Radiata hatchling maybe pyramiding
- Thread starter JustLivingLife714
- Start date
Hi. The shell is definitely pyramiding, but you should be able to correct future growth. How is your enclosure setup? Here is a pic of a baby I raised in a humid closed chamber....just as a reference for what I would call smooth. I raise all of my babies this way and they all look like this.
Can i see a pic of your humid closed chamber? I need to fix this.
Here's a post I did about them: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...-pvc-enclosed-chamber-–-for-beginners.159220/
You can buy one from www.apcages.com - Nice product.
More importantly, you need to read about how to setup a closed chamber and change everything you're doing now. I don't have time to write in detail right now but read @Tom posts about raising healthy babies - he has it all laid out nicely. The main point is that its way too dry in your setup.
You can buy one from www.apcages.com - Nice product.
More importantly, you need to read about how to setup a closed chamber and change everything you're doing now. I don't have time to write in detail right now but read @Tom posts about raising healthy babies - he has it all laid out nicely. The main point is that its way too dry in your setup.
kyel3840
Active Member
Here is my set up for my baby sulcatas. It holds 99% humidity and and is at 83 degrees ambient and that's after I just had the doors open doing my daily chores on it.
Heat lamps and dry conditions cause that sort of pyramiding. Its mild, but its there.
In your set up you need:
In your set up you need:
- A lot more substrate. Use 4-5" and keep it damp by dumping water into it as needed. All the evaporation will keep humidity higher.
- I can't see if the top is closed in or not, but it should be to hold in heat and humidity. Get humidity up and over 80% all the time. 90% is good too.
- Get rid of the red bulb. Those are no good and should not be used over tortoises. Use a CHE or RHP to maintain ambient temps.
- Humid hide. Half logs are good for some cover, but they hold no humidity in. I use black dishwashing tubs from Walmart. Flip it over, cut out a door hole and wet the substrate under it. Voila! Humid hide.
- Looks like you need a much bigger enclosure. Room to move and exercise are critical for baby tortoises.
- It has been repeatedly demonstrated to me that radiata can be successfully raised without heat lamps. My attempts to do this with other species have not worked all that great, but it seems to work well for radiata. @Sterant @zovick and several other members here have first hand experience with this, and I'd rather they give you the specifics since have have very little first hand experience with hatchling radiata to drawn from yet. Heat lamps are extremely desiccating to tortoise carapaces. So far, they seem to be a necessary evil with some species, but not radiata. I'm looking for a way to not use them with all my species.
- Soak your baby daily for 30-40 minutes to help halt the pyramiding you already have.
- Spray the carapace with distilled, rain water, or RO water several times a day to help stop the current pyramiding.
Pyramiding is cosmetic, so nothing to worry about. However, I would definitely give those care sheets a read and get your enclosure set up as recommended with high humidity and as it grows the shell will smooth out.
kazjimmy
Active Member
What a beautiful tortoise! Get a better enclosure pleases. You can easier find a good closed chamber enclosure idea here.
N
no one
Guest
Pyramiding maybe cosmetic, but is also a sign of a dehydrated Tortoise. And that is not a good thing.
Please, if you don't already, start soaking your Radiata for at least 30 min every day in luke warm water.
Please, if you don't already, start soaking your Radiata for at least 30 min every day in luke warm water.
Pyramiding is a sign of dehydration? I've never heard that before. Being directly under a strong heat source such as an mvb for long periods can dessicate the shell and cause pyramiding. Also, low humidity. I agree with soaking your tort at least 2x a day, but I'm really interested in how pyramiding is a sign of dehydration. I'm not arguing but merely interested in this as you have my attention.
As my understanding is below.
Signs of dehydration are as follows:
Underweight
Sunken or tearing eyes
Reduced, thickened, or whitish urine
Dry feces
Dry, flaky, loose skin
Loss of appetite
Lethargy, depression, lack of activity
Thick, ropey mouth mucus
As my understanding is below.
Signs of dehydration are as follows:
Underweight
Sunken or tearing eyes
Reduced, thickened, or whitish urine
Dry feces
Dry, flaky, loose skin
Loss of appetite
Lethargy, depression, lack of activity
Thick, ropey mouth mucus
kazjimmy
Active Member
Pyramiding caused by dehydration. Add humidity plz
I guess the most appropriate comment to you would have been that the keratin of the carapace is dehydrated. Generally, however, if conditions are such that the carapace is dehydrated to the point where severe pyramiding is occurring, then would could reasonably assume that the tortoise is systemically dehydrated as well. The symptoms you note above could be indicative of dehydration, but pyramiding is also a clear sign. Your comment that it is simply cosmetic and of no concern is not accurate. Pyramiding is an outwardly visible sign of other issues.
What other issues?
