growth rate??

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pfrancisco1977

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Ok so I been reading alot of post about thier torts growing fast. My sulcata is now a year old and weighs just about 4 oz. I got him in december 2011 and weighed him then, he was 3.8 oz. is this average, below average, or above? He is on a strict diet I feed him about every other day and when he walks away and don't go back for it, this usually means he's done.
 

Tom

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My babies hit 113 grams (4 ounces) in 4-6 weeks. Growth rate is highly variable and depends on a lot of factors.

"About every other day", is not enough. Especially for a growing baby. He should be fed the right foods every day, and he should be allowed to graze. Sulcatas don't just eat once for the day and thats it. They eat a little here and a little there, all day long, in typical grazing animal fashion.The best way to feed them in my opinion is to put them in a large outdoor enclosure that is full of weeds and grasses, and let them graze 'til their hearts content all day long. Second best would be to trim off the weeds and grass and give them as much as they want indoors.
 

JoesMum

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I agree 100% with Tom. Sulcatas need to eat, and drink, much more frequently.

A mound of food to start the day and then stuff to browse on if he chooses. Outdoors that can be on whatever is growing. Indoors you use edible plants in the enclosure, e.g. Grow your own salad or weeds in trays, edible pot plants or trays of supermarket living lettuce.

Another common mistake is to keep these guys too dry. How often do you soak your tort and does he have constant access to somewhere to soak himself?

Do give Tom's Beginner Mistakes thread a good read. It has much useful information.
 
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