Growth

[dapperdan]

My 10, almost 11 month Dalmatian Hermanns is 117g, I got it from hatchling, 10g. I haven’t seen many see this rapid of growth rate, he eats romaine lettuce and dandelion leaves mostly with some grazing outside on clover and grass (Franklin likes it). Should I be concerned? There is some small pyramiding I would say, but not much and since the last picture it has gotten even better. This is my first tortoise but i’ve done countless research yet anything new helps. I’m also new to this forum so not sure how it works, thanks! I’ll attach multiple pictures as the months have gone by, one the first month, 3 months, at 5 months, then 9 months. I will update the 11th month soon.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

A growing baby tortoise is a happy healthy tortoise, so no concerns there imo.

If we could get more of an insight on how he’s housed/cared for that would be fab! We can definitely give some tips&pointers to hopefully get that pyramiding more under control moving forward, unfortunately most other sources are repeating some very outdated care information, so I’m really glad you’ve joined the forum

Feel free to try and answer these questions below, we can give specific advice suited to you

What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
Do you use indoor uv? If so what kind?
How’s humidity?
What’s his substrate?
What kind of monitoring do you have measuring temp and humidity?
What’s his diet been like with you?

A photo of the full set up would be wonderful!

In the meantime please give these links a read, they should hopefully answer some preemptive questions, but we’ll still be more than happy to break any information down afterwards!

This is a great one for new comers

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

This thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, definitely double check your bulb types), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes different closed chamber options, some definitely work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

This is toms care guide

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

This one here is important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

I really hope they come in useful! Sorry it’s a lot to go over, but take all the time you need, we can answer any further questions and help you tweak things step by step if you need. Welcome to the forum

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Tom]

My 10, almost 11 month Dalmatian Hermanns is 117g, I got it from hatchling, 10g. I haven’t seen many see this rapid of growth rate, he eats romaine lettuce and dandelion leaves mostly with some grazing outside on clover and grass (Franklin likes it). Should I be concerned? There is some small pyramiding I would say, but not much and since the last picture it has gotten even better. This is my first tortoise but i’ve done countless research yet anything new helps. I’m also new to this forum so not sure how it works, thanks! I’ll attach multiple pictures as the months have gone by, one the first month, 3 months, at 5 months, then 9 months. I will update the 11th month soon.View attachment 392640

View attachment 392645
View attachment 392642
View attachment 392643
View attachment 392644

Hello and welcome. That is slow growth. Not rapid at all. Rapid, but also healthy, growth would be more like 400-500 grams in a year.

Most of the care info for most tortoise species is all wrong and it can slow their growth and development terribly. @Littleredfootbigredheart left a bunch of links that will help catch you up to speed.