Is This Normal Growth?

[Aleksei]

I am a fussy first-time tortoise mom, and I worry. So am I overreacting?

The first picture (with leafy greens) is Aleksei on March 29th, the second two are today. Is this much growth normal? He looks so much bigger today, and his shell is more round, and he doesn't tend to stand all the way up on his feet, but he does walk around fine. His bottom shell seems kinda extended. Is there something wrong? Am I overfeeding him? I leave greens and pellets down all the time, so he can eat whenever he wants to.

He's a five and a half month old Russian tortoise.

 

[zovick]

I am a fussy first-time tortoise mom, and I worry. So am I overreacting?

The first picture (with leafy greens) is Aleksei on March 29th, the second two are today. Is this much growth normal? He looks so much bigger today, and his shell is more round, and he doesn't tend to stand all the way up on his feet, but he does walk around fine. His bottom shell seems kinda extended. Is there something wrong? Am I overfeeding him? I leave greens and pellets down all the time, so he can eat whenever he wants to.

He's a five and a half month old Russian tortoise.

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It looks pretty normal to me. How long have you had the tortoise?

I ask this because sometimes after they get to a new home, their growth rate increases because the new home offers better conditions than where they were previously. This phenomenon could explain the amount of new growth you are seeing.

 

[Aleksei]

It looks pretty normal to me. How long have you had the tortoise?

I ask this because sometimes after they get to a new home, their growth rate increases because the new home offers better conditions than where they were previously.

I have had him since the end of February. I am worried because he seems more 'round' than before.

 

[zovick]

I have had him since the end of February. I am worried because he seems more 'round' than before.

Russian Tortoises normally look quite round in comparison to other tortoise species. I think your tortoise's shape looks fine.

 

[Tom]

I am a fussy first-time tortoise mom, and I worry. So am I overreacting?

The first picture (with leafy greens) is Aleksei on March 29th, the second two are today. Is this much growth normal? He looks so much bigger today, and his shell is more round, and he doesn't tend to stand all the way up on his feet, but he does walk around fine. His bottom shell seems kinda extended. Is there something wrong? Am I overfeeding him? I leave greens and pellets down all the time, so he can eat whenever he wants to.

He's a five and a half month old Russian tortoise.

View attachment 389738View attachment 389739View attachment 389740

There is no overfeeding tortoises. They should be allowed to eat as much as they want of the right foods daily.

Your tortoise looks great to me too.

What type of UV bulb are you using?

 

[Aleksei]

There is no overfeeding tortoises. They should be allowed to eat as much as they want of the right foods daily.

Your tortoise looks great to me too.

What type of UV bulb are you using?

I use PowerSun.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I use PowerSun.

That is a combo bulb right? Here on the forum we recommend separate lights for UVB and heat. Get a tube UVB light from a reputable brand like Arcadia or ZooMed and a incandescent flood light for heat to make sure your tortoise continues to grow smoothly.

 

[Tom]

I use PowerSun.

That is the wrong type of bulb to use for a tortoise for many reasons. They are unreliable, and they cause pyramiding.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

This info and much more is right here:

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