New Aldabra

[ALDABRAMAN]

Okay, sorry to hijack, but can someone tell me if these guys grow fast like a sulcata? How long to reach adulthood? I want one soo bad but they live so long and I want to see it full grown. Babies are great and all, but I want to see it grown up.

They grow very big and faster than most species of tortoises. A lot of variables in growth. One of my local customers has two of our hatchlings that are about ten years old now and they are both well over a hundred pounds. I know of one captive raised male that is about forty years old and well over five hundred pounds.

 

[webskipper]

Congrats.

Sure looks like they grow fast like a mastiff.

Beautiful species, facinating to watch at my friends house.

 

[Weda737]

Okay, sorry to hijack, but can someone tell me if these guys grow fast like a sulcata? How long to reach adulthood? I want one soo bad but they live so long and I want to see it full grown. Babies are great and all, but I want to see it grown up.

They grow very big and faster than most species of tortoises. A lot of variables in growth. One of my local customers has two of our hatchlings that are about ten years old now and they are both well over a hundred pounds. I know of one captive raised male that is about forty years old and well over five hundred pounds.

Oh God. Now I want one. You're all a bunch of enablers! I hope you know that! Getting on here with those cute tiny babies and those big majestic sweetheart giants. Not fair!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Okay, sorry to hijack, but can someone tell me if these guys grow fast like a sulcata? How long to reach adulthood? I want one soo bad but they live so long and I want to see it full grown. Babies are great and all, but I want to see it grown up.

They grow very big and faster than most species of tortoises. A lot of variables in growth. One of my local customers has two of our hatchlings that are about ten years old now and they are both well over a hundred pounds. I know of one captive raised male that is about forty years old and well over five hundred pounds.

Oh God. Now I want one. You're all a bunch of enablers! I hope you know that! Getting on here with those cute tiny babies and those big majestic sweetheart giants. Not fair!

 

[tortoises101]

Okay, sorry to hijack, but can someone tell me if these guys grow fast like a sulcata? How long to reach adulthood? I want one soo bad but they live so long and I want to see it full grown. Babies are great and all, but I want to see it grown up.

Aldabra tortoises take a few decades in the wild to reach maturity due to the dense population and seasonal changes. In captivity however, they have been known to grow 94% faster than their wild counterparts.

 

[yarok]

Wow. I would love to get my hands one of those.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Wow. I would love to get my hands one of those.

 

[Jerry7777]

It's been awhile since i've been on so i thought i'd give a quick update on Asha. She's been growing like crazy and doing fine. Up to 174 grams now.

I do have one concern though, just today i noticed some unusual marking on her plastron and on her marginal scutes. I'm not sure if it is the beginning of some shell rot or if it is nothing at all and me just being paranoid. Any suggestions are appreciated. She was being kept on sphagnum moss which hasn't been drying out very well the last week or two. I changed that today with cypress mulch which should dry much faster. Here are some pics

it's a little difficult to see in the pics. just on the edges of the new growth there is a kind of creamy colored line and a few blotches does that look normal or look like the start of something worse. you can also see some of the blotches on her marginal scutes.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

It is very hard to see. Was it browish colored at any time?

 

[Baoh]

The growth is healthy. I see no signs of rot. Rest easy.

 

[Jerry7777]

It is very hard to see. Was it browish colored at any time?

Greg, it has never appeared to be brown. Maybe it's just more recent new growth. it's just hard to tell even in person exactly what is going on in those areas. i'll just continue to watch to be sure it doesn't become something more.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

It is very hard to see. Was it browish colored at any time?

Greg, it has never appeared to be brown. Maybe it's just more recent new growth. it's just hard to tell even in person exactly what is going on in those areas. i'll just continue to watch to be sure it doesn't become something more.

 

[vanillapooh1979]

Gosh she is beautiful. My deep love of tortoises began when I met an Aladabra Tortoise at the Tulse Zoo many many years ago. I have been fascinated ever since and would love to have one someday!

 

[pga7602]

Jerry, I have two that are over a year old. I dont' see anything wrong with the shell growth.

 

[karlyholmes]

Getting a little darker after a few hours of sunshine the last two days. 80 degrees here the last two days!

Where do you live in OK? I live right on the border of Ok and AR!

 

[Jerry7777]

Been gone awhile and thought i would give an update on Asha. At just over 5 months old she is still growing like crazy. Its amazing how fast these things grow! She is now at 296 grams as of today and approx. 4 5/8" in length. Probably not as smooth as Gregs Florida grown babies but not bad for an Oklahoma bred, born, and grown Aldabra! Well here are her latest photos.

 

[wellington]

WOW, she is growing fast. I didn't think they got to 6 inches until they were a year or more. The rate she is growing, she will be 7-8 inches or more by the time she's a year. She's looking good.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Very nice, wonderful weight gain!

296 grams as of today and approx. 4 5/8" in length.