21-08-2011, 09:32 PM | #1 |
Member
Egg
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 81
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weight and eating of horsefields
hi
i weighed my 2 today , one is 104g and one is 132g . they dont appear to have eaten anything today and havent pooped since i brought them home friday afternoon. how worried should i be ? i didnt know anything about prymading until after i had already bought them , so was upset to learn that the lumpy shell isnt normal and is bad for them. i planned to limit how much they ate in order to slow there growing down a bit but that plan is a bit problematic since i dont know how much is too much and how much is not enough. how much weight should a growing tortoise gain each week ? im told they are 6 months old . as a side note i clicked the link for the chat room but it took me to a page of smilies . thanks . |
23-08-2011, 09:09 PM | #2 |
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Incubating
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 199
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When I first brought my two home it took them days before they would eat anything. So if you only just got them Friday I would imagine there still settling in, my vet said torts don't like change and she wasn't joking!
As for eating I was told if you imagine there shell as a dish then that's how much they should be eating if that makes sense. |
23-08-2011, 09:19 PM | #3 |
Member
Hatchling
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Tortoises can take alot of time to settle in, if they dont start eating in a couple of weeks then maybe ring the vet but for now i wouldnt worry as they do take a while, also just check the heat is warm enough :P and yeah as Shelleys said feed them to around the size of there shell daily and they should be fine.
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Peaches > Turbo > Speedy > Dexcie 1.2.0 T.h.Horsfieldii..R.I.P Speedy :( |
23-08-2011, 09:45 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Adult
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Your first priority should be settling them in and getting them feeding regularly. Make sure your bathing them daily in the meantime and keep tempting them. Bumpy shells can become less noticeable in time when your feeding the right diet and have UV and supplementation sorted. Just don't panic over anything about how they were kept before now
Helen xx |
24-08-2011, 11:37 AM | #5 |
Member
Juvenile
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 854
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what is their SCL (straight carpace length)?
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24-08-2011, 12:52 PM | #6 |
Member
Egg
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 81
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24-08-2011, 02:58 PM | #7 |
Member
Juvenile
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 854
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3 inches is 76mm, I doubt very much that they are only 6mths old, Pebble my horsfield will be 3 in sept and he is 76mm and 121g and is average size/weight on the mcintyre graph for young horsfields.
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24-08-2011, 05:56 PM | #8 |
Member
Hatched
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 361
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Yes my juveniles (must be at least 3-4yrs) are between 85-100mm and weigh between 150 and 250gm-when they arrived they were 61-69gm and approx 18 months. Weight/size alone though doesnt indicate age (although I still like to know how old mine are!-think it must be something intrinsic in us) its their SCL to weight ratio that's important. But like others have said they are just settling-try not to worry (its hard I know!) One of mine 'disappeared' for oevr 7 weeks and appeared last week-hadnt lost a gm in all that time dug in!
Guess there is always a possibility they have been 'viv'ed in a pet shop so that they grow quicker (I have an 8 year old who is a ridiculous size-lived in a viv on straw and had his tail bitten off by a leopard tortoise) who is huge, but sounds like you will be able to rectify any possible poor husbandry! I'm sure they will settle. keep us posted |
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