Variable Growth

[rest7773]

hi everyone..

I have a question to ask do same conditions have varied effects on tortoises of the same species? I have two star tortoises both r approx a 11 months old. In morning to afternoon they receive direct sunlight so the overall temp is 35 to 38°c. Around 5 pm i switch on thier basking light..underneat the light the temp is about 36 nd in the warmer side is 33 nd in the cool side its about 28°c. At night as the basking light is off the temp drops to 26°c. The humidity is about 50-60%, i tried to buff it up but it does not go beyond 60%.
Now the real question i have two star tortoises...both eat the same diet n bask at the same time of the day...the tort in the pic has a smooth shell but the other one does not have a smooth shell nd is starting to pyramid. So is it just coincidence or due to some lapse in his care or it just happens that some to them tend to have a pointy shell no matter what u do.

Sorry for the long post...n thanks in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

What a nice enclosure!

Did both tortoises come from the same breeder? I was thinking the bumpy one might have been started a little drier than the smooth one was.

 

[Tom]

If they are living together as a pair in the same enclosure then chronic stress can be a factor.

In every group of tortoises that I raise, some grow faster and smoother, while others grow slower and bumpier, even in the same enclosure with the same foods and same routine. I have not figured this one out yet. It would be a very large and involved experiment to test whether this is more or less likely with tortoises raised all alone, or in pairs, or in groups. Someday I'd like to try it. It would be easiest to do with a bunch of sulcatas all from the same clutch. I would think 6-12 months would give a pretty good answer. Maybe two groups of 6-10 and then a bunch of individuals in their own enclosures… Hmmm…...

 

[Yvonne G]

If they are living together as a pair in the same enclosure then chronic stress can be a factor.

In every group of tortoises that I raise, some grow faster and smoother, while others grow slower and bumpier, even in the same enclosure with the same foods and same routine. I have not figured this one out yet. It would be a very large and involved experiment to test whether this is more or less likely with tortoises raised all alone, or in pairs, or in groups. Someday I'd like to try it. It would be easiest to do with a bunch of sulcatas all from the same clutch. I would think 6-12 months would give a pretty good answer. Maybe two groups of 6-10 and then a bunch of individuals in their own enclosures… Hmmm…...

I see another experiment in Tom's future.

 

[rest7773]

It might just be like 2 childern who recieve the same love care n attention but one grows to be tall n other a little short in comparison with the other....things just happens. Sometimes there are explainations. Things just happen. lolz

 

[Tom]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is:
1. When raised in groups, the rate for this slower growth and pyramiding that we are talking about is around 10-20%. So one or two out of every 10. This has been the case for me with russians, CDTs, sulcatas, both types of leopards, and platynota.
2. When raised in pairs, one of the two almost always does the slow growth and pyramiding thing, and sometimes both of them do it.

 

[rest7773]

The one is just in the initial stage of pyramiding n growing fast...the who is not pyramiding is growing at slow rate but is super smooth.

Probably a year more then i will shift to a bigger apartment with a garden...then they gonna have a lot of space. I just wish nothing bad happens between two b4 i shift lolz.

 

[Huckleberry]

The one is just in the initial stage of pyramiding n growing fast...the who is not pyramiding is growing at slow rate but is super smooth.

Probably a year more then i will shift to a bigger apartment with a garden...then they gonna have a lot of space. I just wish nothing bad happens between two b4 i shift lolz.

Same for me. I have had my two young stars for 1 year now. One has grown over an inch and gained 175 grams--and he is bumpy! The other has gained 30 grams and grown 1/4 inch and is smooth. Both are housed together in a closed chamber. They are not related, but have had the same care for a year now.

 

[Tom]

No growth = No pyramiding.