Hi guys, i have had this male greek tort since 2012 and he is pretty much the same size ever since..he eats all the time, his diet mainly consists of (lettuce, cucumber, carrot and zucchini) cuz he rejects anything else even fruit he'd smell strawberry for an hour but never bites it and sometimes I get him often those white bones that have calcium (not sure what they called in english sorry). He eats not in small amounts actually but he just doesn't seem to grow. on the other hand I took him on a "play date" with a friend's greek tort which happened to be a female and she was bigger than him, he walked away from her to a corner I think he might have been scared, and later I saw another female greek tort at a pet shop and was bigger in size than him, so do males usually grow slower in this breed?
Do male greek torts grow?
- Thread starter tortoisio
- Start date
What size is he. They def. Do grow. But if he's already to adult size might be slow to none.
Kyle
Kyle
As has been said, if he's an adult he will only grow very slowly if at all.
His diet is wrong. he should not be eating those items as his main diet, he should be eating broad leafed greens and weeds.
Have a look at he food section in http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
and http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
for some ideas.
The white things are cuttlefish bone, often called cuttle bone, or even cuddle bone and can be scraped so a little goes onto the food consumed.
If he won't eat what you offer him that is good for him, then starve him. he will eat the correct foods when he is hungry enough. You are responsible and must be stronger than he is.
'Play dates ' are a terrible idea, your tort was frightened as he was intruding on another tortoises territory.
Tortoises are territorial animals and neither want nor require friends, they are solitary creatures.
You also risk the spread of pathogens by introducing him to other torts.
Males do grow slower and adult males will usually be 2 cm or more smaller than adult females.
His diet is wrong. he should not be eating those items as his main diet, he should be eating broad leafed greens and weeds.
Have a look at he food section in http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/
and http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
for some ideas.
The white things are cuttlefish bone, often called cuttle bone, or even cuddle bone and can be scraped so a little goes onto the food consumed.
If he won't eat what you offer him that is good for him, then starve him. he will eat the correct foods when he is hungry enough. You are responsible and must be stronger than he is.
'Play dates ' are a terrible idea, your tort was frightened as he was intruding on another tortoises territory.
Tortoises are territorial animals and neither want nor require friends, they are solitary creatures.
You also risk the spread of pathogens by introducing him to other torts.
Males do grow slower and adult males will usually be 2 cm or more smaller than adult females.
What Adam said.
If you do change his diet - and you should, for the sake of the tort - please don't worry if he doesn't eat for a few days. They've evolved to handle long periods with little food.
If you do change his diet - and you should, for the sake of the tort - please don't worry if he doesn't eat for a few days. They've evolved to handle long periods with little food.
thanks for replying all
well, as for his diet, u've no idea how much i tried really for years and i bought him most expensive foods out there that i read about and he still refuses so i dont know if all torts are that stubborn or only mine! i thought about holding food back for a few days to make him eat whats good for him he just melts my heart when he goes to where we usually put the food at and waits so i give up and offer the food but i think i should try again and i will, hopefully it works this time.
as for play dates, so its okay for him to be alone? i feel bad for him and at the same time i wanted him to be introduced to other torts before getting him a new one? also pet shop guy once told me he is young for mating, i assume he said that based on his size, is this true?
one last question pls about drinking, i bath him of course, and i assume he drinks then? cuz otherwise we put small reachable plates of water that he completely ignores so i depend on baths and when i put food for him i keep it a little wet also, is this all he needs?
Oh, he's adorable. GOD bless.
thanks for replying all
well, as for his diet, u've no idea how much i tried really for years and i bought him most expensive foods out there that i read about and he still refuses so i dont know if all torts are that stubborn or only mine! i thought about holding food back for a few days to make him eat whats good for him he just melts my heart when he goes to where we usually put the food at and waits so i give up and offer the food but i think i should try again and i will, hopefully it works this time.
as for play dates, so its okay for him to be alone? i feel bad for him and at the same time i wanted him to be introduced to other torts before getting him a new one? also pet shop guy once told me he is young for mating, i assume he said that based on his size, is this true?
one last question pls about drinking, i bath him of course, and i assume he drinks then? cuz otherwise we put small reachable plates of water that he completely ignores so i depend on baths and when i put food for him i keep it a little wet also, is this all he needs?
Yep, my Oli is a Greek tort and I've had him for 5.5 years. He gave me a very hard time till he began to eat mazuri. Personally I believe torts are very stubborn.
Torts do not like/need/want company, so don't worry about his being alone. He'll be happier by himself.
I've noticed that Oli drinks whilst being soaked. But at the same time there has to always be water available in his enclosure.
Be stronger than he is. It is for his good, you do him no favours by feeding him incorrectly, it's just the same as children, they may want lemonade, cae and sweets all the time, and their pleading may 'melt your heart', but you know it's necessary to be 'cruel' and make them eat vegetables and fruit.
He is happier alone, torts do not work in pairs.
See http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/bad-day-for-baby.114328/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114/
They are territorial, solitary creatures.
What is his plastron length ?
He is probably getting his liquid from the juicy diet you are giving him. Again, he may drink more when his diet becomes healthier.
He is happier alone, torts do not work in pairs.
See http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/bad-day-for-baby.114328/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114/
They are territorial, solitary creatures.
What is his plastron length ?
He is probably getting his liquid from the juicy diet you are giving him. Again, he may drink more when his diet becomes healthier.
Hmmmm, 2012? Wasn't that the year where many wild caught Greeks from all over the place came in from Egypt and were later available at PetSmart and PetCo? He could be a full grown adult. Possibly? Oh, and yes, females are much larger than males I believe I have read.
