how to measure shell length...

[Herp_Girl]

Hi, I'm looking for some help on how to measure my Hermann's shell length in order to plot her Jackson Ratio.
I inherited her a couple of months ago from an elderly family friend, she's approximately 20-30 years old, has always been hibernated (cardboard box in the garage for about 4 months lol) but, being a paranoid new tortoise mummy, I am terrified so am trying to do it to the letter!
I weigh her every monday and she always weighs 2kg +/- about 70g, I've been having some problems with her eating (she will only eat pink Komodo tortoise pellets at the moment-even if I finely chop dendelions into the pellets she does her 'icky, icky, take it away' face. Her previous owner loved her very much but spoilt her with bagged salad leaves and pellets-she comes to me and gets a diet of weeds so I think she's protesting. Hopefully after hibernation she'll be so hungry she'll eat anything...here's hoping) but her weight has been consistent since I've had her.

When I measure her carapace 'over the top' she's 270mm (but she has a lot of pyramiding), but when I measure her end-to-end she's 202mm (approx). Which method is right-with 1 measurement she's seriously underweight, with the other she's fat-which is right?

[Bindi]

Here you go Herp Girl, just click on the link

http://shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/s...ead.php?t=6550

Well done on trying to stick to the weed diet, I've found that after hibernation mine have been ready and willing to eat almost anything so you may find it easier to introduce a variety of weeds in the spring

[Herp_Girl]

Thanks!
I'd been panicking that she was underweight, but she's not, thank god!
When I first got her she'd eat home grown dark-leaved lettuce, dandelions, sow thistle and some of the other fleshier, less fibrous leaves, then she decided she only wanted pink things. Her little face lights up when I put her bowl of pellets in with her but she doesn't react to green at all. I want her eating more fibre (I work in animal rescue and see the damage a low-fibre diet does to rabbits, so it's a worry), hopefully she'll hibernate Jan/Feb and be raring to go in march and I can cram in the weeds, raspberry leaves and strawberry leaves....a reason not to weed the veg patch!