Baby Sulcata Growth

Lindsey28

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I was just wondering what the average growth rate it for sulcatas?
I bought mine several months ago (they're around 8 months old now), but one - I'm guessing/hopefully a male - is growing pretty fast, with good looking layers, while the other is still pretty small and her new layers are growing kind of funny.

I'll post pics to show, but I want to make sure everything is going good. I love them to death and they're so fun to watch :)
 

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SarahChelonoidis

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Are they living together? Often with pairs, the dominant one grows wells while the other one does not (a big part of the reason why pairs are not recommended).

Are you weighing them monthly? That's a good way to track growth.
 

Lindsey28

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They do live together, but I do make sure that they both are fed in equal amounts and with the right nutrients, I soak them in warm water usually at least every other day for a bit - like 15 minutes max, I take them outside to parks for a few hours (I try to every weekend). I spray down their habitat often to make sure it stays moist.

But she has always just been smaller and her shell growth has not been as smooth as his.

I don't have a scale to measure them :/
 

SarahChelonoidis

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@Tom has a lot of insight here.

I would get a scale so you can track growth properly. I think scales, just like thermometers, are necessary tortoise raising supplies.
 

Lindsey28

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What would you say would be normal growth?
Because I'm down for getting a scale, I just don't really know what they should be, you know?
 

SarahChelonoidis

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They all grow at different rates - there isn't really a 'normal'. You just want to see positive growth every month.
 

Yvonne G

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They do live together, but I do make sure that they both are fed in equal amounts and with the right nutrients, I soak them in warm water usually at least every other day for a bit - like 15 minutes max, I take them outside to parks for a few hours (I try to every weekend). I spray down their habitat often to make sure it stays moist.

But she has always just been smaller and her shell growth has not been as smooth as his.

I don't have a scale to measure them :/

I know a lot of folks don't agree with me, but I'll keep saying it, because I really, really believe it's true: It's mental bullying. The more dominant tortoise mentally tells the submissive tortoise to get out of the territory. But where can he go? He's stuck in there with the bully. You won't see overt actions. It's totally mental. So even though you provide the same amount of food for both tortoises, I'd be willing to bet the more submissive tortoise isn't eating all his. He's stressed and just wants to get away.

If you set the more dominant tortoise up in a new habitat and leave the submissive one in the existing territory, he will start growing and will soon be as big as the other one.
 

Lindsey28

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I know a lot of folks don't agree with me, but I'll keep saying it, because I really, really believe it's true: It's mental bullying. The more dominant tortoise mentally tells the submissive tortoise to get out of the territory. But where can he go? He's stuck in there with the bully. You won't see overt actions. It's totally mental. So even though you provide the same amount of food for both tortoises, I'd be willing to bet the more submissive tortoise isn't eating all his. He's stressed and just wants to get away.

If you set the more dominant tortoise up in a new habitat and leave the submissive one in the existing territory, he will start growing and will soon be as big as the other one.
Wow! I will try it out :)
 

Tom

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Yvonne explained the pair thing well, and I agree with her.

You also have a lot of lighting hanging around the top there and all those incandescent bulbs dry out the carapace which is what causes the pyramiding. Misting the enclosure doesn't hurt anything, but its also not an effective way to create the environment that your tortoises need. They need higher humidity than what you can provide in an open topped sweater box with four heat lamps.

I would also recommend daily soaks, and not going to a park. They use all sorts of chemicals at a park to keep it pretty and pleasant for people. They are not expecting people's herbivorous pets to come there and graze. Make a nice outdoor enclosure at your house instead.

Give these a read through for more explanation.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

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