Hmmm... Age?

[GeorgeUK]

Hey!

Thank you for taking the time. I got Lady Dorothy as an early Christmas gift, and she's starting to settle in. In fact, her personality is really starting to show

She was bought from a lady who owned a herp store, which had closed down.

She advised that Lady Dorothy was 4 and a half years old. However, looking around on this forum it seems that all of the Leos her age are almost twice the size. So, I'm starting to wonder if she really is 4 and a half.

I will be keeping Lady Dorothy for life, and it would be great to have a general idea of her age.

Is it possible she really is 4 and a half? She is in good health (eating, sleeping, pooping, walking, basking) as expected.
She measures about 6 inches underneath (estimated).

 

[dmmj]

if she was raised dry and not fed well she could very easily be foure
and a half. but without knowing a hatch date and how she was raised you can't really tell.

 

[Tom]

They all growth at wildly variable rates, and for a wide variety of reasons.

Your Lady Dorothy could definitely be 4 and a half.

It seems to me, more often than not, that tortoises raised indoors in colder climates often grow slower than their siblings in warmer climates where they are outdoors more often. I don't know why that is, but I see it a lot here in the states with sulcatas and leopards.

 

[GeorgeUK]

That's really interesting, it does seem that the larger leo's of a similar age are from the states and other warmer climates.

The humidity & temperatures in the enclosure are on the right track now, and she eats hay, fresh grass and weeds, occasionally supplemented with calcium powder & has a decent MVB on her, so it'll be interesting to see how she grows moving forward

 

[Jodie]

I have a year and half old Leopard, Andy, about that size, and one that is 8 years old that is less than 9 inches. I am anxious to see how my young one continues to grow. I am in Spokane Washington, so my older one fits this theory, but Andy doesn't yet.

 

[Tom]

I have a year and half old Leopard, Andy, about that size, and one that is 8 years old that is less than 9 inches. I am anxious to see how my young one continues to grow. I am in Spokane Washington, so my older one fits this theory, but Andy doesn't yet.

Now that so many are being raised well hydrated, like your younger one, this phenomenon is becoming less of a trend. Over in the UK all the breeders I've heard of are still doing it the old dry way.

 

[teresaf]

1. Then once in a while you find a freak that's huge for no darn reason. My leo is 4yrs and 4mo old, pyramided, JUST shy of 12 inches and over 8 pounds. He was raised in ohio(US)in a square exoterra tank until I got him about 5 months ago...basically a rescue. Poor little guy.

 

[Alaskamike]

Nice looking Leopard. The size & growth rates can be astoundingly different.

There is genetic variability , behavior differences , and environment. All play a role in size. Just like with us humans. You can find two brothers - one is 5'8" and the other 6'4". - happens.

I have a 4 yo leopard about that size too. Not a fast grower. But a healthy little bugger.

My torts are weighed once a month to insure they are moving forward. Other than that , to me the real issues are activity level , eating, and overall health.
Good fortune with him.

 

[GeorgeUK]

Nice looking Leopard. The size & growth rates can be astoundingly different.

There is genetic variability , behavior differences , and environment. All play a role in size. Just like with us humans. You can find two brothers - one is 5'8" and the other 6'4". - happens.

I have a 4 yo leopard about that size too. Not a fast grower. But a healthy little bugger.

My torts are weighed once a month to insure they are moving forward. Other than that , to me the real issues are activity level , eating, and overall health.
Good fortune with him.

It seems the variations in growth are huge when it comes to Leopards. It's put my mind at ease knowing other's are the same size as LD.

I will invest in some weighing scales to chart her growth, it'll be interesting moving forward

 

[teresaf]

It seems the variations in growth are huge when it comes to Leopards. It's put my mind at ease knowing other's are the same size as LD.

I will invest in some weighing scales to chart her growth, it'll be interesting moving forward

The digital kitchen food scales work great. just make sure you get one that will work when he's 15lbs too! I got mine off Amazon