Re: Sulcatta Tortoise growth

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Posted by Terry on August 15, 2001 at 15:15:06:

In Reply to: Sulcatta Tortoise growth posted by dave on August 14, 2001 at 23:48:27:

Hi Dave,
In the wild sulcatas reach full adult size at around 15-20 years of age.Adult size can be anywhere from 24" -36", females are usually smaller than males.

In captivity however it's very common to find very young sulcatas just a few years old, already nearing their adult size.
This is often due to overfeeding or feeding the wrong foods.
And often these sulcatas will show signs of pyramiding, instead of smooth/normal growth.

http://turtlestuff.com/pyramid.html

There is a lot of debate on this subject at the moment and certainly not all sulcatas grow at the same rate.Even clutchmates on the exact same diet can grow at very different rates.

However what you want to aim for is slow/steady growth.If your sulcata is growing too quickly and pyramiding then there's a good chance that the diet needs some adjusting.

One to two inches a year is generaly considered within the normal range.
Some may grow slower or have growth spurts along the way.
In the wild growth is usually determined by the season and which foods are available during the various seasons. Food might be abundent for a while, then as the season changes become sparse.

In captivity food is usually abundent year round, and then some!

Terry.

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: : Hi Dave, : In the wild sulcatas reach full adult size at around 15-20 years of age.Adult size can be anywhere from 24" -36", females are usually smaller than males. : In captivity however it's very common to find very young sulcatas just a few years old, already nearing their adult size. : This is often due to overfeeding or feeding the wrong foods. : And often these sulcatas will show signs of pyramiding, instead of smooth/normal growth. : http://turtlestuff.com/pyramid.html : There is a lot of debate on this subject at the moment and certainly not all sulcatas grow at the same rate.Even clutchmates on the exact same diet can grow at very different rates. : However what you want to aim for is slow/steady growth.If your sulcata is growing too quickly and pyramiding then there's a good chance that the diet needs some adjusting. : One to two inches a year is generaly considered within the normal range. : Some may grow slower or have growth spurts along the way. : In the wild growth is usually determined by the season and which foods are available during the various seasons. Food might be abundent for a while, then as the season changes become sparse. : In captivity food is usually abundent year round, and then some! : Terry. : :

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