General Care Discussion :: I have a super Small Rio Grande for it's age!

[slider_keeper]

So I have written about my slider before, and know I'm doing it again about four months later. My slider is about a inch and a half. He didn't have a egg tooth when I got him but was about a inch, if. I say he because my females grew alot faster than this little guy. He is growing but I'd say was born last Dec at the start of the month. I got him in the middle of dec. We are talking 6 months now and still only about one and a half inches. Has anyone seen this before? The temps are at 77 f. and 88 f. I just haven't seen this before and my good buddy has a male red ear that was a inch bigger at this time in his life. Does anyone know if the rio grande is actually a smaller turtle then it's close relatives? Does anyone else here have any rios? Sorry for the long post I'm just curious. Toku is doing very good, BTW. He is the close to if not the most active turtle I have ever had. What do you guys and gals think?

[vic021]

the temperature of the basking area should be about 90 to 95 i believe it said on the site and also turtles are like people they grow at there own pace

[roseK]

maybe something is stunting his growth or something happened to him before you got him, things like his diet and what not

[Diamondbacks4Life]

rio grande res grow same size as normal res. As long as the turtle is healthy does it really matter that he is staying cute and small. He was probably a runt turtle, one that in nature he should have been picked off. Usually of hatchling the smallest turtle seems to always stay the smallest. Half an inch in 6months isnt that bad. I have two turtles right now approaching a year and have only grown .2 and.3 while the other 4 turtles from the same clutch of eggs have trippled their size.

You do have a uvb bulb on him? If not that can slow their growth too.

[slider_keeper]

I'm running a MVB bulb, I have had the same bulb with my other sliders, I just haven't seen this before, his shell is hard all around and he eats all I put in the tank. I feed him pellets and greens( mainly romane) and carrots. A runt would be pretty cool sense both my other RES were females stretching the 12"+ range. As for the basking temp, thanks for the note. I run his a few degrees lower he wouldn't bask under the higher temps, so I dropped it abit. He seems to act better under this condition. His stools appear normal as well. Maybe painteds4life is right, I kinda like the idea of a runt. I don't need a giant tank! Although I will probably get one anyways, lol.