The collective Horsfield size/ weight thread *PLEASE POST YOUR DETAILS*

[EJ]

That's the point of plotting all the results on a graph and determining a 'best fit' line.

Weight will vary depending on the factors I listed in a previous post. A keeper is looking for a 'good' weight depending on the size of the tortoise. Age is not a factor nor sould it be.

Again, You could do a similar thing using size and age but that is kind of pointless because of some other factors I listed earlier.

Originally Posted by PumpkinPie

Please actually read the results, it's obvious that you're not bothering to read things through properly.

[EJ]

I tend to disagree with this. There may be different populations but I'd be surprised to see if there was more than one or two subspecies (if you subscribe to subspecies which many biologists do not).

It would be impossible to put together such a list because the description of subspecies is sooooooo subjective.

Some Russians may be more domed... but who's to say this is not an individual trait within a population. I don't think the more domed Russians are significantly more so than the flatter ones. Also, most folks seem to have Russians from relatively the same source.

Again, this is why we plot the points... to give the keeper a good average weight for the size.

Originally Posted by Helen M

There are bound to be different subspecies present within this list of Horsfields, from Danny's thread it is obvious that some are more rounded, domed or can be quite flat therefore this will affect their weights at a particular SCL. Maybe evaluating the weights for subspecies would be more realistic?

Helen xx

[Helen M]

Maybe so EJ but we're going to need a lot more data than what we currently have on this thread. Its all lining up very nicely on a graph but with very little variation...

Helen xx

[EJ]

How many points have you got so far?

I think you meant 'data points'. The only data we need is weight and length... as accurate as possible.

How are you graphing it?

The less variation the better. When you actually do the regression you should come up with a nice simple formula. Again, I'm curious how the different formulas will vary.

Originally Posted by Helen M

Maybe so EJ but we're going to need a lot more data than what we currently have on this thread. Its all lining up very nicely on a graph but with very little variation...

Helen xx

[Helen M]

Originally Posted by EJ

How many points have you got so far?

I think you meant 'data points'. The only data we need is weight and length... as accurate as possible.

How are you graphing it?

The less variation the better. When you actually do the regression you should come up with a nice simple formula. Again, I'm curious how the different formulas will vary.

Well yeah obviously I did mean data points. I've just used whats on here so far but I'll maybe add in all the measurements I have from all my tortoises over the course of their lives. I've just put it all on MS excel... I don't know how appropriate it is but its all lining up quite nicely on the graph I have so far.

Helen xx

[EJ]

I don't know how proper it would be to use the same tortoise over the years but at the same time I don't see why not because we are just looking for an ideal weight.

Originally Posted by Helen M

Well yeah obviously I did mean data points. I've just used whats on here so far but I'll maybe add in all the measurements I have from all my tortoises over the course of their lives. I've just put it all on MS excel... I don't know how appropriate it is but its all lining up quite nicely on the graph I have so far.

Helen xx

[Marly]

This thread is great, but one thing is bugging me. I may be wrong, but surely age is important.
A 1 year old whatever, horse, elephant, dolphin, snake, dog, human, etc etc, would not weigh the same as as an 11 year old of the same species?????????????????
I did not weigh the same at 1 as I did at 11. Nor should I have.

[Helen M]

Originally Posted by Marly

This thread is great, but one thing is bugging me. I may be wrong, but surely age is important.
A 1 year old whatever, horse, elephant, dolphin, snake, dog, human, etc etc, would not weigh the same as as an 11 year old of the same species?????????????????
I did not weigh the same at 1 as I did at 11. Nor should I have.

Yes but tortoises can grow at different rates on both an individual level as well as the way in which they are kept by their owners. Therefore a particular age may not necessarily lead to two different tortoises reaching the same size if they have been fed different amounts of food over their lifetime.

Therefore its more appropriate to look at the weights and length of the tortoises rather than their actual age.

Helen xx

[EJ]

In this case age is not important.

One of the biggest mistakes that I see popping up when talking about tortoises is trying to compare them to mammals. In the case of development and age... you can't do that. Mammals are warm blooded and tortoises are cold blooded. Mammals have a set internal environment if you will... humans... 98.6F. Development is relatively constant with the proper nutrition. Tortoises... development is dependent on its external environment in addition to its nutritional intake.

All that any keeper is concerned about is if their tortoise is the right weight for a given SCL.

Originally Posted by Marly

This thread is great, but one thing is bugging me. I may be wrong, but surely age is important.
A 1 year old whatever, horse, elephant, dolphin, snake, dog, human, etc etc, would not weigh the same as as an 11 year old of the same species?????????????????

[Marly]

Helen
I understand individuals grow at different rates, but age comes into the growth too.
There will be a fat dog at 6 years old and a slim dog at 6 years old. Inbetween there will be a happy medium.
I just don't understand how you can compare the size/weight of a 1 year old with a 11 year old.
Gxx