Ok, so... Gtp's are ready to breed in the 1000 gram area, when speaking about gtps in age I.E. the classifieds... about how much would a 1 year old weigh in grams? About how much would a 2 year old weigh in grams ? A 3 year old? etc. At about what year are they in the 1000 gram area?
Generally speaking, alot of factors can and will determine growth of chondros.
1. Sex of the animal. Females tend to grow faster and bulk up more so then males even when on the same feeding schedule.
2. Genetics. There are many factors dealing with size as adults and this can be attributed to healthier and hardier hatchlings and juvies. Some lines will remain small 1200-1500 gram adults and others may be large 2500 gram adults.
3. Feeding schedules vary by keeper. I've seen some feed hatchlings every 4-5 days and others that only feed every 10-30 days. In my opinion, a 5-7 day schedule is a safe measure. These schedules will also effect the growth depending on how often they are fed as well as how often the size of the prey item is increased.
4. How soon the hatchlings are feeding on their own. I've had some go 10-12 weeks after hatching before taking their first meals. Once these animals started, they began to feed on the regular feeding schedule, but didn't grow at the same rate as those that fed from the first couple of weeks after hatching. Some of these were less than 1/2 the weight of their siblings at 1 year old.
5. Import vs. Captive Bred. Most of the dealers you see are offering Farm Hatched Imports. Not that these are "bad" chondros, but they don't always get the proper care that a breeder will provide. I would not suggest starting with anything less than $400. Believe me, the extra $100-150 will save you many headaches in the long run.
So, to answer your questions.......
A one year old will weigh somewhere around 50-90 grams depending on the above factors.
2 Year olds 200-300 grams
3 Year olds 400-700 grams
4 Year old 400-1200 grams
There are exceptions to all of these weights and I'm going by what I've witnessed in my own collective experiences. Others may have different averages to go by. I think that most dealers keep animals small and underfed, but most are probably imports as well and this could have something to do with smaller sizes relative to age. I've seen 2 years olds that were smaller than my 9 month olds. Choose CAPTIVE BRED.
Brandon Osborne
