Frigid tortoise?

[alley cat]

Maureen, my very first tortoise, is approx 13 or 14 years old, I got her in 2004, she currently weighs 920g, SCL 16.8cm, does that make her a little underweight? the chart I have is so tiny I cant tell!
I wondered, if she is underweight, whether this is why she is not laying yet?
She mounts other tortoises but I have never seen her being mated. She has a very small tail, I dont know if that makes any difference?

[Catwoman63]

Ahh the adorable maureen, According to my horsfields McIntyre ratio her weight is just under the average line only by 40gms so I think her weight is fine for her size, she must be feeling a bit left out lol x

[egyptiandan64]

I think most egg laying females should be closer to the high end than the average. So she should be closer to 1250g than 1000g and that very well could be the difference between laying and not laying for her.

Danny

[alley cat]

Originally Posted by Catwoman63

Ahh the adorable maureen, According to my horsfields McIntyre ratio her weight is just under the average line only by 40gms so I think her weight is fine for her size, she must be feeling a bit left out lol x

Thanks Bev, I need to find a larger one to print off!

Originally Posted by egyptiandan64

I think most egg laying females should be closer to the high end than the average. So she should be closer to 1250g than 1000g and that very well could be the difference between laying and not laying for her.

Danny

Thanks Danny, I dont understand why she isnt heavier as she is always first to the food and my others of similar SCL are definitely heavier than her, they all get fed the same. Could there be a cause?

[egyptiandan64]

A bit of stress from being in a group, which they aren't in when in the wild. She may put on weight better if she was alone or in a smaller group. Stress can burn most of the calories taken in.

Danny

[alley cat]

That is interesting as she seems to be quite a dominant one in the group.

I just looked back at her growth over the years...

July 04=455g
Feb 05=525g
Mar 06=525g
Sept 07=525g
July 08=650g (2008 is when she became part of a group)
July 09=700g
July 10=797g
July 11=835g
July 12=892g

I had not noticed the lack of growth when I first had her until I just did this, I have learnt so much since then and am now wondering if that lack of growth was due to worm infestation, I probably did not worm her until a few years after I got her as I was unaware that I needed to!

[kazzabb]

Hi, my Beryl has a very small tail, more like a stump really, I've never seen a tail like hers before. The juvenile males in her group always try it on with the other females, but never her, they always sniff round her, but then move on. And I've always wondered why. She is 9 years old, and the oldest in her group by far, and has a deformed shell, which makes her look like an expanding suitcase. I wondered if some females just don't exude the smell that other females do.
Karen