can you guy help me out I was contacted by a person wanting me to take in they 3 year old sulcata,for a fee of course.they told me the tort had a stright line of 4.5",I have a 3 year old girl and she has a strieght line on 13" and weighs between 10 and 11 pounds.am I doing rightby her or should I be worried about the outher little tort.Any suggestions as to what would cause the tort to stay so small,they should grown at 3 to 4 " a year while they're young right.little tort is scarey
why would a 3 year old sulcata be so small
- Thread starter glendab63
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It probably didn't get enough to eat and thats why it's so small for it's age. Young tortoises do the majority of their growing in the first 10 to 12 years of life and after that slow down.
You might have to worry about shell deformities or other internal problems. Sometimes these animals grow and sometimes they don't.
You should take all this into account before you get it.
Danny
You might have to worry about shell deformities or other internal problems. Sometimes these animals grow and sometimes they don't.
You should take all this into account before you get it.
Danny
egyptiandan said:
hello Danny,
and thanks for that thought thats kinda of what I was thinking .I have 2 that are 3 years old and one is 13" and the outher is 12" which the 12" is a little pyrmided he was a rescue and I have a 2 year old that is also a resuce and pyrmided but he's still 11"but I worry about his weight and I have wormed him but he's only 5.5lbs does that should ok or should I be concerned he eats like a pig.thanks for your help and advise
I'd be concerned about worms with your youngest. Should be heavier than that. If you can get it I would start feeding pumpkin or butternut squash once a week.
I do this with my animals and I haven't had a worm problem in years.
Danny
I do this with my animals and I haven't had a worm problem in years.
Danny
egyptiandan said:
I bought and gave them all pumpkin for the first the about a week ago ,i mean this year of course,and in the off season I was told you could feed can pumkin,but the rine is a very big part of this am I right and you say 1 time a week.and today they all had pumkin with they meal,I also think the 12 " male should be weighing more then he does also he's only 7.5 lbs. so I've really been keep an eye on them both they get feed everyday ,and graze all day as well,my 3 year old girl that is the largest weighs about 11 lbs.and she is stout.but like I said the outher 2 are recuse and I'm trying to get the weight on them and I have manged to get them eating Maruzi tort. as well, how often do you think I should feed this to them the Maruzi neither one of them new what it was but they both come running for it now thanks again Danny
egyptiandan said:
Danny,
i have one more question sorry to bother you.but if a tort has worms,would it be like a dog .I mean can you see them in they're stool thanks again Glenda
Size would depend on breed as well... have you seen this tort? pics?
Not enough food or too cold, no sun..
or maybe we all feed too much and they grow too fast and this is normal? Do we have/know growth rates for wild torts?
Not enough food or too cold, no sun..
or maybe we all feed too much and they grow too fast and this is normal? Do we have/know growth rates for wild torts?
I have 2 Sulcatas that are going on 3.5 years old. One weighs 1983g and the other only weighs 756g. They have both lived together since they were hatchlings so they both have the same conditions and same food. Both will eat and walk away most of the time when there is some food left. Both of them get a fecal test annually.
Oh, the SCL on the big one is 8" and the smaller one is 5.7"
Oh, the SCL on the big one is 8" and the smaller one is 5.7"
No you wouldn't necessarily see adult worms if your tortoise had worms. Adults are usually only shed if there is a very large infestation of them or you have given some kind of wormer.
With an annual fecal test, your tortoises still could have worms. What vets are looking for in a test is ova from the worms. You need to have 3 clean tests, taken at 2 week intervals, to say a tortoise is free of worms.
Danny
With an annual fecal test, your tortoises still could have worms. What vets are looking for in a test is ova from the worms. You need to have 3 clean tests, taken at 2 week intervals, to say a tortoise is free of worms.
Danny
I'll have to ask my vet why she only does 2 tests then as you said 2 weeks apart instead of 3 tests.
A question I asked the vet also is if one has worms, would the other one have them also and she said most likely.
A question I asked the vet also is if one has worms, would the other one have them also and she said most likely.
I would be worried about the little one. As Danny said, husbandry could be a factor, but internal problems can be a problem as well. I found this out the hard way as I have two yearlings from two different clutches. I got one at two months and the other at about 5 months. The one is 4" SCL while the other is about 2 & 1/4" SCL, I took it to the vet as it was not growing properly and had a soft shell, the vet told me that he had a failure to survive syndrome, and probably had internal problems, etc. kidneys. He has only gained a few grams in the 10 months that I have had him, but he eats like crazy, I give him pumpkin, and will probabley not know exactly whats wrong with him until he gets large enough to do blood work.
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Hey Guys,
Im a firm believer that some of this is hereditary. I have a 3 year old that is 9oz. He's a eating machine!! He has been checked and double checked by regular vets and the UCD herp Med center in Davis Ca... They Say he's Fine!
I also have a 4 year old thats 6lbs. Ok they get fed the same, all day sunshine, soaking twice a week, supplements, everything the same. They are from different clutches. The small one's brothers and sisters aren't much bigger or smaller. However I have talked to many breeders and they have said, some of thier Torts stayed small for a few years and then by the 3rd or 4th year had a massive growth spurt. I'm seeing this in my small one now. This summer he is growing and gaining weight every week. He'll be over 2lbs by next summer. I just dont think they all grow at the same rate.
Good luck
Jeff
"2 Sulcata's "ROCKY" & PEEK A BOO"
Im a firm believer that some of this is hereditary. I have a 3 year old that is 9oz. He's a eating machine!! He has been checked and double checked by regular vets and the UCD herp Med center in Davis Ca... They Say he's Fine!
I also have a 4 year old thats 6lbs. Ok they get fed the same, all day sunshine, soaking twice a week, supplements, everything the same. They are from different clutches. The small one's brothers and sisters aren't much bigger or smaller. However I have talked to many breeders and they have said, some of thier Torts stayed small for a few years and then by the 3rd or 4th year had a massive growth spurt. I'm seeing this in my small one now. This summer he is growing and gaining weight every week. He'll be over 2lbs by next summer. I just dont think they all grow at the same rate.
Good luck
Jeff
"2 Sulcata's "ROCKY" & PEEK A BOO"
Percy has grown about 3" this summer (in the past two months) just due to the sunshine and the availability of food. I let hime graze outside all day.
So I imagine if the tort didn't have access to enough excercise and sunshine, etc. then he may be way smaller than he is supposed to be.
So I imagine if the tort didn't have access to enough excercise and sunshine, etc. then he may be way smaller than he is supposed to be.
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