It is the wish of all turtle owners for their little friend to grow healthily and happily from a hatchling to an adult, but not all turtles will have a smooth transition as they grow, some turtles will seem as though they are not growing
This article looks into why your turtle is not growing
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle not growing?
if you’re feeding your turtle correctly, and the animal does not seem to be growing, then you may start to worry and wonder why
Here’s why your turtle is not growing:
Type of turtle:
Some turtles will seem like they are not growing because of their species. You may actually have a turtle that has already reached adulthood, even though it is small.
An example of a turtle that stays small is the red-eared slider. The males of these species will grow between 5 and 9 inches long, even into adulthood, and females will grow to 11 inches long
This may seem small to you but small is a relative term, it’s normal for them
What to do:
You’d need to check what type of turtle you have and check to see how long this species of turtle grows. Your pet may not be going because there isn’t any more growth possible
Malnourishment:
If you have two turtles in the enclosure, and they eat from the same place, then the stronger turtle may be bullying the weaker turtle away from food
The result may be that the weaker turtle does not get enough food, becomes malnourished, and does not grow
What to do:
If this is happening with your pet then you may need to separate the two and feed them separately. Do this for some time and see if the smaller animal grows
It’s a male:
If you have two or more turtles, one female, and one male, and it seems as though the male turtle isn’t growing as fast as the female turtle is, then what you’re witnessing is normal
A male turtle, even when fed the same and housed in the same way as a female, will grow slower than the female.
In addition, male turtles will not grow to be as large as female turtles, even as adults.
A female turtle may go from two inches to five inches by her fifth year and a male turtle may only reach 4 inches by his fifth year.
What to do:
This is very normal for these types of animals, you don’t have to worry that the male isn’t growing as fast as the female.
Continue feeding the turtles in an appropriate way and let the animals grow as they naturally do. Keep an eye on the animals to make sure all is well with them as they grow.
You don’t have to increase how much food you’re giving the male, this will only make him fat, it won’t make him grow
Individual growth rates:
If you’re comparing two turtles of the same gender, and one seems to be growing and the other is not, and they are eating the same, then this may be happening because each individual turtle has its own growth rate.
What to do:
Just as before, the two animals growing at different rates is normal, as long as you’re feeding the two turtles enough food, and as long as they are actually eating, then the two turtles will grow normally for their genetics
The two animals should wind up about the same size assuming that they are of the same gender, just keep feeding them normally and keep an eye on them
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Not Responding To Touch?, Why Is My Turtle Neck So Long?, Why Is My Turtle Not Using It’s Back Legs, Why Is My Turtle Eating Sand?, Why Is My Turtle Tank Cloudy?, Why Is My Turtle Not Eating In Winter?, Baby Turtle Is Not Eating, Why Is My Turtle Limp?, Why Is My Turtle Not Pooping?