new or old pyramiding?

[suzy]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and also new to keeping a tortoise. I got him December time, already 6years old (had 2previous homes) and seems to have significant pyramiding. I'm obviously keen to stop it getting any worse - do you think his shell is getting better or worse? Any help would be fantastic!! Thanks in advance xxx

 

[keepergale]

Maybe it's just me(on my phone)but I don't see any image.

 

[jeffjeff]

sorry but i cant see any pics either.

 

[suzy]

Trying to upload... Think I managed to create 3 threads and only pic on one- sorry guys!!

 

[suzy]

Maybe easier to see on this?? x

 

[Yvonne G]

It looks to have started when the tortoise was a baby, and is continuing, so both new and old.

 

[suzy]

May be a silly question but can you tell if it's got better or worse in the 3months since I've had him? xxx

 

[Levi the Leopard]

At this size I wouldn't worry about his pyramiding. He already has it so I'd just make sure he's kept well hydrated. I'd also provide him with damp substrate to dig into and a moderately humid hide or tort house.

Can he live outside? IMO that's best. Give him a nice, large yard with a heated tortoise house

 

[Yvonne G]

What you want to see is for the shell to be smoothing out level in between the bumps. The new growth should be coming in level, rather than in the upward direction its in now.

 

[suzy]

Lovely, thanks guys!! his home is pretty humid and got a large water area to go in if he wants. Going to get him out when it gets a bit warmer- bit wet and wild in Wales at the mo!! xxx

 

[suzy]

Or does temp\ weather not matter as much as long as the tortoise house is heated? x

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Or does temp\ weather not matter as much as long as the tortoise house is heated? x

I can't speak for your wales weather... I have no idea what it's like or how extreme..

but here in seasonal, southern Oregon USA, I do not worry about the weather outside. My leopard lives outside full time with his fully insulated, thermostat controlled, heated tort house to retreat to. It's heated to 80F all year long. I open the tort door every day (even on cold or rainy winter days) and let him decide to come out or not. That being said, Levi is perfect..lol... he's done a great job of always putting himself away (as a stay at home mom, I check on him often) and he's not left out hiding somewhere outside in the cold or rain.

So in my case, he has the entire backyard to himself: tort proofed perimeter, trees and bushes for shade and cover, water dish, yummy lawn of grass and weeds and of course the tort house. All year long.