Normal weight gain?

kcrawford457

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I got my hatchling sulcata 10 days ago. I weighed him (I'm saying him, but obviously there's no way to tell for sure) when he arrived, he was 35 grams. I weighed him again today, he's up to 40 grams. Is this a normal amount of weight gain for a 10 day span? It seems kind of fast. Maybe he was just dehydrated when I received him?
 

Tom

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They all grow at vastly different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. 5 grams in a week is not unusual.

Most breeders and sellers keep them too dry, so your guess about the water is probably right on. You'll know in about a week. :)

Where did you get the tortoise? How did they start it? At 35 grams, this is a brand new hatchling. How old did they tell you it was? How does the plastron look?
 

kcrawford457

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Location (City and/or State)
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They all grow at vastly different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. 5 grams in a week is not unusual.

Most breeders and sellers keep them too dry, so your guess about the water is probably right on. You'll know in about a week. :)

Where did you get the tortoise? How did they start it? At 35 grams, this is a brand new hatchling. How old did they tell you it was? How does the plastron look?

The plastron looks good, nice and smooth. I'll be honest, a friend of mine gave him to us. I'm not totally sure who the original breeder was. I should probably get that info so I can find out the hatch date and what kind of conditions he was started in, etc.
 

lionheartHC

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They all grow at vastly different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. 5 grams in a week is not unusual.

Most breeders and sellers keep them too dry, so your guess about the water is probably right on. You'll know in about a week. :)

Where did you get the tortoise? How did they start it? At 35 grams, this is a brand new hatchling. How old did they tell you it was? How does the plastron look?
Hey Tom, is it normal for weights to fluctuate a bit?

7/6/20 35 grams

7/14/20 37 grams

7/17/20 36 grams

It looks like my hatchling is growing at a different rate than OP's.
 

Skip K

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My babies weights fluctuate slightly. After eating...after pooping and after soaking...all seem to change readings slightly. I now weigh the babies just once a month. And I prefer using ounces instead of grams now for weight measurements. But this is just personal preference
 
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Tom

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Hey Tom, is it normal for weights to fluctuate a bit?

7/6/20 35 grams

7/14/20 37 grams

7/17/20 36 grams

It looks like my hatchling is growing at a different rate than OP's.
Yes. A few grams one way or the other is no big deal. Simply pooping and peeing can account for 3-4 grams in a hatchling.
 
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