Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone, Checking back in from last fall when we got a baby sulcata and received a lot of good advice here.
Now, our baby is six months old and hasn't grown!!! It was 54 grams went up periodically to 59 grams and is now back to 54 grams. It eats grasses daily, is soaked 3 to 4 times a week, has ocassional treats of "approved" greens, seems active when it isn't sleeping (which seems to be often), but isn't growning.
Any suggestions??? Thanks

My two hatchlings from last year still apear to be the same size also, The only info I can offer Is to give him/her Turnip greens, my two year olds were given mostly tunip greens and they are huge now.

Is turnip a recommended food for Sulcata?

My Sulcata Gaga is about one year old, weighs 144 grams and carapace is about 80 mm. It has doubled about half a year since we got it last September, from 68 grams --- seems a reasonable growth rate.

I have seen some advice on the web saying that the growth rate is much dependent on the DNA of each individual tortoise, so there is no "normal" rate ever quoted even by the experts.

However the almost zero growth in half a year really surprise me. I do really wish to know the cause.

>>Is turnip a recommended food for Sulcata?

I don't recall which site or book I read it in but turnip greens are a good food for them. In winter I buy a turnip, mustard, collard green mix which works great to lure my tortoise back home when I can't get her to go there on her own.

It's best though if they eat a whole lot more grasses than greens.
I don't think no growth in 6 months is a bad thing as long as the tortoise is healthy & eating plenty of variety.. slow growth is a good thing because as long as conditions are right (humidity & diet) the slower growth will help prevent pyramiding.
-----
PHRatz

>>I don't think no growth in 6 months is a bad thing as long as the tortoise is healthy & eating plenty of variety.. slow growth is a good thing because as long as conditions are right (humidity & diet) the slower growth will help prevent pyramiding.

Sure it is nice if the tortoise remain active and healthy, and no pyramiding --- but if it has no growth in a year, two years ....I would still wonder what has been wrong.

In a crowded place like Hong Kong here I would be very happy to have a sulcata which lives healthyly tens of years and remains less than say 5 kg --- it must be a new breed indeed!

>>In a crowded place like Hong Kong here I would be very happy to have a sulcata which lives healthyly tens of years and remains less than say 5 kg --- it must be a new breed indeed!

What would we call it? Miniature sulcata?
-----
PHRatz

You know what would happen! We would think they were a new small breed and then at about 5 years old they would start to double in size every year! I have not weighed or measured my 05 hatchling pair, but I think they seem so small because I spend so much time with them. If I skip a day or two of visiting my adult Sulcatas, then they seem to have grown an inch in two days! ha ha