Our Aldabras, Bigfoot, Littlefoot and Meatball

[Maggie3fan]

I don't know if they ever completely stop growing, the rate just slows considerably as they age. I think we are just about through the rapid growth phase that takes place during the first 5 years or so.

Research tells me they continue growing, including their organs which replenish continuously as years pass...
I'm sure you know this....my sister had 2 Aldabs and as they grew she had problems putting them to bed at night...just like was happening here...but she had 'taught' them that they loved strawberries, so every night she'd lead them to bed with a berry...they didn't hurry at all, and at times patience was lost, geeze Louise...they are such slow thinkers compared to Sulcata for instance...so every night it was a struggle to get them to bed...yet since they were small they were put to bed nightly, then one day...they wanted to stay out and it became a fight to get them into their shed...the end result that after years...they went to live elsewhere....what a shame

 

[Dustin]

Research tells me they continue growing, including their organs which replenish continuously as years pass...
I'm sure you know this....my sister had 2 Aldabs and as they grew she had problems putting them to bed at night...just like was happening here...but she had 'taught' them that they loved strawberries, so every night she'd lead them to bed with a berry...they didn't hurry at all, and at times patience was lost, geeze Louise...they are such slow thinkers compared to Sulcata for instance...so every night it was a struggle to get them to bed...yet since they were small they were put to bed nightly, then one day...they wanted to stay out and it became a fight to get them into their shed...the end result that after years...they went to live elsewhere....what a shame

Our night house use situation has gotten worse since we started having a problem a few months ago. They rarely ever go back to it at night anymore. It is very frustrating.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Our night house use situation has gotten worse since we started having a problem a few months ago. They rarely ever go back to it at night anymore. It is very frustrating.

Believe me...I know...that's why her Aldabs were moved to a different keeper...it was awful...

 

[MaNaAk]

They just look gorgeous!

MaNaAk

 

[Dustin]

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.







Quarterly disease screening time. Getting cloacal swabs from an angry Aldabra is not easy.

 

[MaNaAk]

Jacky:

 

[MaNaAk]

Jacky:

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We tortoises just love to do the cleaning!

Jacky

 

[Dustin]

Scrounging around for the last scraps of hay.

 

[MaNaAk]

Scrounging around for the last scraps of hay.

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[Tolis]

The are looking great

 

[Radnoisseur]

The baby photo was taken 9/29/2018. The tortoise in the second photo is drinking out of the same dish about three years later 11/5/2021.
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OMG this shot is so priceless...

 

[MaNaAk]

OMG this shot is so priceless...

I just love these cute guys

Natrah

 

[Dustin]

Despite having acres of grass and other plants to eat this tortoise is obsessed with climbing the fence in this spot. This is the same area that she was digging around in all winter, she completely rototilled the ground and continues to do so every day. She pushes hard enough on the panels that she is bending the wires.
She started doing it before the grapevine grew in so I don't think it is completely food motivated. I need to find the time to block her view here to see if that stops it.

 

[MaNaAk]

Despite having acres of grass and other plants to eat this tortoise is obsessed with climbing the fence in this spot. This is the same area that she was digging around in all winter, she completely rototilled the ground and continues to do so every day. She pushes hard enough on the panels that she is bending the wires.
She started doing it before the grapevine grew in so I don't think it is completely food motivated. I need to find the time to block her view here to see if that stops it.

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[Dustin]

This is the smallest of our three Aldabras. She weighed 91lbs yesterday. She didn't have a nuchal scute when we got her but one has grown in over time.

 

[MaNaAk]

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This is the smallest of our three Aldabras. She weighed 91lbs yesterday. She didn't have a nuchal scute when we got her but one has grown in over time.

She is absolutely gorgeous!

Natrah

 

[Dustin]

We have had these three Aldabras for 6 years now as of September 28th.

We haven't called them by their names in years, we usually just refer to them as Red, Yellow and Blue.

Red is the smallest at 93 pounds. She did not have a nuchal scute when we got her but as she has gotten larger one has started to grow in.

Yellow is the second largest and the least friendly. She weighed 101 pounds yesterday.

Blue has always been the largest. She is starting to get slightly more friendly these days. She was 110 pounds last month but dropped down to 105 pounds yesterday.