Shelled Warriors Forums
 

Go Back   Shelled Warriors Forums > Tortoise Information > Mediterranean Tortoises - Information & Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-03-2015, 03:47 PM   #1
alley cat
Senior Member
Adult
 
alley cat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Somerset
Posts: 3,150
Default My horsfields long term growth

These are the 3 torts that I purchased on 21.6.08 meant to be 3 female but 1ended up male, I thought it would be interesting to look at their growth rate over the years.

Hilda
June 08 400g. Approximately 5years old
June 09. 476g
June 10. 532g
June 11. 635g
July 12. 746g
June 13. 882g
April 14. 967g
Current. 985g

Doris
June 08. 375g approximately 5 years old
June 09. 420 g
June 10. 481g
June 11. 522g
July 12. 615g
June 13. 763g
April 14. 839g
Current. 876g

Bertie
June 08. 325g. Approximately 4 years old
June 09. 407g
June 10. 521 g
June 11. 567 g
July 12. 582 g
June 13. 742g
April 14. 742g
Current. 687g

These torts live in a greenhouse with access to a large outside area and are fed a mostly weed diet.
alley cat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2015, 05:08 PM   #2
alley cat
Senior Member
Adult
 
alley cat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Somerset
Posts: 3,150
Default

Ok so just did a few calculations to summarise, in 6 n a bit years Bertie the male gained 362g. The 2 females gained just over 500 g and interestingly Maureen another of my females who is older but who is still growing also gained the same amount in the same period. I cannot compare my others as they were all pretty much adult when I got them.
This is less than I was expecting the rate to be, maybe I will look at my hermanns now and see if they are similar! I have become obsessed with numbers all of a sudden!!
alley cat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2015, 06:03 PM   #3
emma_mcraf
Senior Member
Adult
 
emma_mcraf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 11,364
Default

Looks like slow and steady growth, Alley.
__________________
Emma

Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine
Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca
Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

emma_mcraf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2015, 12:18 PM   #4
Catwoman63
Senior Member
Adult
 
Catwoman63's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South East England
Posts: 6,739
Default

It's good to see the growth and weights over the years, and interesting how different some torts grow and put on weight.

I weighed all my horsfields this morning:

Xena:these weight are just after hibernation, the weights increased during the summer months, and back Down to the the weights below

March 2013 = 1,666 gms
March 2014 = 1,762 gms
March 2015 = 1,707gms

Hibernation this year:

End of windown = 1,663 gms
Mid way through hibernation = 1,647 gms
Post hibernation = 1,707 gms

Zelda:

March 2013 = 1,631 gms
March 2014 = 1,763 gms
March 2015 = 1,621 gms

Hibernation this year:

End of windown = 1,583 gms
Mid way through hibernation = 1,575 gms
Post hibernation = 1,621 gms

Spartacus:

June 2013 = 429 gms
May 2014 = 438 gms
March 2015 = 450 gms

Hibernation this year:

End of windown = 409 gms
Mid way through hibernation = 401 gms
Post hibernation= 450gms

Lilly: weights each year from hatchling

Sept 2010 = 7cms 100gms
Sept 2011 = 9cm 175 gms
Sept 2012 = 12cms 364 gms
Sept 2013 = 14cms 847 gms
Sept 2014 = 16 cms 906 gms
March 2015 = 16cms 914 gms

Hibernation this year:

End of windown = 888gms
Mid way through hibernation = 887 gms
Post hibernation = 914 gms

Roxy:

February 2013 = 9.5cms 244gms
March 2014 = 14 cms 781 gms
March 2015 = 16 cms 980 gms

Hibernation this year:

End of windown = 994 gms
Mid way through hibernation = 988 gms
Post hibernation = 980 gms (she hadn't eaten yet as only got up yesterday)
__________________
BEV XXX

0.3.0 - T Horsfieldii (Xena, Zelda & Lilly)
2.2.0 - TG Terrestris (Zeus, Astreus / Zagreus & Alexia)
1.2.0 - Zebra Finches (Gunner / Bonnie & May)
0.1.0 - SBT (Hazel)
1.0.0 - FBD (Ted)
Catwoman63 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2015, 06:00 PM   #5
alley cat
Senior Member
Adult
 
alley cat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Somerset
Posts: 3,150
Default

Wow Bev, Xena n Zelda are hefty girls! If I remember rightly though they were adult when you got them? Didn't they come from Chris?

Your weights for the others makes interesting reading, your torts put on 500 g in one season where mine took 6 years!! Maybe mine need some cakes to fatten them up! Seriously though I wonder why as mine do leave food so I can't be starving them??

I expect Danny will have a chart somewhere showing a study of wild growth weights or something. If you do have anything Danny I would be very interested.
alley cat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2015, 06:47 PM   #6
Catwoman63
Senior Member
Adult
 
Catwoman63's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South East England
Posts: 6,739
Default

Hehe Alley, mine are all fat greedy pigs, and it might be bacause they either live singlely or in pairs so not much competition for food, I would also think that compared to the wild where they walk more many more miles and forage for food that may not be available and they do hibernate for a lot longer than ours ever will

Roxy grew too fast in my opinion, she put on 700 grams in 2 years!!!! The older girls I did get as adults and have put on around 200-300 grams since I've got them, Lilly has gained 800 grams in 4.1/2 years and little old spart has stayed around the same weight he is a dinky little thing but weighs far heavier than one of my male golden Greeks who is larger than him x
__________________
BEV XXX

0.3.0 - T Horsfieldii (Xena, Zelda & Lilly)
2.2.0 - TG Terrestris (Zeus, Astreus / Zagreus & Alexia)
1.2.0 - Zebra Finches (Gunner / Bonnie & May)
0.1.0 - SBT (Hazel)
1.0.0 - FBD (Ted)

Last edited by Catwoman63; 08-03-2015 at 06:49 PM.
Catwoman63 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2015, 07:25 PM   #7
emma_mcraf
Senior Member
Adult
 
emma_mcraf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 11,364
Default

Tabitha is a big girl too. She's gained 300g in the two years I've had her. I think your hypothesis that living singly or in pairs means there's less competition for food is a good point Bev. There's never any food left here either. I replaced the aloe & spider plants in all their tables this weekend and the females have devoured most of theirs but the males aren't quite so bothered. Just as well they are easy plants to recover and take cuttings from or split. I always have new plants growing on the windowsill. They really love the aloe.
__________________
Emma

Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine
Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca
Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

emma_mcraf is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:49 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.