Overweight young tortoise?

[Tortybae555]

Hello hello,
I have a little over two year old, female (?), greek tort, 6cm and abt 67.5 grams. That’s .3 ratio on the Jackson scale,, which seems crazy high,
She seems healthy, her movement is good she bathes and basks a lot and eats more than she used to bc the first year her development felt pretty slow, and doesnt appear shes overeating or growing too fast. Wondering if the weight is cause for concern and if I should see a vet. Thanks!

 

[zovick]

Hello hello,
I have a little over two year old, female (?), greek tort, 6cm and abt 67.5 grams. That’s .3 ratio on the Jackson scale,, which seems crazy high,
She seems healthy, her movement is good she bathes and basks a lot and eats more than she used to bc the first year her development felt pretty slow, and doesnt appear shes overeating or growing too fast. Wondering if the weight is cause for concern and if I should see a vet. Thanks!

The tortoise does not appear obese from what I can see in your pictures. The weight actually seems low for a two year old tortoise to me. I would not put very much faith in the Jackson ratio personally.

Your tortoise is beginning to show some fairly significant pyramiding. Are you aware of that? It probably needs a more humid enclosure and daily soaking for 15-30 minutes in lukewarm water if you are not doing that currently to help it grow more smoothly.

 

[Tom]

Hello hello,
I have a little over two year old, female (?), greek tort, 6cm and abt 67.5 grams. That’s .3 ratio on the Jackson scale,, which seems crazy high,
She seems healthy, her movement is good she bathes and basks a lot and eats more than she used to bc the first year her development felt pretty slow, and doesnt appear shes overeating or growing too fast. Wondering if the weight is cause for concern and if I should see a vet. Thanks!

You are reading the wrong tortoise care info. Please have a look at this, and there is a care sheet link at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Tortybae555]

You are reading the wrong tortoise care info. Please have a look at this, and there is a care sheet link at the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thanks, def been learning a lot from here that deviates from the care info I’ve gotten previously,,
I didn’t see anything on there regarding size, if all other factors and signs are good is her size atm not a cause for concern?

 

[zovick]

Thanks, def been learning a lot from here that deviates from the care info I’ve gotten previously,,
I didn’t see anything on there regarding size, if all other factors and signs are good is her size atm not a cause for concern?

The tortoise actually appears small for its age, assuming it is over two years old as you said.

 

[Tom]

Thanks, def been learning a lot from here that deviates from the care info I’ve gotten previously,,
I didn’t see anything on there regarding size, if all other factors and signs are good is her size atm not a cause for concern?

I agree with Zovick that your tortoise is small for its size. That and the pyramiding tell us that the tortoise has been housed incorrectly previously. I know its a bummer to hear this, but if no one tells you that someone taught you wrong previously, your tortoise will go on living in the wrong conditions and not get better. Our goal is not to hurt anyone's feelings, but instead to help tortoises receive proper care. When tortoises receive proper care and thrive, we get happy tortoise keepers. Well cared for torts and happy tort keepers are what I am aiming to create, and we have to break a few eggs if we want to make an omelette.

 

[Tortybae555]

I agree with Zovick that your tortoise is small for its size. That and the pyramiding tell us that the tortoise has been housed incorrectly previously. I know its a bummer to hear this, but if no one tells you that someone taught you wrong previously, your tortoise will go on living in the wrong conditions and not get better. Our goal is not to hurt anyone's feelings, but instead to help tortoises receive proper care. When tortoises receive proper care and thrive, we get happy tortoise keepers. Well cared for torts and happy tort keepers are what I am aiming to create, and we have to break a few eggs if we want to make an omelette.

All good, I agree, definitely wasnt in the right environment as a hatchling, those were just the conditions I bought her in, as I said the first year of development was slow.
I’ve been trying to remedy that and get the tort healthier,, the way she is now her enclosure is much more suited to her, hence my questioning her weight now that im seeing it increase more steadily, and I’ve upped her humidity and doing daily soaks to address the pyramiding.
Thanks for concern!