Do i need to measure and weigh my tortoise and if so when

[Ed mitch]

I'm not sure whether I need to weigh and measure my tortoise and when to do it. Before or after a soak?
Thanks I have a young Indian star.

 

[JoesMum]

It is worth weighing your tortoise on a regular basis so you know how it is progressing.

Fortnightly is plenty. The exact time of day doesn't really matter, but try to do it at roughly the same time of day each time. This is because a tort's weight varies throughout the day just like yours does and, particularly for smaller torts, a pee or a poop can make a massive difference!

Weighing straight after an early morning soak is quite easy for many. It's just part of the routine.

 

[Ed mitch]

Thanks a lot

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @Ed mitch and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and care sheets.

Any pics of your tort and his enclosure would enable us to give you advise/help you much more easily.

 

[Tom]

I'm not sure whether I need to weigh and measure my tortoise and when to do it. Before or after a soak?
Thanks I have a young Indian star.

For a young tortoise, I prefer to weigh once every week or two and always after a long soak where they've "emptied out".

 

[Jodie]

I am a firm believer in weighing weekly or so. It is often the first indication something is wrong, if they are losing weight rather than gaining. Illness caught early, is the easiest to correct.

 

[Ed mitch]

 

[Ed mitch]

 

[Tom]

Ed, it looks like the pet shop sold you some of that "Pets at Home" substrate with the limestone bits in it. It is a very bad idea to encourage your tortoise to eat its substrate to satisfy its calcium cravings. I recommend you remove that stuff, and then return it for a refund with an explanation of why. If enough people do this, they will stop selling it.

 

[Ed mitch]

Will do Tom, would you recommend getting something such as orchid bark for the whole thing or should I use the coco brick for the rest? Thanks

 

[Gillian M]

View attachment 189518

What a cute little tort! GOD bless.