how to correct pyramiding?

[chelonologist]

So I inherited a 4-5 year-old juvenile leopard tortoise recently. Like so many other young leopard tortoises you see out there, this one has pyramiding/shell growth deformity:

I'm wondering if anyone out there has had success in correcting the growth of juvenile leopard tortoises through providing appropriate husbandry and nutritional conditions. What are the best conditions for correcting this problem? How long would it take for me to see some results?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Yvonne G]

To be perfectly honest, I don't see a great amount of pyramiding in those pictures. Just allow the tortoise to graze as the majority of its diet, and provide a humid hide and the growth from now on should smooth out. When I got my Dudley at 35lbs about 10 years ago he was badly pyramided. I never feed him, he only grazes, and now at about 100lbs the growth between his old bumps is quite smooth.

 

[Crazy1]

You can't correct what is already done only what happens from here out. Good feed and husbandry should do it and you like Yvonne will see smoothing out as it grows.

 

[katesgoey]

I also don't think your tortoise is pyramided very much. I also adopted an approximately 10 year old Leopard tortoise that had some pyramiding. I've had him a year now and already I have seen the new growth "smoothing" out between his bumps, especially along the side scutes. I've also noticed a difference in types of pyramiding - the truly pointed type that rise at least an inch and the other, like my Tank's that are still rectangular but rise above an inch or so (see Tank's photo in my introduction). Anyway, I think your tortoise is beautiful!