Growth patterns

[lighthiker2]

I am interested in members' anecdotal reports of seasonal growth spurts in their sulcatas.

My sully just turned two. His growth to date has been as follows:

6 months 7-13
263.8 gm
4.25" carapace (SCL)

12 months 1-2014
600 Gm
5.5" SCL

18 months 7-2014
930 Gm
6.75" SCL

21 months 10-2014
1600 Gm
8" SCL

24 months 1-2015
3200 Gm
10 " SCL

I will certainly be keeping track.

Anyone else see seasonal patterns?


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Background:

Upon adoption, started in enclosed chamber with Tom's temp and humidity recommendations. Starting last spring, warm weather outdoor enclosure is his "Tortoribbean Retreat" 14'x14' (being expanded to 14'x21' this spring).

Night and cool/cold weather setup is a ground floor of a large flight cage condo with upstairs flying squirrels as neighbors (they are canopy dwelling, nocturnal, docile, and naturally parasite/disease free, and use their upstairs litter box). It is a match made in heaven.

Sully is becoming quite personable, a hit with kids at a local park where he walks the playground paths on sunny days and provides an educational opportunity for kids and their parents. (Kids can touch responsibly with parental permission and follow with alcohol hand sanitizer as a precaution, even though he gets a bath before outings---I am a healthcare provider, sorry).

He grazes the lawn and gets 2qts of daily grasses/weeds/floral leaves and buds daily, with some mazuri and a variety of mixed greens and some orchard hay in the rotating menu.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a very nice-looking little sulcata.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Your sulcata looks pretty good. My sulcata is about 5 years now and I have noticed a few things about his growth. While kept mostly indoors in a closed chamber his growth was steady. As he got bigger, of course, he grew more. When he turned 2 years (actually 27 months) he moved outside full time and things changed a bit. Since being outside it seems that he does not gain any weight during the summer months. I didn't notice this the first summer he was outside, but the past 2 summers it has been evident. The first time I noticed it I thought he had parasites or he was being kept too cool at night. We had a relatively cool summer that year. Day time highs around 85°. By the time I was certain that he was healthy he started to gain weight again. He gained about 18 pounds last year. All of it was added from September through May. Last summer he gained no weight (or lost any either) from June through August. We had a hot summer. Lots of days were 95° to 100°. Nights were warm too. A few times I found him sleeping under a bush and had to lug him to his night box. I thought for sure he was going to dig a burrow. In September he gained a pound. Then in October it was 1.5 pounds, and in Nov and Dec he gained 2 pounds each month.

 

[Tom]

They definitely have growth spurts, but it does not appear to be seasonal for me. I just periodically notice one who is eating more and up and around looking for food more often.

 

[Juan V]

really nice sulcata, no pyramidding, nice

 

[lighthiker2]

Oopsies.. I have been calling it a "he"... I always thought it seemed a bit of a softy/feminine facial features... Suddenly those anal scutes are pointing due south. So it seems my baby is a girlie girl.

 

[bouaboua]

Sure is a good looking Sulcata! ! !

 

[Prairie Mom]

What a great looking sulcata! She's lovely. I haven't had mine long so can't comment too much on the growth spurts, but WOW! she is a different tortoise after putting her in proper conditions. She is growing quickly and so much heavier in just a few months.

I had to post a comment, because this little squirrel and tortoise lover is DYING to see additional pics of your whole cage set up!!! Please tag me if you ever decide to post pics of the whole thing

 

[franz_see]

Hi @lighthiker2 thanks for the share! I'm collecting other tortoise growth charts : http://bit.ly/tortoise-growth-charts I have 18 other sullies in there and feel free to check them out

If you look at them, most really do fluctuate greatly Although they more or less stay within a certain % growth per time period, they still fluctuate every now by +/- 5% (for example)

Btw, can I add yours to my collection? Would really be interesting to see how yours is growing