My Redfoot pyramiding study

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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This tortoise is WILD CHILD.
He or she was named that because she happened to hatch and go about on her own out in my enclosure for at least 4 months without me ever noticing that she existed
She must've foraged for her own food during that time and has only now spent less than 72 hours indoors and has been outdoors here in south Florida about 3 years now.
She shows hows ideal our climate is for a Redfoot with her smooth shell growth.
However. She still isn't RIVER ROCK smooth like a wild caught import. So it's likely that it comes down to diet.
This result still doesn't make for a perfect carapace.
But it's a nice one.
 

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cooky_luvs

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The redfoots I’ve had the longest have slight pyramiding. You can probably pick them out in this photo. None are severe, some came to me with a bit of pyramiding already as well. Back when I first got them I knew nothing about keeping the humidity just right. Probably for the first three years they didn’t have proper humidity. I always figured the good diet and proper lighting is what kept mine from being severely impacted by the lack of high humidity they originally had. I agree with the last poster that the lack of weathering and abrasion probably makes a big difference between yours and a wild one. Yours looks great! Of course the wild diet would probably be even better. I wonder what they eat primarily in the wild.
 

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ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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This is Julio.
My oldest REDFOOT.
She was named prematurely but still rules the yard like a male.
I purchased her long ago. I'd found her at a flea market on pine shavings in a ten gallon aquarium nibbling on ICEBERG lettuce.
She's been out in my back yard ever since and most of her growth has been smooth since then
 

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ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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This is Waffles.
One of two RF given to me to keep in my permanent collection by a fellow member.
She arrived very pyramiding and has been with me for less than a year.
I'm curious to see if she's going to look any less waffle like years from now with just the higher humidity that this location provides and with very few other interventions from me.
 

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ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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These have all been with me from 1 to 2 years. And are the other three in my permanent collection.
They have no names.
The top one is WAFFLES sister. But I actually forgot the name.
 

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ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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My smooth REDFOOT are the result of my location here in south Florida.
The climate does all of the hard work.
It has very little to do with anything else that I do or don't do.
Credit needs to be given to anyone that can duplicate this without the help of mother nature.
 

cooky_luvs

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I’m keeping and raising my first hatchling now so I am hoping to have a nice smooth carapace. I am raising in an enclosed chamber. Time will tell.

I used to have a beautiful columbian Redfoot I believe she was. She had to have been wild caught, her shell was perfect. Lots of scratches but still smooth, I think the elements (weathering) is likely a big factor along with the wild diet. Sadly she didn’t live long after I bought her, she went downhill fast. I am always scared to buy ones that look wild caught now.
 

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Maggie3fan

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This is Waffles.
One of two RF given to me to keep in my permanent collection by a fellow member.
She arrived very pyramiding and has been with me for less than a year.
I'm curious to see if she's going to look any less waffle like years from now with just the higher humidity that this location provides and with very few other interventions from me.
Oh she is too cute...she needs to live in Oregon
 

cooky_luvs

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See attached excerpt. I really think that’s the difference between a captive “smooth” / not bumpy / not pyramided carapace when things are done right vs a baby’s butt smooth wild carapace. It almost makes me want to turn their enclosure into an obstacle course ?
 

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Tom

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I’m keeping and raising my first hatchling now so I am hoping to have a nice smooth carapace. I am raising in an enclosed chamber. Time will tell.

I used to have a beautiful columbian Redfoot I believe she was. She had to have been wild caught, her shell was perfect. Lots of scratches but still smooth, I think the elements (weathering) is likely a big factor along with the wild diet. Sadly she didn’t live long after I bought her, she went downhill fast. I am always scared to buy ones that look wild caught now.
Where are you?
 

Tom

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See attached excerpt. I really think that’s the difference between a captive “smooth” / not bumpy / not pyramided carapace when things are done right vs a baby’s butt smooth wild carapace. It almost makes me want to turn their enclosure into an obstacle course ?
The attached exerpt sums it up nicely.

I don't agree with a bunch of the info in the tortoise library article. The absolutely DO store D3 in their fat cells, and indoor HO tubes are an excellent source of UVB for them. Dietary D3 also works just fine, as seen in many retile species like snakes and blue tongue skinks.
 

Toddrickfl1

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My theory is that somehow, someway artificial UVB is one of the things possibly contributing to Pyramiding.
 

newCH

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"Waffle / waffle like" interesting description !
I like it - Sheldon has a new nickname....
" Eggo man " ! I think that sounds quite charming ! LOL !
His pyramiding has seemed to mellow a bit as he gets bigger. :)
1619558238817.png
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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My theory is that somehow, someway artificial UVB is one of the things possibly contributing to Pyramiding.
My outdoor UVB level mid day is almost exactly 3.
I check it a lot before I bring out my Chameleons.
However, mid day is also the time of day that all of my RF go into hiding. So guessing how much UVB they actually get is a guess at best.
They avoid direct sunlight after early morning.
 

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