Weight Gain- How much is too much?

ChloeRagusa

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Good morning, all!

Thanks to everyone's help, my baby tort is doing well and just hit the 6 month mark. Much appreciated.

My question today is about my tort's weight gain, more specifically how much weight is too much? Below is the measurements I have taken since I got him in January:

Jan 10th: 3inches long, 2.5 inches wide, no measurement for height of shell, weight of 90 grams
Jan 22nd: weight of 97 grams
February 4th: 3.2 inches in length, 2.5 inches wide, no height, weight of 109 grams
March 14th: weight of 155 grams

There is nothing 'wrong' with Skrink, as far as I can see. Healthy shell, strong limbs, adequate sun, calcium, food, water soaks daily, pooping and peeing almost daily, etc. I am just wondering if he is gaining weight too quickly, and if so what I should do to help him.

Thanks!
 

jsheffield

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The guiding principle that I've lived with since starting with torts is that "as long as you're providing the right food (and environmental conditions) there's no such thing as growing too fast"... the other side of that coin is that so long as your tort is active and putting on some weight, there's no such thing as growing too slow (again, assuming optimal conditions).

Jamie
 

ChloeRagusa

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Update: Skrink is now 4.3 inches long and 306 grams. He has gained so much weight, but is healthy and active. I hope he's a desert tortoise and not a bigger breed.
 

TammyJ

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Update: Skrink is now 4.3 inches long and 306 grams. He has gained so much weight, but is healthy and active. I hope he's a desert tortoise and not a bigger breed.
Maybe we can reassure you on that question if we saw some pictures of him!!! Please. I love desert tortoises - or bigger "breeds". Let's see!
 

Tom

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This is a desert tortoise. The leg scales are a give-away. He is growing well because you are caring for him well and keeping him hydrated. If you want him to grow slower, soak once a week or never, and feed him infrequently. If you do those things, he will grow as slow as other people's sickly, barely surviving desert tortoises that are outside in the elements all day. I think its better to keep him healthy.

Personally I don't worry about growth rate. Other people grow torts faster than me, but I don't care. I'm working toward optimal health, not fast or slow growth. Good foods, good hydration, good temperatures, good lighting, correct humidity for a growing baby, and a large safe enclosure.
 

ChloeRagusa

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This is a desert tortoise. The leg scales are a give-away. He is growing well because you are caring for him well and keeping him hydrated. If you want him to grow slower, soak once a week or never, and feed him infrequently. If you do those things, he will grow as slow as other people's sickly, barely surviving desert tortoises that are outside in the elements all day. I think its better to keep him healthy.

Personally I don't worry about growth rate. Other people grow torts faster than me, but I don't care. I'm working toward optimal health, not fast or slow growth. Good foods, good hydration, good temperatures, good lighting, correct humidity for a growing baby, and a large safe enclosure.
Thanks, Tom! Hilarious and blunt as always 🤣 As long as there's no danger to having him grow fast, I think I'll keep him healthy 🤣
 

Tom

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Thanks, Tom! Hilarious and blunt as always 🤣 As long as there's no danger to having him grow fast, I think I'll keep him healthy 🤣
I'm glad you get my sense of humor. Not everyone does. You are doing a great job with your tortoise. The healthy growth rate is just one measure of that.
 
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