Curious about her age...

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Hi! My female Sulcata is 50 pounds. We found her by the side of the road six years ago, and she was the size of a cheeseburger (with pyramiding). She free-ranges in the back yard. Any guess as to how old she is? Maybe 10 years?
Here she is after enjoying some blackberries yesterday.
IMG_0027.JPG
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,446
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
She's a he!! Probably eight or ten years old.
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
How can you tell? Her bottom shell is flat. I thought that was a determining factor
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,446
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Males' plastrons don't develop the curved plastron until they get bigger. Your tortoise's gular is large and curved. Females' gular is small and inconsequential
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Well OK then! Thank you very much. You’d think after my the reading I would have known that. I’ll read up on sex characteristics.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,472
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Well OK then! Thank you very much. You’d think after my the reading I would have known that. I’ll read up on sex characteristics.
Post a pic of the tail and anal scutes and we can sex it for you. I think Yvonne is correct, unless you have a very unusual female with large gular scutes. Pic like this: Female Sulcata.jpg


No way to know the age, but I'll bet Yvonne is pretty close on that one too.

By the way, fruit is not good for this species. It wreaks havoc on the gut flora and fauna because of the sugars. I wouldn't let them eat any fruit.
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Thanks, Tom. I can't lift her and get a shot at the same time, but I think Yvonne is right too. I just looked at a bunch of photos, and I've got a male. He was pretty small when we found him, made the call at that time, and never revised it! Thanks for tip about fruit. She foraged those along our back fence. I'll cut them back. Her main diet is field grass. It's a pretty impressive gular now that you mention it!
IMG_0037 (2).JPG
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,472
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks, Tom. I can't lift her and get a shot at the same time, but I think Yvonne is right too. I just looked at a bunch of photos, and I've got a male. He was pretty small when we found him, made the call at that time, and never revised it! Thanks for tip about fruit. She foraged those along our back fence. I'll cut them back. Her main diet is field grass. It's a pretty impressive gular now that you mention it!

Take a look at the tail and tell us the estimated length. Males have a LOOOOONG tail. Its unmistakable. The pic above is a female. See how the tail is just a tiny little nub? Here is a male for comparison:
Male Sulcata.jpg
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Thank you, Tom and Yvonne, for helping me sex this tortoise! Here are two new pics.
Image-1.jpg Image-2.jpg
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,670
Location (City and/or State)
CA
Males' plastrons don't develop the curved plastron until they get bigger. Your tortoise's gular is large and curved. Females' gular is small and inconsequential
that's a woman for you always concerned about how big a guy's gular is
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,799
Location (City and/or State)
California
I'm surprised you haven't seen absolute evidence of his maleness by now! It's hard to miss when they are showing it off.
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Thank you, @Tom! I love Tortuga and take good care of him, but he landed in my life, and I am no expert. I appreciate your expertise! Our back "lawn" is planted with field grass, timothy hay, clover, and wildflowers, and he free-ranges peacefully on 1/8 acre with 2 Flemish Giant rabbits and 12 chickens. I found him on the side of the road when he was the size of a cheeseburger, and now he's 50 pounds. I appreciate the Tortoise Forum!
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
I'm surprised you haven't seen absolute evidence of his maleness by now! It's hard to miss when they are showing it off.
Really, Charlie? You are shaming me for ignorance of the species? I am a cat/rabbit/chicken person who found him on the side of the road and took him on. Give me a break.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,670
Location (City and/or State)
CA
Really, Charlie? You are shaming me for ignorance of the species? I am a cat/rabbit/chicken person who found him on the side of the road and took him on. Give me a break.
I dout you are being shaming you he's just surprised you have not seen the tortoise's penis yet. :)
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,799
Location (City and/or State)
California
Really, Charlie? You are shaming me for ignorance of the species? I am a cat/rabbit/chicken person who found him on the side of the road and took him on. Give me a break.
I'm sorry, you misunderstood me. You probably missed the period when your tort was going through puberty. When they first go through puberty, there are obvious displays of the penis. If you've never seen a sulcata display his manhood, it is quite a shock. The first time I saw it, I thought his insides were coming out. There are several threads on here about it. Many people think their tortoise is dying. Later, but possibly not often, they try to relieve themselves by humping a ball or a rock. There's lots of grunting involved. I didn't want to get so blunt, but I really don't want you to think I was shaming or insulting you.
 

vonrad

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Oregon
Ha ha OK. No offense taken. I live in Southern Oregon, which has snowy winters. When I found him on a walk and took him in, he was the size of a cheeseburger. I read enough to learn he needed to be indoors during the winter, so we did the baby pool thing in the family room among all the other pets. Then he got huge and transitioned to a doghouse and heat mat in the backyard. I confess I never noticed his penis. I was raising a family with a dozen species of other pets. I never thought I'd own a large reptile, and my kids are grown and gone, but I love him and appreciate the Tortoise Forum's helping me know how to take care of him.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,799
Location (City and/or State)
California
Ha ha OK. No offense taken. I live in Southern Oregon, which has snowy winters. When I found him on a walk and took him in, he was the size of a cheeseburger. I read enough to learn he needed to be indoors during the winter, so we did the baby pool thing in the family room among all the other pets. Then he got huge and transitioned to a doghouse and heat mat in the backyard. I confess I never noticed his penis. I was raising a family with a dozen species of other pets. I never thought I'd own a large reptile, and my kids are grown and gone, but I love him and appreciate the Tortoise Forum's helping me know how to take care of him.
We used to have tons of pets of many kinds. My giant tortoise outlived them all!
 

New Posts

Top