How do I tell that my 150Lb Sulcata is growing

Kevn Horton

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Hello everyone, it has been a while from my last post and my 150lb Female Sulcata is coming out everyday for sun and lots of food, she seems to be happy grazing on my blue grass lawn ( loves when the sprinklers come on ) and we give her greens from the local farmers market like lettuce, ( all Kinds) Kyle, beets, all kinds of squash, tomato's ( she loves tomato's) she poops daily ( Oh my god does she poop.....) I am wondering how I know how much she is growing as I have never measured her, but her rings ( for lack of a better term ) are black edged with white or silver color is that the new growth AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS GROTH LOOKS NORMAN AND HEALTHYDSCF1716.JPG DSCF1717.JPG DSCF1718.JPG DSCF1719.JPG DSCF1720.JPG DSCF1721.JPG DSCF1722.JPG DSCF1716.JPG DSCF1717.JPG
 

Kevn Horton

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That's an active growth seam.

To your question, you can tell because now he weights 152 poun, no wait 15..., no wait 16, opps no, that'd be 210 pounds. LOL. Looks good.
I Can't pick her up and don't have a scale big enough to weigh her on more concerned if the growth looks healthy by looking at her shell
 

Yvonne G

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Are you sure it's female? That's a pretty big gular. It might be the camera angle, but the tortoise looks a little 'bunched up' to me. Sort of squished front to back?????

Whatever sex, it's a great-looking tortoise, and I love how big it's growing!!
 

Big Charlie

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Sometimes I wonder that too about my tortoise. I don't worry as long as he is moving around, eating and pooping, which he does a lot! You could photograph her next to something and then take a similar photo 6 months later and see the thing in the picture looks smaller in comparison.

How do you know she is 150 pounds? I just assume Charlie is 100 pounds or more because I'm never going to be getting him on a scale.
 

Kevn Horton

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Sometimes I wonder that too about my tortoise. I don't worry as long as he is moving around, eating and pooping, which he does a lot! You could photograph her next to something and then take a similar photo 6 months later and see the thing in the picture looks smaller in comparison.

How do you know she is 150 pounds? I just assume Charlie is 100 pounds or more because I'm never going to be getting him on a scale.
when I got her last year Aug she had just been to the Vet for a check up and she was 149.3
 

Tom

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I also think you have a male judging by the gulars and size. I only know of one female over 100 pounds and its a very rare thing. Can we see a pic of the anal scutes and tail? You can roll the tortoise on its side for a quick pic or just take a pic from behind with the camera low so we can see the tail.

The only way to know about growth is to measure and weigh.

The new growth doesn't look great. Typical of tortoises growing up in CA. Our climate isn't great for them. Are you doing something to add humidity to the heated night box? Does the tortoise burrow and live underground in summer?
 

Big Charlie

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If it was male, I think you would have seen a demonstration by now. Have you heard any grunting sounds while your tortoise mounts a rock or a ball?
 

Kevn Horton

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I also think you have a male judging by the gulars and size. I only know of one female over 100 pounds and its a very rare thing. Can we see a pic of the anal scutes and tail? You can roll the tortoise on its side for a quick pic or just take a pic from behind with the camera low so we can see the tail.

The only way to know about growth is to measure and weigh.

The new growth doesn't look great. Typical of tortoises growing up in CA. Our climate isn't great for them. Are you doing something to add humidity to the heated night box? Does the tortoise burrow and live underground in summer?

Vet said she was a she and Very Large for a she also..... so that is what I am going by.
no humidity ....should there be?????? I live in Tehachapi at about 4500ft and summers are around 78-85 never much hotter for more then a few days at a time
she does not dig at all .
comes out first light now a days (68 deg.) and basks in the sun, and than Grazes, at mid day ( hottest part) hides in the carport as seen in photos but then back out Grazing till 5-6 and then in her house for the night.
anything special I should be feeding her.....????
 

Kevn Horton

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If it was male, I think you would have seen a demonstration by now. Have you heard any grunting sounds while your tortoise mounts a rock or a ball?



never seen her try to mount anything but if you bother her when she is eating she makes a sound like she is Blowing her noise at you
 

Yvonne G

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Ah, and therein lies your problem. I really doubt the vet knew male from female.
 

Big Charlie

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Grazing is good. Grass and weeds should make up the bulk of her diet. You can add hay, opuntia, grape leaves, hibiscus, roses, etc. Humidity is important. A pond, mud puddle, misters, soaking her, or just spraying her with a hose, all help.
 

Kevn Horton

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If it was male, I think you would have seen a demonstration by now. Have you heard any grunting sounds while your tortoise mounts a rock or a ball?

did I read right Big Charlie is 18 or so
Shelly is 9- 10 this year according from the lady I got her from her dad raised her from a about
Grazing is good. Grass and weeds should make up the bulk of her diet. You can add hay, opuntia, grape leaves, hibiscus, roses, etc. Humidity is important. A pond, mud puddle, misters, soaking her, or just spraying her with a hose, all help.

every other day she does get the sprinklers at about 2-3 pm and she seems to love it when grazing on the grass
we do have a 4' kiddy pool for my bull dogs to play in but she cant get in it I have a New clean oil change pan that has fresh drinking water for her.
I will work on the food you suggested
 

Kevn Horton

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Grazing is good. Grass and weeds should make up the bulk of her diet. You can add hay, opuntia, grape leaves, hibiscus, roses, etc. Humidity is important. A pond, mud puddle, misters, soaking her, or just spraying her with a hose, all help.
when you say feed her hibiscus, do you mean the flowers ?
 
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