Pyramiding & Age...

[adore]

My dear Sully friend Ned (17lbs now) has some pyramiding that he got before we met. Does pyramiding only happen when torts are babies or might it continue to get worse since he's still growing? If so, what can I do to prevent it?

Thanks!!!!

Audra (adore)
& Ned

 

[JoesMum]

Pyramidding that happens when a tortoise is young should become less obvious as the tortoise grows, but it will never go away completely.

If it is becoming worse then it suggests that husbandry (enclosure and diet) needs to be improved.

What do you feed Ned?

Can you post pictures of his enclosure please so that recommendations for change can be made.

Have you read, and acted upon, this thread:

How to raise a healthy Sulcata? http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Pyramidding can and will continue over the life of the tortoise if its humidity levels, etc. are not met. But damage done while young is what we see the most.
A LOT of Sulcata breeders and keepers start them off in dry, arid conditions. Sulcatas need to be started in humid conditions.

 

[CathyNed]

My dear Sully friend Ned (17lbs now) has some pyramiding that he got before we met. Does pyramiding only happen when torts are babies or might it continue to get worse since he's still growing? If so, what can I do to prevent it?

Thanks!!!!

Audra (adore)
& Ned

I have a Ned too...but hes a Russian. He has some pyramiding that he had when i got him 8 years ago

 

[adore]

Pyramidding that happens when a tortoise is young should become less obvious as the tortoise grows, but it will never go away completely.

If it is becoming worse then it suggests that husbandry (enclosure and diet) needs to be improved.

What do you feed Ned?

Can you post pictures of his enclosure please so that recommendations for change can be made.

Have you read, and acted upon, this thread:

How to raise a healthy Sulcata? http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Luckily I haven't noticed it getting worse, but I've only known him for about 2.5 months.

I will definitely revisit that link! I've looked parts of it but not in a little while and I have different questions now. Thanks for the link!

I don't have any pics right now but I'll try and describe things...

Ned's Home:

Ned lives in my yard which is approx 15' x 30' (my best guess) The main part of the ground cover is bricks but 3 sides have strips of dirt going down the length about 4-5' wide. One of the shorter walls is covered with a tarp (15' x 6') for dryness and shade. The fence is solid brick except for a tiny area of chainlink that I've covered so he can't see through it. He has a warm shelter that I build on the dirt (and under the tarp) out of bricks and it his a wind-breaker wall in front of the door. It's heated with a ceramic heat emitter from above and a heat pad under the dirt. The floor gets to the mid 80s and his shell, when in the shelter, reaches the high 80s (as measured with an infrared temp gun). I can adjust these if need be. He also had a different, unheated shelter in the yard.

Ned's Food:

Ned's diet consists of fresh cut grasses and weeds (the ones I've researched and found to be safe, mallow is the only name I remember of the top of my head) and dry hay. I pick the fresh mix almost every day from my family's pesticide-free lawns, but sometimes I pick too much so they have to be in the fridge for a couple days before he eats it. I usually spray the fresh greens with water before feeding them. He always has access to dry grass hay (I've seen him eat it but he doesn't appear to love it) Sometimes I soak it and I'm going to start being more regular about this for hydration (and he seems to like it more) Occasionally I'll give him a tiny bit of kale or chard or some rose or petunia petals. I'm going to start growing a grass blend that was recommended by Tom for when the outside grass all up & dies during our hot summers. The seeds are in the mail as I type!

I'll try to get pics soon!

Audra
& Ned the Sully

 

[Gillian M]

I totally agree with Ed: torts in general need humidity so as to avoid their pyramiding. for one live in Jordan, where the climate is an EXTREMELY dry one. Therefore I give OLI (my beloved Greek tortoise one, two and at times three soaks a day, particularly in Summer.