Fatty tortoise

[srkarpen]

I've seen a few threads either about or mentioning over feeding your tortoise. I'm curious what an overweight tortoise looks like. I've seen a few things that talk about uneven or lumpy shell growth but it's hard for me to picture how a tortoise would be pudgy. Do they seem to buldge out of their shells or is the lumpy shell a result of too much adipose tissue (do tortoises have adipose tissue?) pushing the shell into lumpy uneven shapes.

Just curious!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I have seen fatty tortoises, however do not have any pictures. Hopefully someone will have a decent photo and post.

 

[Laurie]

I read somewhere that when they are overweight they do kind of bulge out of their shells a bit and cannot fully retract themselves into their shells. I don't know if that's accurate.

 

[dmmj]

When a tortoise is fat, they usually can't fit into their shells.

 

[yagyujubei]

Well, you know, for all the talk that goes on about "I don't waNT MY TORTOISE TO GET FAT". You would think that tortoise obesity is a big problem. But,you just never really see any pics of a fat one. I've seen bloated ones, but that's not fat. I believe that it's a very rare thing. The only way, I believe to get a tortoise fat would be to have an adult who's done growing put on too many calories. I'm not saying it won't ever occur, but it's certainly not the boogyman everyone makes it out to be.

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's a couple pictures of a rescued steppe tortoise that I gave to my sister. The tortoise is blind in one eye and was previously kept in a small terrarium and over fed:

It's very easy for steppe tortoises to get overweight because they are hard-wired to eat a lot during the short time their weather is good. So they eat a lot and we keep them in small pens or habitats and they don't get enough exercise.

 

[srkarpen]

Here's a couple pictures of a rescued steppe tortoise that I gave to my sister. The tortoise is blind in one eye and was previously kept in a small terrarium and over fed:

It's very easy for steppe tortoises to get overweight because they are hard-wired to eat a lot during the short time their weather is good. So they eat a lot and we keep them in small pens or habitats and they don't get enough exercise.

Wow. It is literally bulging out of its shell. How sad. Poor guy. Do you get him back to normal the same way you would a person? Smaller portions and more exercise? Also, are their negative health effects to being an overweight tortoise like being an overweight person? I assume the pathology is different but is there the tortoise equivalent of cardiovascular disease? Tortoise heart attacks, strokes, embolisms etc...?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Here's a couple pictures of a rescued steppe tortoise that I gave to my sister. The tortoise is blind in one eye and was previously kept in a small terrarium and over fed:

It's very easy for steppe tortoises to get overweight because they are hard-wired to eat a lot during the short time their weather is good. So they eat a lot and we keep them in small pens or habitats and they don't get enough exercise.

Great example!

 

[yagyujubei]

Here's a couple pictures of a rescued steppe tortoise that I gave to my sister. The tortoise is blind in one eye and was previously kept in a small terrarium and over fed:

It's very easy for steppe tortoises to get overweight because they are hard-wired to eat a lot during the short time their weather is good. So they eat a lot and we keep them in small pens or habitats and they don't get enough exercise.

Sorry Yvonne, I don't buy your diagnosis at all. To me, this russian has severe adema. It's shell has almost stopped growing, and what growing it's doing is only in a few places. It reminds me of those box turtles you see with severe deformities due to poor diet and light. Look at it's feet and toes. I don't think that's fat swelling them up.