To small or no?

[tawaschc254]

I have had my tortoise for about a year. I didn't start documenting weight until this month. He has grown from when I got him as a hatchling. I know your not suppose to compare growth to other tortoise but my sister in law got her second one about the same time as we did from same reptile center and hers is about triple the size of mine. I'm not sure of exact age when I got it but have had it a year. Also just curious what you guys think of his shell. I know what it's from. He likes to dig under his water dish and back his but up underneath it. I have put pebbles there to try to stop it and it hasn't worked. Any other suggestions. He does eat fine and is very active.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Different tortoises do grow at different rates. have you compared what you are doing compared to what your sister has been doing? Is something different?
They (babies) do like to hide. And I wouldn't use pebbles unless they are way too large to eat....if at all.
He could also be burying himself because of too much heat or the wrong type of lighting. What are your temperatures and what are you using as far as lights?

 

[tawaschc254]

I feed a variety of vegetables and fruits. I switch up between kale, collard greens, spinach. As far as vegetables I do zucchini, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms and a few others but those are main. Fruits I do blueberry, Apple and mango mostly. Protein I do grilled steak or chicken at least twice a week. He has definitely grown about an once since I got him. Just paranoid. He mostly only hides while sleeping. I don't know why but I have two hides he refuses to sleep in. He will go in throughout the day for a little nap but that's it. I have all lights off at night since down stairs Ac unit is set at 80 during the night and kicks back on right before I wake up. Temp is anywhere between 75-85. During day I use daytime blue and uv. Uv is 100 watt and daytime is 60 watt. I typically have uv light on from 8-6pm and he is very active during that time. I soak him daily for about 45 minutes in the dish in pictures with warm water and he loves it. He usually poops while soaking as well.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome.
If you send pictures of his enclosure then people here can advise if there is anything you could change e.g .add plants for him to hide under, change lights etc.
There will be a caresheet for him under Species Specific section and if you look at the Enclosures thread and Beginners Mistakes they will also point you in the right direction.

 

[wellington]

Tortoises need to warm up to past 85 to digest their food. Does he have a basking option to warm up past the temp? Also what is the humdiity? These guys need a high humdiity. Take a read on the tortoiselibrary.com great site for RF and it's one of our members sites.

 

[tawaschc254]

Wellington we do outside time a lot and yes he has a basking area which I'm guessing is hotter. The temp gage isn't in that area. I'm in process of making him a larger tortoise table.

 

[tawaschc254]

I live in Florida where it's pretty hot all year and we do outside time as long as it's above 70. He does poop like I said everyday in his soak I do with warm-hot water

 

[tawaschc254]

Right now he is in a glass thing and hate it. The floor is soil, cypress and large pebbles about half the size of him. Pebbles are to try to prevent him from sleeping with his butt against water dish

 

[ZEROPILOT]

He should be growing like crazy in Florida.
Mine seem to have accelerated growth compared to others outside of tropical climates.
South Florida? If so, even better.

 

[tawaschc254]

I'm located in central on gulf coast. We lived in a apartment when we first got him so outside wasn't an option to much because I was afraid of kids touching him if I wasn't out with him. Now I take him out in kiddy pool I made for him and let him play and check on him every 10-15 minutes. Like I said paranoid. He still seems to small to leave outside outside all the time.

As far as diet I feed him every morning. I offer more than he eats.



On the pink plate is greens, zucchini, mango, Apple, banana and mushrooms.

In Orange dish is tortoise pellets.

Tonight we are having steak so I will cut a small piece for him and grill it with ours.

He is probably about a 1 1/2 is my guess.

 

[tawaschc254]

I will take any suggestions as far as outside and inside enclosure suggestions and diet changes.

 

[SunnySideUp]

Do you offer him any calcium? Acknowledging what you said about how he likes to back up against his water dish, his shell still looks a bit funny to me.