Pyramid Paranoia!

[LeopardTortLover]

When I got Milly she was already pyramided. Ive kept a VERY close eye on it ever since. But because I see her every day I find it hard to tell if its getting worse or staying the same.

Some opinions please?

 

[Tortus]

I honestly can't see a difference in that 3 month period. The pics look the same to me. I tried counting rings and everything.

Maybe wait a couple more months and post comparison shots again?

 

[Greg T]

You will not see immediate change in pyramiding, even in 8 months. As she grows older, the new growth will help smooth it all out. It will probably never go away totally, but it will get better with proper care. Looking at the pictures, it does seem slightly smoother possibly, but it definitely isn't worse. It is not bad now, so you have a real good chance of keeping her pretty smooth.

 

[Laura]

it will only get better IF husbandry changed and is improved from what she used to be in...
Diet, Humidity, sunshine..

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I'd say, after looking at the pics.. that is getting better!

 

[tortoisefanatic]

it will only get better IF husbandry changed and is improved from what she used to be in...
Diet, Humidity, sunshine..

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I'd say, after looking at the pics.. that is getting better!

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I rescued a leo that was under 3" long and several years old. Pyramiding was definitely underway. After 16 month in a warm and humid enclosure, he/she has grown 1.5 inches, gained 100 g in weight, and the pyramiding has stopped. The shell is obviously a little smoother! I'm a fan of warm and humid enclosures, good diet, and weekly soaks!

Alan

 

[Neal]

I don't think you will see a drastic change in this size of a tortoise with this amount of pyramiding (which comparatively is not terribly bad at all). The pyramiding usually will not stop suddenly, it will be more of a gradual smoothing out as the tortoise grows. Just keep at it.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

You look to be doing a fabulous job, she will be one smooth adult.

 

[Tom]

You will not see immediate change in pyramiding, even in 8 months. As she grows older, the new growth will help smooth it all out. It will probably never go away totally, but it will get better with proper care. Looking at the pictures, it does seem slightly smoother possibly, but it definitely isn't worse. It is not bad now, so you have a real good chance of keeping her pretty smooth.

I agree with this.

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I don't think you will see a drastic change in this size of a tortoise with this amount of pyramiding (which comparatively is not terribly bad at all). The pyramiding usually will not stop suddenly, it will be more of a gradual smoothing out as the tortoise grows. Just keep at it.

...and this.

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You look to be doing a fabulous job, she will be one smooth adult.

... And this too.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

I agree with this.

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...and this.

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... And this too.

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Wow. Deep opinions Tom XD

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Thanks everyone I'll keep her warm and humid and keep you updated!

 

[mainey34]

I wished i took pics of mine like you did..she had pyramiding starting also. With plenty of soaking, 2 times daily. Plenty of sunshine and warm and humid environment alot of her pyramiding is smoothing out...i notice your torts difference, keep doing what you are doing..it will just get better with time...

 

[sibi]

You've got a good looking tort there. You're doing a great job!

 

[LeopardTortLover]

I wished i took pics of mine like you did..she had pyramiding starting also. With plenty of soaking, 2 times daily. Plenty of sunshine and warm and humid environment alot of her pyramiding is smoothing out...i notice your torts difference, keep doing what you are doing..it will just get better with time...

I take pictures of her everyday, Its just something I like to do so I can see a massive difference when she's an adult. I soak mine every other day for half an hour and keep her environment no less than 50% humidity. Unfortunately i don't get a lot of sunshine where I live so she has to make do with a UV light until summer I'm glad you've had successful results I'm still really paranoid its got worse since ive had her! Maybe im worrying too much.

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You've got a good looking tort there. You're doing a great job!

Thank you

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Just giving an update on Milly's pyramiding. I think it has definately stopped now. She was pryramided (first pic) when I got her and since then she's had a humid environment.

She has moistened coco coir which creates humidity from 80%-45%. No humidifier. And has a winter diet of mixed grocery leaves and zoomed grassland tortoise food and a summer diet of this plus weeds, flowers, and this year i'll be weaning her onto grass.

Thanks to this forum's advice I have a healthy happy tort =)



I should mention she was 12 months when I got her, so she is now 20 months old.

 

[Tom]

Grass does not make up a large percentage of wild babcocki diets. They eat more leaves, weeds and succulents. Some grass in the diet won't hurt them, but don't feel like you should be feeding them mostly grass, or even a lot of grass.

I can't comment on your pics. I'm not able to open thumbnails at the moment. If you repost them as regular pics using tinypic.com or photobucket, I'd be able to see them and comment.

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Ooooh right, I thought they did. Okay well when she goes out into the garden in the summer if she wants to eat grass she can but otherwise I'll leave it then, thanks.
And I'll do that then with the pic, I can't open thumbnails today either. The forum is really slow for me today too for some reason.

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Here is the pic:

 

[Tom]

A lot of the books say they eat a lot of grass, and technically "leopard tortoises" do eat a lot of grass. But here's the thing: South African leopards, the pardalis subspecies, DO eat a lot of grass and their diet is more like a sulcata. The normal, more common leopards, the babcocki subspecies, don't eat as much grass or hay. No harm if they nibble on it, but its not their norm.

 

[Tortus]

Laura www.imgur.com is the best picture hosting site to my knowledge. You don't have to sign up to get direct links or solve stupid "captcha" puzzles. Just go there, upload from your computer, then post here using html tags.

I really find the attachments here awkward. Plus I believe you have a limit on how many you can post.

 

[Sh3wulf]

A lot of the books say they eat a lot of grass, and technically "leopard tortoises" do eat a lot of grass. But here's the thing: South African leopards, the pardalis subspecies, DO eat a lot of grass and their diet is more like a sulcata. The normal, more common leopards, the babcocki subspecies, don't eat as much grass or hay. No harm if they nibble on it, but its not their norm.

How can someone tell the kind of Leopard Tort they have? Please don't say vet as mine apparently knows not the difference between a Sulcata and a Leopard

 

[Tom]

There are several physical characteristics, but the main way to know is that the SA leopards are quite rare and cost around double the price of a normal leopard. You would know if you were buying a South African one. The vast majority are babcocki or babcocki crosses.

Neal did a great thread on the differences if you care to search for it.