Ever Wonder How Fast A Sulcata Can Grow?

kcdadnick160

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Stuart S.

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View attachment 205998

So someone told me they are selling their sulcata so I asked for pictures. Thankfully I had seen this post prior. I knew their pictures they sent me looked familiar!! Obviously they are trying to scam

I hope you called them out and reported them. There's nothing worse in this world than a liar and a thief. Good catch.
 

kcdadnick160

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Apr 26, 2017
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I hope you called them out and reported them. There's nothing worse in this world than a liar and a thief. Good catch.

I couldn't think of anything clever, I was hoping someone on here would help me out? I'd like a calm but firmly direct approach
 

Nicole edwards

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Mississippi
View attachment 205998

So someone told me they are selling their sulcata so I asked for pictures. Thankfully I had seen this post prior. I knew their pictures they sent me looked familiar!! Obviously they are trying to scam
Oh my word!! Those are my photos but my little guy is not for sale!! I will be sure to report this. So glad that caught your eye.
 

Greta16

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Makes me so mad for you!!! Yes she's on FB! View attachment 206032
Her page is called "Tortoise for sale"
Report her! And so will I!
What should I say back to her?
I just looked at that page on fb and I think I saw some other pics of torts that I've seen on here the last few months..I can't say for certain but a couple pics really stood out...
 

Jeffrey Jeffries

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Wow, so much for the school of thought that you have to grow your sully slowly or he'll pyramid markedly! Obviously when proper species diet (& higher calcium/ lower phosphorus ratio), UVB/D3, and moisture (and exercise) are all correct they can, indeed, grow very rapidly and maintain a lovely contour. Thanks so much for this.

Do you think if he grew more slowly his yellow scute-centers would be larger in proportion to the rapidly laid-down, dark rings? Or does growth rate have nothing to do with this? Just a thought. Whatever the case, it sure is a great shape and luster, and he sure inspires me.
 
Last edited:

Nicole edwards

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Wow, so much for the school of thought that you have to grow your sully slowly or he'll pyramid markedly! Obviously when proper species diet (& higher calcium/ lower phosphorus ratio), UVB/D3, and moisture (and exercise) are all correct they can, indeed, grow very rapidly and maintain a lovely contour. Thanks so much for this.

Do you think if he grew more slowly his yellow scute-centers would be larger in proportion to the rapidly laid-down, dark rings? Or does growth rate have nothing to do with this? Just a thought. Whatever the case, it sure is a great shape and luster, and he sure inspires me.
The yellow suctes in the center have been the same size every since he was born. I do not believe that they actually will grow. It seems to me like he just continues to grow dark rings around the suctes. Over time the new rings should change color
 

Jeffrey Jeffries

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Oh, gosh, that's a great photo -- I can see the colors evolving
Thank you for your reply - I'm biting my lip wondering about his diet and care specifics (checking to see if you've ever commented on it) :)
There so many beautiful sulcatas' pictures, here, and I almost regretted mentioning his lack of bumps, since I'm running into some top knotch folks whose do even though they'e spoiled theirs since they got it. Real work of art, though, miss, and has inspired me to allow a slightly higher caloric intake with all of Pauls' already existing grassy fiber. I was afraid too rapid growth was a valid theory of some marked pyramids, but goodness, that's fast and lovely.
I just quadrupled his substrate depth and with it there's a little moisture down in there, esp. in two corners to chose from. He does have similar depth without it, but he has chosen the second most moist area to make little bowl-shape in the substrate under cover from light (out of four spots varying in huimidity he's alone in 30 sq. ft. of indoor, tabletop microclimates, lol (75% of the small office den) and is only 3 months old. I fastened the desert UVB linear tube on the outskirts of the "flood" basking area, his favorite spot for temp ad light intensity (a relief he's finally spending more basking time in one, consistent spot to mount the heat-less UV tube, finally, since I am low on cash until later this month to be putting up two more tubes for ore general grazing coverage).
Maybe 'll get flamed for this, but for 3 weeks I was so consumed with career catch up that I felt he was too dry (not as dry as some folks, it's humid here by nature in our economy, part air conditioning part open window Florida fans etc.) so before I got ideal control over his enclosure I was paranoid and put Shell Saver between his scutes every 3rd day after soakig and drying him. It is like hair conditioner with avocado and another oil or two homogenized so when the largely water-based product dries there's a smidgeon of oils left over and the idea was not to let the collagen between the scutes dry out enough to collapse and cause future pramiding based on over-drying between them early in life, a theory nearby Kenan gives credence to.

Anyway no mater how many happy non-tortoise herps I've tried to spoil and despite the fact I'm spending absurd time just lately trying to earn 120 hours with the local wildlife comission so they'll let me move and temporarily confine threatened tortoises into protected acreage programs, the more I learn the more I realize only more years+ and surveys of people like yourself with great notes and photos (with scales, no less!) will prove the test of time and all factors involved (some pretty spoiled-seeming torts have vastly different proflles as I know you've noticed) . Rocky is a real point of light and thank you so much for documenting him so well. I've got him on bookmarks to show all :)

Pointers welcome, Rocky & Nicole!
 

