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- May 29, 2014
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- 11
My tortoise is an RT and is three. What is the average weight for a tortoise of her age? 
^this was NOT in her enclosure and she was sleepy!
^this was NOT in her enclosure and she was sleepy!
what is the average weight for a 3 yr old?
- Thread starter hannahshiers
- Start date
There is no average weight. Every tort's growth varies depending on whether it is wikd caught or captive bred and on its diet and upbringing.
Exactly right. There are too many variables affecting growth rate for any average to be meaningful.
Size and weight are very strongly dependent on diet, weather, hydration, genetic predisposition, population density... and so much more.
There is a good formula that Joe Heinen (from www.russiantortoise.net) shares that will predict the 'ideal' weight of a Russian tortoise reliably. This would at least give you an idea of whether your tortoise is within a healthy ballpark weight range for its size. [length (cm) x width (cm) x height (cm)] x 0.57 = ideal weight in grams. To measure your tortoise's length, width and height, you need to measure the LINEAR length, book-end style, NOT over the curved top. You can do this by placing your tortoise ON a ruler, up against the wall for the length and width, and for the height, by holding the ruler upright, and using a balance (or in a crunch, a book) to determine the linear height.
I can say though that your tortoise is almost certainly older than 3 years old. Pet stores like to tell people that the 4" or larger torts they are selling are 'babies' or '1-year-old' but in reality it takes the critters 5-10 years to reach the size that makes them legal to be sold in a pet store. Looking at your tortoise's shell, I would guess it to be somewhere between 5 and 15 years old. Since with proper care, tortoises will live longer than humans, this doesn't matter though.
There is a good formula that Joe Heinen (from www.russiantortoise.net) shares that will predict the 'ideal' weight of a Russian tortoise reliably. This would at least give you an idea of whether your tortoise is within a healthy ballpark weight range for its size. [length (cm) x width (cm) x height (cm)] x 0.57 = ideal weight in grams. To measure your tortoise's length, width and height, you need to measure the LINEAR length, book-end style, NOT over the curved top. You can do this by placing your tortoise ON a ruler, up against the wall for the length and width, and for the height, by holding the ruler upright, and using a balance (or in a crunch, a book) to determine the linear height.
I can say though that your tortoise is almost certainly older than 3 years old. Pet stores like to tell people that the 4" or larger torts they are selling are 'babies' or '1-year-old' but in reality it takes the critters 5-10 years to reach the size that makes them legal to be sold in a pet store. Looking at your tortoise's shell, I would guess it to be somewhere between 5 and 15 years old. Since with proper care, tortoises will live longer than humans, this doesn't matter though.
As a general rule I like to say that no matter what its age a tortoise should weigh approximately as much a rock of similar size. The bigger the species the heavier the rock! If your Russian feels solid and as dense as a rock when you pick it up then its weight is most likely just fine. Alternatively, if it feels "hollow" it could probably use more weight. I know it would be easier if we could just give you a range of numbers to shoot for. But there are just too many variables for that. Weight is a measurement of total mass including organs, muscles, shell/bone, digesting food, water/urates/urine, eggs, all of it. All of those are very very hangeable things. A well hydrated female with eggs, well developed muscles and a full gut is a heavy beast. But if that female lays her eggs, poops and expelles urates she will be significantly lighter. See what I mean...variables.
