Is this sulcata baby pyramiding?

BeeBee

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Hello all!

I finally got my first tortoise yesterday and am ecstatic! :) She is a sulcata. Her name is Willow and she is 3 inches long. I have no clue how old she is. When she came, the first thing I noticed was a scratch mark on her shell and her raised scutes. Since she is still a baby, I expected her shell to be smooth so I am concerned she is pyramiding already. Can you please take a look at the picture and confirm? Also, she spends a lot of time in the hide after she eats. Since she is in an indoor enclosure, I'm concerned she may not be getting enough sunlight. ...?
image.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Yes, those scutes are raising up quite a bit. It's not too late to turn it around though. Get that baby into a closed chamber and in a very humid environment. Read Tom's threads that are pinned at the top of our Sulcata section.
 

mike taylor

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Yes but not bad . It can stop if you follow care tips at the top of sulcata section.
 

BeeBee

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Thank you for all your inputs. I really needed that other eye. Prior to getting my tortoise, I already did a lot of research, getting most of my facts from here in fact. I'm soaking and spraying the shell and is in an enclosure of 80% humidity. I'm trying to get a larger enclosure so my tortoise can exercise more.

My other concern is she spends a lot of time in the hide that I worry she is not getting enough uv light. Does anyone know how long she needs to be exposed to the artificial uv light? I am using a mercury vapor bulb.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Tortoises only 'need' a few hours of UVB a week to 'survive' but more is ALWAYS better... tortdad, is correct, babies hide a bit. To them, many things are big scary predators, and they're trying to be safe :D
 
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