Preventing Pyramiding Early

[capedthespian]

I've had my sulcata hatchling a little ice a month now, and have started to notice new growth in her shell. I'm a little worried, though, because she isn't entirely smooth. She's kept in a warm, humid enclosure and gets daily soaks, but her growth rings seem dry and whitish in some places. Here's a picture of her prior to soaking today. Is this pyramiding, and if so what else can I do? I've only had her for the darker growth, not the light right around the scutes.

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[Tom]

You do have the start of mild pyramiding, but its not bad. The whitish-ness looks like hard water stains to me from the pic.

How was this tortoise started before you got it? Dry routine or wet routine? What we are looking at seems to me something that has been steadily going on since hatching. I doesn't look like something new that has only happened in the last month.

Tell us more about how you are housing and heating. Open top? What are the four temps? What is your typical ambient humidity in the enclosure? Is there a proper humid hide? Where are you?

 

[capedthespian]

I don't know how she was kept before I got her, but I do know she was hatched outside, not incubated, so she might have been less rigorously monitored and soaked. I do not have all four temps at the moment, but her basking spot I around 90-95 degrees, while the rest of the enclosure is a bit cooler, I doubt ever any lower than 75. The ambient humidity is between 70-80%, while her humid hide is 100%.

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I am in Southern California.

 

[Tom]

You might be fighting pre-existing damage. If this is the case, it will take time to stop the pyramiding that is already in progress. One useful thing that I do is spray the shell frequently with plain water.

Temperatures are critical for reptiles. Especially for a baby. You really need to know your temps so you can make proper adjustments if necessary. You can get a remote probed digital thermometer for about $10-20 from any hardware or department store.

 

[capedthespian]

I am gone for over twelve hours every day. Will spraying her at night still help? Also, what wattage should my heat lamps be?

 

[Tom]

Spray first thing in the morning and again at night.

Wattage doesn't matter. 30 watts or 300 watts can work. The temperature in the enclosure and under the bulb is what matters. You need a thermometer.

 

[sibi]

In addition, I think the baby is being heated too much and not getting the benefits of the humidity you're providing. Like Tom said, you need to provide the 4 temps in her enclosure. Also, cool temps should not go below 80 degrees. It may be why your baby is seeking out the hot spot in the enclosure and drying out.

 

[capedthespian]

She actually spends almost all her time in her humid hide, at least when I'm at home to see her. I'm not sure if this is because it's at night or if she's really in there all day. But that wouldn't make sense for her being drier than usual.

 

[capedthespian]

I just got the news from her breeder that she hatched on October 1, so it could be how she was started.