How do I identify pyramiding early?

[MesaSully]

How can i tell if pyramiding has started or not?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Id suggest taking a few close up pix of your tort here. In no time at all after posting, ppl will chime in with their observations.

 

[MesaSully]

How do I post a picture? it asks for a URL? The profile picture is a recent one.

 

[Yvonne G]

Just click on UPLOAD A FILE lower right corner. Then choose a picture from you pictures saved on your device.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/posting-pictures-from-smart-phone.144047/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/posting-pictures-using-the-forums-method.68836/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hard to tell because of the angle, but it looks to have started pyramiding.

 

[MesaSully]

 

[Tom]

The earlier growth looks more pyramided than the current growth.

Do you know how to stop it? Need any tips?

 

[MesaSully]

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Tom]

Any help would be appreciated.

Start with these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Then this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/

The short version is this:
-Soak daily.
-Spray the shell with water several times a day. I use distilled or rain water to prevent hard water stains, but only use those for spraying, not soaking or drinking.
-Most importantly, house the tortoise in monsoon conditions (warm and very humid) a closed chamber.

 

[MesaSully]

That info is great... Thanks... I will make some changes to my hide area and increase her soaks.

 

[Markw84]

How can i tell if pyramiding has started or not?

To answer your question directly - How can YOU tell...

This is what I look for:

You need to look at how the new growth has come in between the individual scutes. Pyramiding will actually have almost steps going downwards between the scutes. In a younger tortoise like yours, where the new growth isn't that much wider than the original size of the scute, it will form what looks like little plateaus and the new growth is growing downward into valleys. Although your picture is not a great side view, I have used it to show what I am referring to. As @Tom mentioned, it does look like the last new growth sections at the very seams are coming in straighter. You can see at the pink arrows the steps created. As each scute grows, the new growth at the seams expands out from the bottom of the older keratin layed down previously. Normally, new keratin will swell with moisture, and fill in up to the height of the previous keratin. When pyramiding occurs, the new keratin does not swell upwards, but instead all the swelling is downward. In my opinion, this is caused by the very new kerating drying out and becoming too stiff too soon, while the bottom of the keratin layer still accepts moisture from beneath and continues to swell and expand. The only way it can go is downward since the top is no longer pliable. This created a deeper and deeper valley as it grows.



I just went out a grabbed one of my yearling sulcatas to show the difference below. You can see how much straighter the growth between the scutes has come in. And because the keratin is not allowed to dry out, the top and bottom will swell normally and equally - filling in straight across. In fact you can see at the arrows, it creates a series of ridges that actually push up as the new keratin forms and hardens naturally. Not steps downward, but ridges straight across.

 

[MesaSully]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks. I got homework to do.

 

[Shaif]

To answer your question directly - How can YOU tell...

This is what I look for:

You need to look at how the new growth has come in between the individual scutes. Pyramiding will actually have almost steps going downwards between the scutes. In a younger tortoise like yours, where the new growth isn't that much wider than the original size of the scute, it will form what looks like little plateaus and the new growth is growing downward into valleys. Although your picture is not a great side view, I have used it to show what I am referring to. As @Tom mentioned, it does look like the last new growth sections at the very seams are coming in straighter. You can see at the pink arrows the steps created. As each scute grows, the new growth at the seams expands out from the bottom of the older keratin layed down previously. Normally, new keratin will swell with moisture, and fill in up to the height of the previous keratin. When pyramiding occurs, the new keratin does not swell upwards, but instead all the swelling is downward. In my opinion, this is caused by the very new kerating drying out and becoming too stiff too soon, while the bottom of the keratin layer still accepts moisture from beneath and continues to swell and expand. The only way it can go is downward since the top is no longer pliable. This created a deeper and deeper valley as it grows.

View attachment 195803

I just went out a grabbed one of my yearling sulcatas to show the difference below. You can see how much straighter the growth between the scutes has come in. And because the keratin is not allowed to dry out, the top and bottom will swell normally and equally - filling in straight across. In fact you can see at the arrows, it creates a series of ridges that actually push up as the new keratin forms and hardens naturally. Not steps downward, but ridges straight across.

View attachment 195804

Gorgeous. Wow.

 

[Markw84]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks. I got homework to do.

@MesaSully The homework and all the study has already been done. @Tom in 2010 put it all to rest in my opinion and so openly exposed his test to the scrutiny of everyone. Pyramiding is not a terrible thing in and of itself, but an indicator of how close to "ideal" the environment we are creating for our tortoise is. My thoughts for you...

Keep the humidity at or above 80% and temps above 80f. THE 80/80 RULE!!
Avoid hot spots in the basking area- do not use spot lights - use a flood bulb or even regular incandescent. Get the basking area to a max of 100f but spread over an area a few times larger than the tortoise, not just a spot of heat.
Soak the tortoise daily for 30 min with the water level up to the TOP of the marginals. I keep the shell as wet as possible during soaks, splashing water on them and running water over them. I want all the new kerating growth to get WET!.
Mist them frequently and/or have some overhanging plants that stay wet from the humidity that the tortoise can push under and wets the shell. You will find this the favorite spot your tortoise will choose to spend most of it's time.

Now add the proper diet, and with ample room and exercise, your tortoise will thrive and grow beautifully!