Tortoise Growth Rate Checker
Enter species, age, and current shell length to see whether it reads within, above, or below the commonly-cited range for that checkpoint.
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Cited Growth Checkpoints by Species
| Species | Age checkpoint | Shell length range (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Sulcata | Hatchling (0-6 mo) | 1.5-2.5 |
| Sulcata | 1 year | 3.5-6.5 |
| Sulcata | 5 years | 8-15 |
| Sulcata | 10 years | 15-20 |
| Sulcata | Adult (15-20+ yr) | 18-30 |
| Hermann's | Hatchling | 1-2 |
| Hermann's | 1 year | 2-3 |
| Hermann's | 2 years | 3-3.5 |
| Hermann's | 3 years | 3.5-4.5 |
| Hermann's | 6 years | 5-7 |
| Russian | Hatchling (<1 yr) | 1-1.5 |
| Russian | Adult (~10-20+ yr) | 5-10 |
How to Read a Tortoise Growth Checkpoint
Sulcata tortoises are hatchlings around 1.5-2.5 inches, add roughly 2-4 inches of shell length in their first year, and commonly reach 8-15 inches by age 5 and 15-20 inches by age 10 before leveling off as adults in the 18-30 inch range, according to tortoise-keeping references.
Hermann's tortoises grow more slowly and stay much smaller: hatchlings are typically 1-2 inches, reaching roughly 2-3 inches at one year, 3-3.5 inches at two years, and 5-7 inches by six years in commonly cited ranges.
Russian tortoises are the smallest of the three and their growth data is coarser in most keeping references \u2014 hatchlings start around 1-1.5 inches and gain roughly 1-2 inches per year until adults settle around 5-6 inches (males) to 7-10 inches (females). This checker uses a combined adult range since it does not ask for sex.