from head to tail over the carapace or the plastron. Are there any other measurements you suggest keeping for your records?

Since the tortoise lives so long, I was thinking of starting a journal to record measurements and make notes about life events.

Sorry counting, I’m really not trying to hijack your thread.
I measure weight weekly to make sure they are gaining and not losing.

To measure their length, it's from the front of their shell to the back of their shell, but flat (don't curve a tape measure across the top of their shell). I currently use a digital caliper to measure them.

Here's a photo example from the Hermanni Haven website.IMG_20190728_131039.jpeg
 

dmilam

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I measure weight weekly to make sure they are gaining and not losing.

To measure their length, it's from the front of their shell to the back of their shell, but flat (don't curve a tape measure across the top of their shell). I currently use a digital caliper to measure them.

Here's a photo example from the Hermanni Haven website.View attachment 277419

That is perfect, thank you. I spoke with the person I adopted this tortoise from and he said it is seven months old.
 

counting

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Thanks @SweetGreekTorts ! From what I think I am seeing, looks like Atlas is sort of in between, currently tracking closer to ibera I *think*.

And honestly I don't mind the discussion on my post:)
 

counting

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Atlas was 4 months yesterday. What a gorgeous, friendly little tort. No shyness at all. We adore them. Here are some obligatory 4 month pictures! 20190728_175402.jpg 20190728_180020.jpg 20190728_180110.jpg 20190728_175516.jpg 20190728_175535.jpg
 

counting

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I tried to get a plastron pic, and realized my tortoise is a total derp.(don't worry, they were only flipped for a few seconds!)20190728_180131.jpg
 
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