Sulcata underweight?

[Sarah Braun]

Hi. I hope you don't mind my asking for advice. I have a huge adult male sulcata. Probably about 15 yrs old. I don't know if he is underweight or just fine. I saw calculations for weight in grams compared to shell length, I can't even pick this guy up! He seems healthy, eats well, stumps around. Is there any other way to tell if he is over/under weight? Can I pinch his arm or look for a double chin? Jk

 

[Len B]

If he is eating a good varied diet and is active I wouldn't worry. They grow at different rates.

 

[Tom]

Hi. I hope you don't mind my asking for advice. I have a huge adult male sulcata. Probably about 15 yrs old. I don't know if he is underweight or just fine. I saw calculations for weight in grams compared to shell length, I can't even pick this guy up! He seems healthy, eats well, stumps around. Is there any other way to tell if he is over/under weight? Can I pinch his arm or look for a double chin? Jk

Wherever you saw that calculation, stop reading their info.

They should feel dense and heavy for their size.

 

[Sarah Braun]

He's huge. A tank. He is active. He always has grassland hay available and he gets a scoop of mazuri every morning. His neck looked skinny to me (no comparison though). I've been giving him carrot treats thinking I should bring up his calories. He certainly isnt complaining about that.

 

[Sarah Braun]

If he is eating a good varied diet and is active I wouldn't worry. They grow at different rates.

Thank you how much mazuri would you give an adult male?

 

[Sarah Braun]

He's huge. A tank. He is active. He always has grassland hay available and he gets a scoop of mazuri every morning. His neck looked skinny to me (no comparison though). I've been giving him carrot treats thinking I should bring up his calories. He certainly isnt complaining about that.

Note: this was meant to be a reply to Len B

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hi. I hope you don't mind my asking for advice. I have a huge adult male sulcata. Probably about 15 yrs old. I don't know if he is underweight or just fine. I saw calculations for weight in grams compared to shell length, I can't even pick this guy up! He seems healthy, eats well, stumps around. Is there any other way to tell if he is over/under weight? Can I pinch his arm or look for a double chin? Jk

We are here so you CAN ask questions (especially about Sulcata) I get some neighbor and friends to lift him either into the back of my Camaro, or their truck, and haul said tort off to the feed store, they generally have an in floor scale...use it free...

 

[Tom]

He's huge. A tank. He is active. He always has grassland hay available and he gets a scoop of mazuri every morning. His neck looked skinny to me (no comparison though). I've been giving him carrot treats thinking I should bring up his calories. He certainly isnt complaining about that.

What is grassland hay? Is that a name brand, or something? Grass hay is good. Orchard grass hay is best, Bermuda hay works too, and Timothy hay is too stemmy. Grass, or grass hay should be the majority of the daily diet.

Mazuri is a good supplemental food once or twice a week. I don't like to use it every day.

Carrots are too high in sugar, and that can wreak havoc on the gut flora and fauna, which will reduce the effectiveness of the GI tract, and we don't want that.

Other good food items are mulberry leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers, grape vine leaves, a wide variety of weeds when available, and spineless opuntia pads, aka: nopales.

 

[Len B]

Thank you how much mazuri would you give an adult male?

I feed mazuri daily to all of my tortoise's, but nowhere near the recommended amount. Which I believe has been raised to 4 percent of body weight. Walker my oldest sulcata weighs around 170 pounds and he gets about 7 to 8 ounces a day. He also gets an occasional carrot and other things not recommended because of their sugar content. I have raised him from a hatching since 1996.

 

[Len B]

He's huge. A tank. He is active. He always has grassland hay available and he gets a scoop of mazuri every morning. His neck looked skinny to me (no comparison though). I've been giving him carrot treats thinking I should bring up his calories. He certainly isnt complaining about that.

When feeding carrots to any tortoise the safest way is to quarter it longways and offer the four pieces at full length. Less chance of a chocking problem.