Only This Frontal Scute Is Pyramiding On This Hermann's Tortoise

[I Love Tortoises]

I have tortoise called Phoenix. She is a 7 month old Hermann's Tortoise. I got her while she was sick. She was stressed and she didn't eat for a while. I hand fed her every day and after a while she turned normal. She was really healthy until I noticed one of her frontal vertebral scutes were pyramiding. The weird thing is any of the other scutes weren't pyramiding. Just this frontal scute. Are these early signs of pyramiding? I don't want my tortoises to be unhealthy so I'm asking this. I have other tortoises for ex. I had my greek tortoise Spike since she was a hatchling and she is older than Phoenix. Her shell is really smooth. I think if I was doing something wrong my other tortoises would pyramid as well.

For uvb I put my tortoises under the sun for approx. 2-3 hrs per day.

My basking lamp is a natural white basking lamp that also produces uva.

Their enclosure is 32C° on the hotter side (basking spot) and 23C° on the cooler side.

Average %55 humidity

The floor material is natural forest floor and I spray some water on my tortoises and the substrate so they get hydrated.

I usually soak them for 30mins per day

Their diet consists of plantain, romaine lettuce, frisee, basil, redleaf lettuce, mulberry leaves, artichoke, couch grass, clovers, rose petals, pellets, dandelions and chickweed. I also give them some carrot once a month as a treat. I put calcium and d3 powder their food every day.


Please let me know what is wrong.
Thank you for all of your answers.

 

[wellington]

Actually they all look to be pyramiding.

 

[zovick]

Actually they all look to be pyramiding.

Yes, agreed.

 

[I Love Tortoises]

Actually they all look to be pyramiding.

Hmm... When i slide my finger over her shell its really smooth except the frontal one. The length of the scutes (vertically) aren't even half a cm! Maybe she just started pyramiding. How do I stop that? I wonder what may be causing them. Maybe 2-3hrs of uvb isn't enough? Thank you for your answer🙂

 

[I Love Tortoises]

Hmm... When i slide my finger over her shell its really smooth except the frontal one. The length of the scutes (vertically) aren't even half a cm! Maybe she just started pyramiding. How do I stop that? I wonder what may be causing them. Maybe 2-3hrs of uvb isn't enough? Thank you for your answer🙂

Now I measured the vertical size, each of the scutes are 1mm except the frontal one. It is about 2mm. It is visibly bigger than the other scutes and that got me concerned. Is it something to be worried about? The carapace length of her is about 5,5 cm.

 

[wellington]

The area between the scutes are not level with the scutes, the scutes is raised, that's pyramiding.
closed chamber, 80% humidity is needed. Use gauges that are digital, not the disc type.
basking spot must equal 95-100.

 

[I Love Tortoises]

The area between the scutes are not level with the scutes, the scutes is raised, that's pyramiding.
closed chamber, 80% humidity is needed. Use gauges that are digital, not the disc type.
basking spot must equal 95-100.

I didn't say the area between the scutes were 1mm or 2mm etc and I already use digital gauges. I asked about if it was serious. The reason I said that only the frontal scute was raised was that I thought that there weren't any pyramiding in the other scutes. When slide my finger over her shell (except the frontal part) it is really smooth and flat although I've seen there are some raise in the scutes after you stated it and I have seen that as you can see it in my other replies. The way I measured the scutes were from the base of the scute to the top of the scute. Thank you for the other info though. I am planning to get a ultrasonic fogger. Is that good?

 

[wellington]

No foggers and misters are not really recommended. If you do a closed chamber, and fully dampen the substrate it will hold the humidity much better and even hold the heat better.
It's not serious as far as health but it looks like a lot for his young age.
If he was started all wrong before you got him, that makes it harder for you to keep the pyramiding from starting unless you started him in a closed chamber which is the best way to house him until he's around 3.

 

[I Love Tortoises]

No foggers and misters are not really recommended. If you do a closed chamber, and fully dampen the substrate it will hold the humidity much better and even hold the heat better.
It's not serious as far as health but it looks like a lot for his young age.
If he was started all wrong before you got him, that makes it harder for you to keep the pyramiding from starting unless you started him in a closed chamber which is the best way to house him until he's around 3.

Thank you for your reply. I'm housing her in a closed chamber. I didn't know all of that about foggers. Thanks. When I got her she was so stressed and didn't eat any food unless I hand fed her and 3 of her nails were broken on her front right leg and 2 broken on her front left leg. Maybe the pyramiding started because of the stress or the humidity (average 55%)?

 

[wellington]

We don't know that stress causes it, but low humidity sure does and sounds like he had a bad start.

 

[I Love Tortoises]

We don't know that stress causes it, but low humidity sure does and sounds like he had a bad start.

Yes she sure did have a bad start. At least she is doing really well except this pyramiding. She is one of my most active tortoises and she has a great personality! She loves getting neck scratches so whenever she sees me she comes over to me running while stretching her neck 🙂

 

[zolasmum]

Yes she sure did have a bad start. At least she is doing really well except this pyramiding. She is one of my most active tortoises and she has a great personality! She loves getting neck scratches so whenever she sees me she comes over to me running while stretching her neck 🙂

One small thing - you said you give her calcium every day. I think that is considered too much - just a small amorunt twice a week would be better. I don't know if that would affect shell growth, but it could affect other things.
Angie

 

[I Love Tortoises]

One small thing - you said you give her calcium every day. I think that is considered too much - just a small amorunt twice a week would be better. I don't know if that would affect shell growth, but it could affect other things.
Angie

Thank you for your reply!