Is this accurate?

Markw84

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Pot belly pigs?
A propensity to gaining too much weight = fat is a totally different issue. Mammals store fat to get through tougher times. Tortoises put on healthy growth and put on needed size. They do not get fat. They shut down metabolism and stop growing to get through tougher times. A very different strategy.

Mammals can and will take an overabundance of food and convert it to fat. They don't really grow bigger, they switch to a higher percentage of fat and get fatter. Perhaps that is what leads to so many with the feeling that this applies to tortoises??

Tortoises do not convert an overabundance of food to fat. They use it to get to a more optimal size quicker. For safety from predators and to be able to produce offspring more quickly to carry on the species.
 
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Speedy-1

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Now I’m being told I’m feeding my tort a high protein diet or power feeding

WELL , if they said it on FB

truth 2.jpg

Sort of how I feel about Face Book in general !
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William Lee Kohler

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Remember that grams are not ounces but much smaller and you are starting to pyramid:eek:. Check other leopard keepers on here that have smooth shelled leopards to smooth it out;).
 

Destben

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Remember that grams are not ounces but much smaller and you are starting to pyramid:eek:. Check other leopard keepers on here that have smooth shelled leopards to smooth it out;).

Actually the pyramiding on Torterra was from the first month I had her where she was kept in to dry an environment and had the completely wrong set up. @Tom set me straight. Now the new growth is smooth if you look at itIMG_7108.jpg
 

Destben

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A propensity to gaining too much weight = fat is a totally different issue. Mammals store fat to get through tougher times. Tortoises put on healthy growth and put on needed size. They do not get fat. They shut down metabolism and stop growing to get through tougher times. A very different strategy.

Mammals can and will take an overabundance of food and convert it to fat. They don't really grow bigger, they switch to a higher percentage of fat and get fatter. Perhaps that is what leads to so many with the feeling that this applies to tortoises??

Tortoises do not convert an overabundance of food to fat. They use it to get to a more optimal size quicker. For safety from predators and to be able to produce offspring more quickly to carry on the species.
This makes a lot of sense. Just because they are in captivity doesn't mean that their genes change.
on another note I just saw that your screen name says your from Sacramento CA. I just moved to Lancaster PA from Jackson CA. Nothing to do with this post I just thought it was cool.
 

Destben

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Actually does look better:D.

I appreciate the feed back though I have been through a lot with her. Like I said before I had everything wrong and she suffered from it with the pyramiding and she had an RI. So now I’m a little bit of a mama bear when it comes to her health lol.
 
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