Is there a difference?

[Seiryu]

So I may be finally getting my tortoise soon and a guy i'm talking to now has a few ready.

The one on the left has a more smooth shell. The one on the right looks like a polygon shell (if you get what I mean lol). It's scutes are smooth, but the entire shell as a whole is not. Does this change what they look like as they age? Or is one just more developed than the other?

I will like any tortoise I get, but one can wonder what their "baby" will look like right?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Look up pyramiding. You should be aware of this phenomenon and how to prevent it as a keeper. I really don't see much of a difference between those two shells though. Sometimes a tort's scutes will grow up a little before smoothing out, and it can be part of natural growth and not pyramiding. Pyramiding itself will always be there. If smooth growth happens from a certain point on, the new shell growth will be smooth. But, the pyramided part will be always be there. It does however smooth out a little with the new shell growth and become less noticeable.

You always want to choose the healthiest looking tort--smoothest shell, no signs or illness, the most active/perky, etc. Their shells will change a lot as they get older. They change shape, height, etc. The one on the right looks slightly larger and may have just had a growth spurt for example.

Have you thought about getting a slightly older tort? Hatchlings under a year are just so fragile, and even with the best care, if they haven't had a proper start they can go downhill very fast, sometimes even without symptoms. Just a thought. I've read too many sad stories here. Those little ones at an inch and a half are very very young. I personally regret getting my 4 month old tort and wish I would have waited for one closer to a year old. Even though he is happy and healthy and nothing major has gone wrong, I worry.

 

[Seiryu]

Oh I know about Pyramiding but I knew it wouldn't happen yet in a month old tort (or not noticable yet) . Those 2 are about a month old. And maybe only I see it, but you can definitely tell the one on the right's individual scutes vs the left being completely smooth.

I would get a 1-2 year old tort, if there wern't almost double the cost of a 1-5month old tort.

I am doing as much research and planning as possible. Vet check-up when I get him (even if he has a health cert) etc. While I know things will be changed, i'm going to be as prepared as possible so it's not as bad as going into it blindly.

 

[Millerlite]

Its fine, it ill start growing and smooth out i would choose the one on the right. He looks a little bigger.

 

[Crazy1]

At this point both look fine. Their carapace will change as they age. At a month that's not pyramiding you see it is just differences in shells. The one of the left is a little longer than the one on ther right. It has been explaind that Leos look like golf balls when they are hatchlings if this helps. If you can look at the parents it will give you an idea of what you will be looking at when they grow up.

 

[Seiryu]

At this point both look fine. Their carapace will change as they age. At a month that's not pyramiding you see it is just differences in shells. The one of the left is a little longer than the one on ther right. It has been explaind that Leos look like golf balls when they are hatchlings if this helps. If you can look at the parents it will give you an idea of what you will be looking at when they grow up.

Ok thanks for clearing it up guys