Leopard Tortoise growing???

Parais11

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F5A161DF-60A8-4EDC-BAD1-FB5BCD6AC63F.jpeg CC961256-9641-4A4E-9E01-9953E71A130F.jpeg 80AD8A05-3DA1-44EB-9232-10EEF3DD894D.jpeg 7DE28C90-9BD3-4EE2-94CA-804B865ECCC9.jpeg hello everyone- so I just become the proud owner of my new leopard tortoise. The person I bought him from said he picked him up last April from a reputable reptile store in the area, and he was told he was 2 months old at the time. That would make my little guy 1 year old now. My question is, he only weighs 107 grams and looks pretty small for a Yearling....I know every tortoise grows at its own pace, but is it possible the less than ideal conditions he was living in has stunted his growth? I’d be curious to get your thoughts. He looks pretty healthy otherwise.
 

Yvonne G

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There's really nothing you can do to make them grow bigger other than correct diet, enclosure, heat, etc. Have you tried him on Mazuri Tortoise Diet? They like that and it helps them grow. He's awfully pretty!
 

Parais11

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There's really nothing you can do to make them grow bigger other than correct diet, enclosure, heat, etc. Have you tried him on Mazuri Tortoise Diet? They like that and it helps them grow. He's awfully pretty!
That’s the strange thing. He refuses to look at the Mazuri. I have tried both the LS and the regular version. I’ve tried soaking it, making it into powder, etc. if any Mazuri is on the greens, he smells it, and walks away. Any other tricks to make him start liking Mazuri?
 

Markw84

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February is an odd month for leopards to be hatching. Perhaps your tortoise is not as old as you think?? It does look like it has good, healthy growth, so that is a very good sign.

The biggest factor controlling rate of growth is heat, humidity and amount of outdoor time. Actually as young tortoises, the more time spent outdoors, the slower they will grow. Monsoon style conditions with a good diet will produce the conditions that allow for active growth. Reducing stress is another key. Give you tortoise some natural hides to feel secure that are warm and humid retreats.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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what is a mazuri diet
Mazuri is a formulated brand of tortoise kibble. It's got lots of good nutrients and is helpful for putting on weight. I feed it twice a week to all my tortoises. Just soak some kibbles in warm water and they'll soften, then serve. Can be served plain, or mixed with greens, grasses, etc.
 

TumericTJ

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February is an odd month for leopards to be hatching. Perhaps your tortoise is not as old as you think?? It does look like it has good, healthy growth, so that is a very good sign.

The biggest factor controlling rate of growth is heat, humidity and amount of outdoor time. Actually as young tortoises, the more time spent outdoors, the slower they will grow. Monsoon style conditions with a good diet will produce the conditions that allow for active growth. Reducing stress is another key. Give you tortoise some natural hides to feel secure that are warm and humid retreats.
Why does outdoor time limit growth?
 

Markw84

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Why does outdoor time limit growth?
We cannot provide the ideal "monsoon" conditions in an enclosure outside. The sun is too desiccating, and a natural, humid hide a tortoise would seek out is not provided. If it is, the young tortoise will hide there and not get the "great sunshine we think they need". So we tend to try to expose them to that great sunshine. IN all the side by side examples I have done and heard about, they just grow much slower in even the best outdoor enclosures. My sulcatas grow 3 - 4 times faster when kept inside in a controlled constant 80% humidity, 80° + enclosure. YOu simply cannot create that outside and that is where a tortoise thrives.

In fact, a recent paper just published in December studies the growth of desert tortoises. 3 groups - one kept inside and protected. one group in outside pens and fed supplementally. The third group released to the wild and tracked with telemetry. After 2 years - The outside pen group grew 2x as fast as the released wild group. The inside group grew 6x faster than the outside pen group.
 
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