Russian weight...

[chase thorn]

So I am concerned on how much my russian should weight... He is 4 1/2" and feels ok in weight but I'm not sure how much or what he should feel like... I don't have a scale and I'm pretty sure going and buying one would make me seem suspicious of being a drug dealer LOL

 

[Yvonne G]

My rule of thumb has always been:

Does he feel like a shell full or air or a rock? If air, he's too light.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Hey Chase,

You should get a kitchen scale and a caliper (or similar instruments), so you can monitor their growth. Dr. Susan Donoghue developed an equation for determining the minimum healthy weight of a tortoise. Check out:

"Tortoise Weight Formula - tBMI"

However, this equation tends to under estimate condition for long-shelled tortoises, like redfoots, and it tends to overestimate condition for short-shelled species, like Russians. Last year when I put my tortoises in brumation, the female's tBMI was higher than the male's, and she was fine, while he had some problems - but both were well over 100% tBMI. Hmmm. One of these days I'm going to calculate the fudge factor for this equation in different tortoise species, based on how different their carapace length is from the average across species.

But to answer your question, here are the lengths and weights of my steppe tortoises:

Male - 11.080 cm, 367 grams, 141% tBMI
Female - 12.415 cm, 523 grams, 143% tBMI

BTW - Yes, the handheld weight test Yvonne just mentioned is a good one, although I think I need to use numbers when it comes to evaluating whether they are fit to hibernate indoors. Weight is affected by hydration, fat, and bone density, so whether you judge it by hand or measure it, it is a big component of health.

 

[GBtortoises]

"Does he feel like a shell full or air or a rock? If air, he's too light."

I Yvonne and I are more "old school". I use the same method! I don't put a lot of faith in constantly weighing tortoises or weight charts. I consistently find that any given tortoises weight that I have varies somewhat based on season, weather conditions and how long the tortoise has been indoors or outdoors. Rather than actual weight I base a tortoise's health on a combination of it's weight (by feel), activity, alertness and body signs (eyes, clocoa, limbs, etc...).

I've noticed a distinct connection between some peoples obsession to constantly weigh their tortoise(s) and them always asking if their tortoise is growing fast enough, or weighs enough or is being fed all the right foods or is it dehydrated, etc, etc... I'm not referring to the OP or Geo, just others in general.

Folks, the truth is, it isn't rocket science to keep a tortoise healthy. Most of it comes down to just plain common sense. They're simple animals with basic needs.

 

[chase thorn]

Very good info guys! thank you all!!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

"Does he feel like a shell full or air or a rock? If air, he's too light."

I Yvonne and I are more "old school". I use the same method! I don't put a lot of faith in constantly weighing tortoises or weight charts. I consistently find that any given tortoises weight that I have varies somewhat based on season, weather conditions and how long the tortoise has been indoors or outdoors. Rather than actual weight I base a tortoise's health on a combination of it's weight (by feel), activity, alertness and body signs (eyes, clocoa, limbs, etc...).

I've noticed a distinct connection between some peoples obsession to constantly weigh their tortoise(s) and them always asking if their tortoise is growing fast enough, or weighs enough or is being fed all the right foods or is it dehydrated, etc, etc... I'm not referring to the OP or Geo, just others in general.

Folks, the truth is, it isn't rocket science to keep a tortoise healthy. Most of it comes down to just plain common sense. They're simple animals with basic needs.

It's certainly true that there's more to it than just weighing them. And indeed, handling a tortoise too often can stress him out, achieving the opposite result of what we set out to do, which is maximizing health. For this reason, I measure the length and weight of my guys just once a month. I also do pay attention to how they feel in may hand, as well as behavior, brightness of the eyes, appetite, stool consistency, etc. I just like having some numbers to work with as part of my toolkit.