Ever Wonder How Fast A Sulcata Can Grow?

Ray--Opo

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This post is truly disturbing for me....I have to 10 mo olds that have not grown HALF of the rate this tort has.... Shells are hard everything looks great happy active lighting habitat perfect per this forum......why would one tort grow so much faster than another????
What is the weight. I was concerned with Opo also then at about a yr Opo took off.
 

Ray--Opo

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My 2 year old is almost 9lbs is he or she overweight
Opo is a 1 1/2 and at over 5lbs. So I think your tort is doing fine. But what I have read their growth will be fine as long as we care for them correctly. I have seen some big sullies at different petting farms and other outdoor settings who were horribly pyramided. Obviously weren't raised correctly. So I had to stop worrying and just care for the brat the TFO way.:)
 

kalei01

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Opo is a 1 1/2 and at over 5lbs. So I think your tort is doing fine. But what I have read their growth will be fine as long as we care for them correctly. I have seen some big sullies at different petting farms and other outdoor settings who were horribly pyramided. Obviously weren't raised correctly. So I had to stop worrying and just care for the brat the TFO way.:)
This is my lily guy20181105_180619.jpeg
 

EllieMay

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He’s gorgeous! Wouldn’t worry at all! I think they hit growth spurts.. I have one that was 4lbs in September and is 10lbs now. He will be 3 in May.
 

Ray--Opo

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What a beauty. And the growth rings are getting wider like Opo's finally are. Use a Q-tip and put some cold pressed non GMO coconut oil or some type of shell saver on the new growth rings and wipe off after 15minutes.
 

kalei01

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What a beauty. And the growth rings are getting wider like Opo's finally are. Use a Q-tip and put some cold pressed non GMO coconut oil or some type of shell saver on the new growth rings and wipe off after 15minutes.
Why the coconut oil what does it do kind of curious now
 

ricks45

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I never thought mine would grow as fast as they are. 5 1/2 months old carapace is 5" long and weighs 460 grams! I need to take a new picture. Their shells are smooth as a babys bottom!
 

Cheryl Hills

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Let’s see if I can help. Here were three months old

11894AC2-4A6F-4D02-8AB4-85025C238D28.jpeg


Three months latter, gone from around 60 grams each to now, my biggest is 250
 

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queen koopa

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Greetings, here are the data points for all of 2016. Really gives one a good idea on a sulcata's growth

January 2016
  • 03 January - 10.350 lbs
  • 10 January - 11.060 lbs
  • 17 January - 10.900 lbs
  • 24 January - 11.140 lbs
  • 31 January - 12.075 lbs
February 2016
  • 06 February - 12.640 lbs
  • 13 February - 13.200 lbs (scale changed)
  • 20 February - 13.200 lbs
  • 27 February - 13.400 lbs
March 2016
  • 13 March -- 14.00 lbs
  • 20 March -- 14.40 lbs
  • 27 March -- 15.20 lbs
April 2016
  • 03 April -- 15.40 lbs
  • 10 April -- 15.60 lbs
  • 17 April -- 16.80 lbs
  • 24 April -- 17.60 lbs
May 2016
  • 01 May -- 17.60 lbs
  • 08 May -- 18.40 lbs
  • 15 May -- 18.60 lbs
  • 22 May -- 18.80 lbs
  • 29 May -- 20.00 lbs
June 2016
  • 05 June -- 21.20 lbs
  • 17 June -- 21.00 lbs
July 2016
  • 17 July -- 23.20 lbs
  • 24 July -- 24.80 lbs
  • 31 July -- 26.00 lbs
August 2016
  • 07 Aug -- 26.60 lbs
  • 14 Aug -- 27.20 lbs
  • 21 Aug -- 27.60 lbs
  • 28 Aug -- 27.60 lbs
September 2016
  • 04 Sept -- 27.60 lbs
  • 11 Sept -- 28.20 lbs
  • 18 Sept -- 28.60 lbs
  • 25 Sept -- 29.00 lbs
October 2016
  • 02 Oct -- 29.00 lbs
  • 23 Oct -- 31.00 lbs
November 2016
  • 06 Nov -- 31.20 lbs
  • 13 Nov -- 31.50 lbs
  • 20 Nov -- 32.50 lbs
  • 27 Nov -- 33.00 lbs
December 2016
  • 04 Dec -- 34.00 lbs
  • 11 Dec -- 34.00 lbs
  • 18 Dec -- 34.60 lbs
  • 25 Dec -- 34.80 lbs
Omg!! Ah!!
 

Charlotte_r

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Hi everyone, firstly I wholehearted apologise if any of this has been asked a million times before but I’m finding so much conflicting info on Sulcatas. You all seem so knowledgeable and what I’ve read so far is awesome!!
So I care for two sully’s, Hermione and Myrtle, and they’re being raised where I work. They’re now 5 months old and so far have been raised on store bought greens (I know I know) I have made changes to their diet this week and they’re now on grass and various leaves & weeds I can find locally (should also mention I live in south England). They seem to be happy enough. Now I have a little concern with Hermione, she’s always been ‘lumpier’ than Myrtle but I’ve attached a pic for you all to see.
Now about their environment, for starters I’ve not soaked them at all (had them almost 2 months) we have massive sky lights so they get natural sunlight everyday, they have a basking spot which has a dual UV/Heat bulb which I have on for 8ish hours per day, they like basking under it. Now here’s where the fun begins.... they live in a tropical house! A butterfly house to be exact, so temps range from 17degrees C (at night) up to 28degrees C (during a sunny day), humidity is (obviously) very high, during the day it can get up to 75%-85% RH again lower at night.
Is there anything you guys can suggest I do/change to make sure they continue to strive? I’m going to measure & weigh them tomorrow.
 

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EllieMay

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Have you read the care sheets pinned to the top of the Sulcata section? They are very informative and cover everything from diets to enclosures. The most important thing that I think would be pointed out to you right now is that you should not raise these two together in the same enclosure. Tortoises are solitary creatures and will bully another to chase them out of its territory. To the Uneducated human eye, this looks like bonding and companionship. You’ll find more info on that under the care sheet titled “beginner mistakes”...
I don’t know how to pin them here for you, I’m sorry! But welcome, congrats, and good luck. [emoji6]
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome the pic of your sully is great. You need to start soaking them for a 1/2hr everyday in warm water. Up to where the top and bottom shell meet. When the water cools down just take some out and replace with warmer water. The light you have make sure it is not the coil type (CFL) .. They are hard on their eyes. You need a flouresnt uvb tube type. Arcadia sells one that offer a 5% HO light. I have heard of members using the 8% light. The sunlight from the skylights glass reduces the UVB from getting thru. As Ellie May said they are solitary animals and one will become dominant in subtle ways and the other will be stressed. Maybe sick or worse.
So to species and find sulcata's and read the care sheets. Come back with questions.
Start another thread under introductions or under sulcata section and we can have a thread just for care of your sullies.
 

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