Nicole edwards

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Messages
168
Location (City and/or State)
Mississippi
Oh, gosh, that's a great photo -- I can see the colors evolving
Thank you for your reply - I'm biting my lip wondering about his diet and care specifics (checking to see if you've ever commented on it) :)
There so many beautiful sulcatas' pictures, here, and I almost regretted mentioning his lack of bumps, since I'm running into some top knotch folks whose do even though they'e spoiled theirs since they got it. Real work of art, though, miss, and has inspired me to allow a slightly higher caloric intake with all of Pauls' already existing grassy fiber. I was afraid too rapid growth was a valid theory of some marked pyramids, but goodness, that's fast and lovely.
I just quadrupled his substrate depth and with it there's a little moisture down in there, esp. in two corners to chose from. He does have similar depth without it, but he has chosen the second most moist area to make little bowl-shape in the substrate under cover from light (out of four spots varying in huimidity he's alone in 30 sq. ft. of indoor, tabletop microclimates, lol (75% of the small office den) and is only 3 months old. I fastened the desert UVB linear tube on the outskirts of the "flood" basking area, his favorite spot for temp ad light intensity (a relief he's finally spending more basking time in one, consistent spot to mount the heat-less UV tube, finally, since I am low on cash until later this month to be putting up two more tubes for ore general grazing coverage).
Maybe 'll get flamed for this, but for 3 weeks I was so consumed with career catch up that I felt he was too dry (not as dry as some folks, it's humid here by nature in our economy, part air conditioning part open window Florida fans etc.) so before I got ideal control over his enclosure I was paranoid and put Shell Saver between his scutes every 3rd day after soakig and drying him. It is like hair conditioner with avocado and another oil or two homogenized so when the largely water-based product dries there's a smidgeon of oils left over and the idea was not to let the collagen between the scutes dry out enough to collapse and cause future pramiding based on over-drying between them early in life, a theory nearby Kenan gives credence to.

Anyway no mater how many happy non-tortoise herps I've tried to spoil and despite the fact I'm spending absurd time just lately trying to earn 120 hours with the local wildlife comission so they'll let me move and temporarily confine threatened tortoises into protected acreage programs, the more I learn the more I realize only more years+ and surveys of people like yourself with great notes and photos (with scales, no less!) will prove the test of time and all factors involved (some pretty spoiled-seeming torts have vastly different proflles as I know you've noticed) . Rocky is a real point of light and thank you so much for documenting him so well. I've got him on bookmarks to show all :)

Pointers welcome, Rocky & Nicole!

Well Rocky is my first Sulcata tortoise so I came into this in the dark. I read so many conflicting things about his food/ temperature/ lighting/ humidity that I had no idea what was correct information. As crazy as it sounds Rocky has never had a "humid hide" or "humid" environment whatsoever other than being outdoors a few hours a day in the humid Mississippi weather. As a baby I soaked him once a day in warm water and just here in the past couple of months I have reduced that to once a week due to his size (it gets messy). He has always had a variety of foods in his diet but 50% percent of it includes mazuri tortoise diet. On the days that he does not get to graze for a couple of hours he gets a large cup of Mazuri, handful of Kale, and aloe Vera on top for a snack. With it being summertime and him getting uvb outside I do not cut his uvb lamp on at all. The only lamp I use in his enclosure is a ceramic heat lamp which only puts off heat. I do not know why but I do not do a lot of things that are "recommended" but I feel like I've been pretty successful with this little guy weighing 14 pounds at a year in a half old.:eek: (Which is sorta scaring me) and he has also informed me that he is in fact a male. Lol Sorry I was jumping around a little let me know if I missed anything:)
 

Bass.Isles

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206
20 months old upon arriving home on 4.08.17

4.08.17
weight: (273 grams)
plastron length: 4.50 inches
plastron width: 3.50 inches

4.17.17
weight: (287 grams)

4.25.17
weight: (294 grams)

5.12.17
weight: (298 grams)
plastron length: 4.50 inches
plastron width: 4 inches

5.19.17
weight: (303 grams)

5.28.17
weight: (306 grams)

6.08.17
weight: (349 grams)
plastron length: 4.75 inches
plastron width: 4.25 inches

6.18.17
weight: (352 grams)

7.01.17
weight: (373 grams)
plastron length: 5 inches
plastron width: 4.25 inches

7.12.17
weight: (386 grams)

7.20.17
weight: (420 grams)

7.30.17
weight: (408 grams) -12

8.09.17
weight: (431 grams)
plastron length: 5.25 inches
plastron width: 4.50 inches

8.19.17
weight: (425 grams) -6

9.05.17
weight: (457 grams)

9.09.17
weight: (459 grams)
plastron length: 5.50
plastron width: 4.75

9.16.17
weight: (476 grams)
 

Bass.Isles

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206
Wow! That's really fast. I just bought a baby one on September 15. I was wondering if your turtle ever ate his poo? If so, how did you get it off? Thank You!
My Isla loves dog poop and will scour the yard to find even the smallest morsel of it lol. But she has never eaten her own poop.
 

Bee62

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Nov 13, 2016
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Germany
My three sullies 15 months old.
Weight between 1100 GrammDSCN2023.JPG DSCN2021.JPG DSCN2010.JPG ( Leo, the one in the green bowl ) and 980 and 990 Gramm ( the two sullies in the blue bowl )
 

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