A little over a year ago we got our Leopard tortoise, Marshell. I was told by the breeder that he was a yearling when we got him. The vertebral scutes down the center of his carapace have designs that look like "mnm" and since the rapper Eminem's name is Marshall Mathers...the tortoise with M-N-M on his scutes becomes "Marshell Madders". I've included an image so you can see what I'm referring to.
I've been going back and forth about the probability of him starting to pyramid. He actually looks about the same when we got him as far as the condition of his scutes and his size in general are concerned which is what is throwing me off. The more I look at him and think about it, the more convinced he IS suffering with pyramiding in its initial stages. He doesn't have peaks on his scutes but they are raised nonetheless. Can anyone verify my diagnosis or assure me I'm being paranoid from the image above?
I live in the Northern suburbs of Phoenix, AZ so I'm in a prime position to keep Marshell outside eventually but he's a little too small for me to be comfortable with that at this point.
I've been going back and forth about the probability of him starting to pyramid. He actually looks about the same when we got him as far as the condition of his scutes and his size in general are concerned which is what is throwing me off. The more I look at him and think about it, the more convinced he IS suffering with pyramiding in its initial stages. He doesn't have peaks on his scutes but they are raised nonetheless. Can anyone verify my diagnosis or assure me I'm being paranoid from the image above?
I live in the Northern suburbs of Phoenix, AZ so I'm in a prime position to keep Marshell outside eventually but he's a little too small for me to be comfortable with that at this point.
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. Yes there is pyramiding. There is a great thread at the bottom of this post by my signature for one of the ways to raising smooth leopards. if you start now, you can start growing the new growth smooth. I had the same problem with my 11 month old. Bad I fo when I purchased him. I followed the thread and his new growth is growing smooth.
