General Care Discussion :: What Is Average Growth Rate Of A Turtle

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:55 pm   What Is Average Growth Rate Of A Turtle

hi guys i just measured tumble today to see if he had grown any. he now measures 3". judging by the date of my first post on here we got him on the 10th sep. he then measured 2 1/2" so in around 2 months he has grown half an inch. how is this for growth. if this is normal ish then judging by my calculations he would grow 6" a year so therefore would be fuly grown in just 2 years. does this sound familiar?
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:57 pm   

they grow about 3 inches a year. my 3 inch is a year old and is going on two and is about 4 inches now. his birthday is in July but that's when i got him. hes going on 4 inches now since July
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:06 pm   

sorry your post is a little muddled. so what your saying is:

a turtle will grow about 3" a year.

and your turtle is 1 year old going on 2.

also your turtle is 3 inches going on 4.

so your turtle reached 4 inches in almost 2 years.

that then is small for its age yes. seeing as it has grown only 2 inches a year.
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:33 pm   

ok let me re phrase this. they grow about 3" a year. my turtle is 3 inches going on four inches. now he's about 1 year old but he wont be two untill next july and he should be about 6 inches then. but my turtle is going on four inches on his first year. its confusing but its as simple as i can go
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:37 pm   

ah ok i see your turtle is 16 months and almost four inches, so by his next birthday (july) he will have had another years growth.

got it lol

actually that works out rather well. 3 inches a year. so 1inch every 4 months. your turt is 16 months so therefore 4 inches is about right. hmmm i like maths. :)

so to formulate.

turtle size in inches /3 = approximate age

S/3=AA

Size/3=ApproxAge

:):):)

wonder if that formula should be a sticky????
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:47 pm   

Well... a turtle during its first 2 years will go through a growth spurt (up to ~4 inches). Then, it will generally grow about 1 inch each year after it's growth spurt.

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:01 pm   

so if my turt turns out to be a definate male then i could possibly have a fully grown turt in 2 1/2 years?



and my formula would have to be binned lol i have worked out another formula for myself but it needs simplifying.

dont ask what the hell a formula has to do with anything its just one of those days. i just felt like doing one. lol
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:58 pm   

a fully grown male can range from 8-10 inches. If your turtle is 4" by it's 2nd year, then it'll take 4 to even 6 more years to become a "full grown". Did I answer your question? Or did I make it even fuzzier?

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:16 pm   

you answered it rather well arisu thanks. is there any sure fire way to determine approximate age?
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:37 pm   

There isn't really a way too tell age, my turtle is 6inches. I got her 3 months ago from someone who got her from someone ect ect. So From being passed around her age has been lost. Some turtles can grow too fast from poor diet, like too much protien, some turtles are stunted from poor care. Some where I read that you can count the lines on the shell for age. Yet some turtles shed the shell more then 1 time a year. Sassamo's shell is also deformed, so I have that too factor in, if both sides where the same length I'm sure she would be 7inches. So I am just guessing that she's 5-6yrs old.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:46 am   

ok cool so my tumble is 3 inches. he has a few retained schutes other than that hes is fine so he could be about 1 - 1.5 years
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:28 am   

We have a little misinformation going on among these posts.

In the first year or so, your turtle should reach about 4 inches, given normal environment and genetics. After the first year, your turtle should grow about 1 inch per year until they stop growing. A full grown male is often 7-9 inches and a female is 9-12 inches. That would imply that a male should be full grown around ages 4-6 and a female ages 6-9.

blulite, if your turtle grew 0.5 inches in 2 months, that's just a little rapid for growth. Can you specify what you are feeding? I think you may be feeding a little too much protein. If you have retain scutes, you may want to take a look at your basking and lighting for your tank as well.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:12 pm   

RES grow the most and the fastest in the first 3 years of life, growing then continues but at a much slower rate until they reach their full size. In captivity, because of their nutrient-rich diet, RES typically reach an SCL of 4 inches and in some cases even more (which isn't good) in their first year. Growth is dependent on diet, habitat and genetics, but I personally have difficulty with the idea that a RES should be growing an inch a year once the hatchling stage (1 year) has ended. My RES has shown growth every year since his first year of life, including this year (he will be 7 this spring), but never an inch in one year.

Counting rings on the shell is not a reliable indicator of age, particularly with captive turtles that do not hibernate.
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Post Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:51 am   Re: What Is Average Growth Rate Of A Turtle

I have a pair,1 is two years old and he is 6 inches,2nd one is one year old and he is 4 inches
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Post Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:55 pm   Re:

TheComputerGremlin wrote:We have a little misinformation going on among these posts.

In the first year or so, your turtle should reach about 4 inches, given normal environment and genetics. After the first year, your turtle should grow about 1 inch per year until they stop growing. A full grown male is often 7-9 inches and a female is 9-12 inches. That would imply that a male should be full grown around ages 4-6 and a female ages 6-9.

blulite, if your turtle grew 0.5 inches in 2 months, that's just a little rapid for growth. Can you specify what you are feeding? I think you may be feeding a little too much protein. If you have retain scutes, you may want to take a look at your basking and lighting for your tank as well.


I strongly agree with all the facts you pointed out here. Unfortunately over feeding is done by many who do not realize the harm they do and the life span cut short of the turtles. As Steve has stated regarding feeding, when in doubt, feed less.
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