Is my sulcata's shell pyramiding?

[Hi9er]

I am a first time sulcata owner and am wondering if my tortoise's shell is pyramiding. My sulcata roams freely around our back yard and eats grass, weeds, and stuff I give him (kale and spinach mostly - some tomato/broccoli/squash). I also provide him tortoise salad topper about once a week.

He does share the backyard with my two chihuahua's. I've caught him eating poop before and even a dead bird. He is getting bigger and he probably weighs about 40lbs now. His shell looks like it is getting taller but I'm not sure if that's just him growing or if he's getting too much protein.

I have only owned him for about 1.5 years. He's approximately 5-6 years old. I have no interest in breeding so I haven't checked "his" sex in case that matters.

Many thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

The tendency to pyramid starts during the first year of a tortoise's life. Once that tendency has started, it continues unless you work hard at stopping it. If a baby tortoise is kept in a humid environment during the first year, chances are he won't grow bumpy. Your tortoise has ever-so-slight bumpiness, but basically he looks pretty darned good. He is way past worrying about pyramiding.

 

[mainey34]

No need to worry about pyramiding at this point he has past that stage. I would be more worried about what you are feeding. Kale and spinich is not a real good diet, neither are the tomato, broccoli and squash. I see you have nice green grass. It is pesticide free i presume. The grass is a great diet. Adding things like kale, in moderation, turnip greens, collard greens, endive, escarole, mustard greens, spring mix. Mulberry leaves, grape leaves, prickly pear, dandelion. Etc. There is a link below my signature for more info...

 

[Hi9er]

No need to worry about pyramiding at this point he has past that stage. I would be more worried about what you are feeding. Kale and spinich is not a real good diet, neither are the tomato, broccoli and squash. I see you have nice green grass. It is pesticide free i presume. The grass is a great diet. Adding things like kale, in moderation, turnip greens, collard greens, endive, escarole, mustard greens, spring mix. Mulberry leaves, grape leaves, prickly pear, dandelion. Etc. There is a link below my signature for more info...

Pyramiding a young tortoise thing? Not that I would, but feeding him a high protein diet at this point would not cause his shell to pyramid? He's currently burrowed on a rather fallow side of my yard so I was debating whether I needed to separate him from my dogs in case he was eating their poop. I don't want to separate them because then he would be in a mostly rock and dirt area without much grass, my roses and big trees.

 

[Tom]

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Protein has very little to do with it. There was an Austrian study done in 2003 that set out to prove that protein caused pyramiding. They actually proved that it did not, and that high humidity prevents pyramiding.

Its normal for sulcatas to eat dead animals. They do it in the wild too. I know of one that actually hunts, kills and eats gophers.

Here is a diet sheet for sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html

It looks like your guy had some pyramiding going on years ago, but he has smoothed out very nicely. He's looking great now!

Check out the tail. It its a couple inches long and laying against the back of the thigh, its a boy. If its a tiny little nub, female.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Tom, I'm going to look for that Austrian study...unless you can email me some info on it

 

[ascott]

I was admiring the nice dusting of dirt he has on him...awesome to see a digger look like it....I would not move the tort, sounds like a perfect space....I would however hope he does not mistake a chihuahua for a large bird P)...not for a few more years anyways...

Absolutely beautiful tort...

 

[Hi9er]

Thanks for everyone's response. I'm relieved his recent height growth must be normal growth. And yes, he's a dirty boy and digs everyday . He's got quite the mound accumulating outside his hole. His burrow is probably 20 feet into my neighbors yard - I can't even see to the end of it!