Record Keeping

 

Record Keeping

 

Keep records of your tortoises weight, length and any illnesses or veterinary treatment it may have had. These records will help you to know whether or not your husbandry is successful. Weekly weights are sufficient if the tortoise is healthy and active, but weigh more often if problems occur.

 

Many problems can be diagnosed and treated more successfully by reference to records. The correct weight/length cubed ratio for adult testudo graeca and hermanni is 0.21 to 0.23g/cm3. Hatchlings should have the higher ratio. The length used in this calculation is the straight line length between the supracaudal and nuchal scutes, which is the length of the plastron from the front to the tail end.

 

Healthy tortoises should not be too light or too heavy, but should grow in proportion, indefinitely. There is no such thing as "fully grown" tortoise. For three weeks before hibernation the tortoise will lose weight. Over hibernation its weight should remain virtually constant. For three weeks after hibernation it should replace the weight lost in the autumn, then steadily gain weight over the summer. On any date, the tortoise should weigh more than it did on the same date last year. It is impossible to check this unless records are kept.

 

 

Below is an idea of what records you could keep along with the photos under fingerprinting.

 

Weight, Measurement and Information of your Tortoise

 

Name of your Tortoise........................................................Species...........................................Sex...............Age..............

 

Date...............Weight.............................Length.............................Information....................................................................

 

Date...............Weight.............................Length.............................Information....................................................................

 

Date...............Weight.............................Length.............................Information....................................................................