sulcata size question

[dar64]

Hi

I recently took in a sulcata that supposedly 5 years old. He/she is only 2.0 lbs and 8 Inches long. Does this sound right ? I was told it was a female. I'm concerned. I don't think she was ever out of a glass tank. I brought her outside today, I am in the middle of her enclosure. I am trying to change her food to a more appropriate diet. He ate very nicely outside and was actually active. From what I was told she was on was too rich. No grasses or hay. she has a little pyramiding.
Does the size sound ok for a 5 year old if she is a female. ?

Thank you

 

[L82lalaland]

Hi dar64
Welcome I just posted a size and age question the other day and the replies were that anything is possible with these guys. Malnourished can cause a major size differences. If you look at the pictures in my post you can see that my two that were raised from 1 month old by us and feed very well thanks to this forum are much bigger than the new babie we got that is the same age.
That's one lucky tortoise for having a smart new owner willing to ask questions and learn. Congrats.

 

[cemmons12]

If its 5 it is undersized..

 

[Dizisdalife]

Hi

I recently took in a sulcata that supposedly 5 years old. He/she is only 2.0 lbs and 8 Inches long. Does this sound right ? I was told it was a female. I'm concerned. I don't think she was ever out of a glass tank. I brought her outside today, I am in the middle of her enclosure. I am trying to change her food to a more appropriate diet. He ate very nicely outside and was actually active. From what I was told she was on was too rich. No grasses or hay. she has a little pyramiding.
Does the size sound ok for a 5 year old if she is a female. ?

Thank you

The tortoise may or may not be 5 years old. There is just no way to really know. To me, with my limited experience, it sounds like it may not have had the best of care. Can you post a picture of the tortoise. And, if you can, post a picture of his/her plastrom so that we can guess the sex.

 

[dar64]

Hi

I recently took in a sulcata that supposedly 5 years old. He/she is only 2.0 lbs and 8 Inches long. Does this sound right ? I was told it was a female. I'm concerned. I don't think she was ever out of a glass tank. I brought her outside today, I am in the middle of her enclosure. I am trying to change her food to a more appropriate diet. He ate very nicely outside and was actually active. From what I was told she was on was too rich. No grasses or hay. she has a little pyramiding.
Does the size sound ok for a 5 year old if she is a female. ?

Thank you

Do you think he will catch up ?

 

[Dizisdalife]

Hi

I recently took in a sulcata that supposedly 5 years old. He/she is only 2.0 lbs and 8 Inches long. Does this sound right ? I was told it was a female. I'm concerned. I don't think she was ever out of a glass tank. I brought her outside today, I am in the middle of her enclosure. I am trying to change her food to a more appropriate diet. He ate very nicely outside and was actually active. From what I was told she was on was too rich. No grasses or hay. she has a little pyramiding.
Does the size sound ok for a 5 year old if she is a female. ?

Thank you

Do you think he will catch up ?

Not sure if there is a definitive answer for you. I believe that better care will produce a heathier, more normal sulcata. Unless there are some underlying health issues he/she could grow to be a very good size. Even if he/she grows to be very large how would you ever know if he/she could not have been been bigger if only....? See the dilemma?

 

[dar64]

should I be feeding her 75% timothy hay and/or grass and the rest greens ? should I supplement her with calcium with D3 and herpivite ? I haven't figured out where to type new topics

 

[mainey34]

If your sulcata is Truley 5 years old then yes it is under weight, have you measured it? That would help also...if that's the case could be due to husbandry issues...food, lighting, water, humidity, post pics of your sully so we can see if there is something else going on that possibly a vet visit might be needed....

 

[dar64]

If your sulcata is Truley 5 years old then yes it is under weight, have you measured it? That would help also...if that's the case could be due to husbandry issues...food, lighting, water, humidity, post pics of your sully so we can see if there is something else going on that possibly a vet visit might be needed....

Yes she is 8 " Long. The owner has many adult sulcatas so couldn't put this one out. He said once she is out in the sun etc she will grow ? I hope.

 

[dmarcus]

It does happen, I have one like yours that was keep in a glass tank inside for the first 3.5 years of her life and when I got her she was in bad shape. She is almost 5 years old now and she is just under 8 inches.

She does not like hay, but she loves greens and mazuri.

How does her shell look?

 

[mainey34]

Your sulcata should be fine and should grow normal. Feed lots of greens, you could add mazuri to her diet to bulk her up. I also add zoomed grassland to greens. They are both good to add to their diet. Make sure she gets plenty of sunshine and calcium also. I think she will catch up...

 

[dar64]

Her shell looks pretty good. she has a little bit of pyramiding. i was told its a female I think she is. she's eating majority hay which I'm trying to do with a little greens. she only ate good greens. kale, mustard, collards etc. no grasses or hay. I'm guessing thats part of the pyramiding issue. too much protein in the greens and she's never been out of course.

 

[mainey34]

Pyramiding is not caused by food, it is caused by dry conditions. Low humidity, little or no water, soaking..if you post pics we can help with sexing your tort..

 

[dar64]

Pyramiding is not caused by food, it is caused by dry conditions. Low humidity, little or no water, soaking..if you post pics we can help with sexing your tort..

I would post pictures if I can figure out how LOL That makes sense. She was raised on rabbit pellets for substrate and I know there was no water in the enclosure. How often should I soak her at this age and size . again she's 5 yrs old 8 inches 2.0 lbs Is there a easy way to tell me how to post pictures.

Thank you

 

[dmarcus]

Pyramiding is not caused by food, it is caused by dry conditions. Low humidity, little or no water, soaking..if you post pics we can help with sexing your tort..

Pyramiding can also be caused from food, if you feed a sulcata to much protein they can become pyramided. It takes a well balanced diet plus all the other things you mentioned to avoid pyramiding.

 

[dar64]

I'm trying to send pictures but they are in Picasa and I can't seem to find them when I browse to attach them

 

[Dizisdalife]

I would post pictures if I can figure out how LOL Is there a easy way to tell me how to post pictures.

Thank you

There is a thread that one of our members put together for posting pictures. I found it helpful.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-5245.html

 

[dar64]

can someone tell me what the best lamp and bulb wattage I should use to heat a large igloo ?
thankyou

dar

 

[Livingstone]

The great thing about reptiles is that they dont really have a growth limit per se, more to the point, sulcata's in particular have until 30 years old before they "stop" growing (stop in quotes because because that's debatable). With a consistent (not over fed) diet with a protein booster like mazuri or similar you would probably catch up pretty quickly. Quickly being relative to the age of your tortoise, the older the tortoise the more catching up he has to do.

What's the distance from inside the top of the igloo to the top of the tortoises shell? And what the diameter at the bottom?

 

[sibi]

Exactly! There are a combination of factors that causes pyramiding, but lack of humidity does contribute greatly to it. I have a rescue that is 3 years old and weighed only 4 ozs. 11 weeks ago. Now, he has doubled his weight with proper care and good food. He does have metabolic bone disease (MBD), which has caused pyramiding and soft spots on his plastron and carapace. Still, I hold out hope that he'll grow to live a full, happy life. He's getting stronger everyday, and I think yours will also.

The best lamp is a mercury vapor bulb 100 w, and a dome fixture w/ceramic socket. U should also get a ceramic heat emitter (CHE). The uvb bulb will give your tort the UV and heat it needs during the day, and the CHE will keep the enclosure heated at night when lights go out.