How to tell pyramiding?

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
The start of pyramiding can be seen as a deep notch between the scutes of the carapace. After you've seen it a few times, or a few hundred, it becomes very easy to recognize.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Here's a picture of a hatchling starting to pyramid. Note the deep notch between the scutes:

sulcata-hatchling-4-web_orig.jpg

And here's a picture of a sulcata hatchling with no pyramiding:

sulcata hatchling.jpg
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Well then. Looks like my sully is starting to pyramid...

Yes. Just a little bit. At this stage it can be stopped. You need a closed chamber with high humidity, long daily soaks, damp substrate, a humid hide, and frequent shell sprayings.
 

Pure Tortoise Power

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
499
Location (City and/or State)
Hong Kong
Yes. Just a little bit. At this stage it can be stopped. You need a closed chamber with high humidity, long daily soaks, damp substrate, a humid hide, and frequent shell sprayings.
Closed chamber, damp substrate, wouldn't that be beneficial for the growth of moulds...?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Closed chamber, damp substrate, wouldn't that be beneficial for the growth of moulds...?
Do you see mold in any of the hundreds of closed chambers depicted here? If it were a problem, why would someone (Me) who has been using closed chambers since 2008 recommend it?

Sulcatas hatch at the start of the 3-4 month long rainy season over there. It is hot, humid, rainy, wet, and there are puddles, marshes and green growing food everywhere. The conditions I've described and recommended are as "natural" and as close to what they get over there as we can get in a captive environment. Further, though many years of experimentation, trial and error, the recommendations I've made for you are what works the best.

Your questions are welcome, but I don't know how else to explain it. Try this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
 

xMario

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2019
Messages
410
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
I recently changed my open top enclosure to an enclosed enclosure it has 91 % humidity and is always damp not one part of my enclosure has mold [emoji16] 20190125_160356.jpeg
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
No notch there at all. This is as perfect as new growth can get.
Thanks, she's kept in a closed chamber, 85-95% with lots of leaf litter.
 

New Posts

Top