Yellowfoot Tortoise growth

Question
I've had a YF for about 2 years now.  She (I think it's a she) was smaller than the palm of my hand, still very young - I got her from a very reputable pet store though.  My concern is that she has not seemed to have grown all that much since I got her.  She has probably only grown about an inch.  She seems very happy, she has lots of UV as well as dark hiding spots,  eats lots of veg & fruits and likes her water to bathe and drink...I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, I've done a lot of reading.  But I'm still concerned that she's not growing like she should be.  Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Jackie,

I'm more familiar with the growth rate of redfoots, but yellowfoots should be similar.  That rate of growth is pretty slow, but if she is active and eating well I wouldn't be too concerned.  One thing you didn't mention is if you're feeding a small amount of animal protein.  That could be boiled chicken/shrimp/egg, worms, mealworms, pinky mice, etc. and can be fed once weekly or every two weeks.  If she isn't getting the animal protein, that might slow her growth rate.  

I would also get a decent digital scale and start charting her growth, both weight and SCL (straight carapace length).  The easiest way to measure is to get a ruler and place it on the floor against and perpendicular to the wall.  Place the tortoise on the ruler facing the wall, and gently move it up to the wall so it pulls in its head.  Then read the measurement at the other end.  Weigh once a month at the same time (after a soak is best, because that's when they tend to poop and poop can affect the weight by quite a lot).  You may find that she's growing more than you realize, but in any case it would be good to have a record.  The only other suggestion I have is to get a fecal check done for parasites, but if she's not lethargic and has a good appetite that's not likely to be the problem.  

One more thing--all immature tortoises look female.  If she's still that small, she may still turn out to be a male in a few years.  

Here's a visual illustration of how to measure (I don't use the board, but otherwise this is how I do it):  http://russiantortoise.org/measure.htm

Good luck with her, and let me know about the animal protein.  Thanks!