. Ecology of a population of desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizi, in Ward Valley, California . ? Figure 6. Sexual differences in the posterior carapace viewed laterally. Growth. There were only Six: tortoises under 180mm MCL for which growth (expressed as the percentage of MCL change and the percentage of weight change) could be examined. One MCL tortoise exhibited the greatest growth rate, increasing in length from 1 April to 14 June (= 13mm in 64 days) and in weight (= 40g). The remaining five immature tortoises averaged slightly greater length gain but approximate
. Ecology of a population of desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizi, in Ward Valley, California . ? Figure 6. Sexual differences in the posterior carapace viewed laterally. Growth. There were only Six: tortoises under 180mm MCL for which growth (expressed as the percentage of MCL change and the percentage of weight change) could be examined. One MCL tortoise exhibited the greatest growth rate, increasing in length from 1 April to 14 June (= 13mm in 64 days) and in weight (= 40g). The remaining five immature tortoises averaged slightly greater length gain but approximately equal weight gain to that of tortoises over 180mm MCL (Figure 7). It has been shown for several tur- tle species that growth is rapid in young individuals, de- creasing steadily to sexual maturity, at which point it be- comes slow (Gibbons, 1967; Graham, 1971; Heatwole, 1976; Me- dica; Bury and Turner, 1975; Moll, 1973 and 1976; Patterson et al, 1972? Swingland et al, 1979). A 185 mm female exhibit- ed the second greates gain in weight, (= 350 g) in 28 days. A 253 mm tortoise gained (= 15 g) in only 4 days; however, a 254 mm tortoise gained no weight in 6 days.
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