Weight gain

[fidsunited]

Hi Got 2 horsfields , 1 off each apox 5 years , roughly 6 inch L x 4 3/4 inch W , only just started weighing them to monitor their progress .

Betty - 682g - 702g 20g gain
Frank - 721g - 785g 64g gain
In two weeks

Is this about right ? And do males grow faster ? They seem to eat exactly the same amount , he doesn't appear to eat more than her but has gained 3 times as much ,

Been on a few sites and the overall weight and weight gain seem really extreme , have I misread the scales or are we over feeding .
Cheers Martin

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Martin:

Are these wild caught, pet shop bought russian tortoises? If so, they're not going to be doing much more growing.

If they're captive bred and you can know for sure that they are about 5 years old, then they still have a bit of growing to do. I wouldn't worry about weight gain. Russian tortoises need a big enough area so they can get lots of exercise. If they can walk around a lot chances are pretty good they won't get too fat.

Females are usually bigger than males. If you're keeping them together in the same habitat, this is a good clue as to why Betty isn't growing as fast as Frank. They should be kept separate and only put together when you want them to breed.

 

[leigti]

That is quite a difference in weight gain. Definitely separate them as soon as you can. We love pictures of tortoises and their enclosures

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pics of your torts. This would enable us to help you/give you advise more easily.