He turned 5 early last month. I got his weight and length. 
He is 23 inches and weighs 73 pounds and 12 ounces. Walker is his father.
He is 23 inches and weighs 73 pounds and 12 ounces. Walker is his father.Donald is Five Years Old
- Thread starter Len B
- Start date
Nice!
But, but, but... I read on the internet that you could keep them in a 10 gallon tank for the first five years...
Len, my Stump is like one of yours. In this video he definitely has some pyramiding but... in the video I took today he is smooth. Way smoother. Do you think this happens because of fast growth? Yours grow fast and appear smoother but... Stump has an abnormal growth pattern anyway when I compare them. It's not only around the scute and the pattern itself is very wavy and the difference in color is not "normal" from other photos I see.
Since about 6 months old the cycle has been that he will 'spread' out and then fill in and get smooth like he's going to burst and then spread out again. Don't know if it's purely genetics. You and Tom would probably know. More calcium? I don't know. When he's full grown he will be so darn large that any protrusion will be pretty small.
This guy is over 19" and 45lbs. @ 2yrs and 6mo this week. I'm interested in where you think he'll be in 3 yrs or 5 yrs. In the photo below that's an 18" large pizza pan.
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Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Loose on the floor in your house is too dry.
What you say on both is true. But the effects of pyramiding can be lessened or eliminated buy feeding a high moisture diet in a dry environment. I know you don't like me to talk about here on the forum but it's true. You see my sulcatas even the 28 year old which has never been soaked. So diet may not cause pyramiding but it can stop it from happening.
Your conditions were not too dry. What does that have to do with diet? Why would you think I wouldn't want you to talk about it on the forum? If you have some secret to growing smooth tortoises in dry conditions you should share it. I'd like to know too. Everything you've told me and showed me were not tortoises grown in dry conditions.
Yes. I am still seeing him drink water daily AND he soaks daily for 45min-1.5hrs. What I was referencing was the pattern of the carapace between scutes changing by 1/4” to flat to 1/4” to flat, etc. how it has happened throughout his life. The first video at the end you can clearly see that he is pointy. The second video he is less than a MEASURED 1/16” between scutes. Have you ever seen bone growth like this where the carapace changes shape so drastically?
