Pyramiding/bowlingballsmooth

Brockazoid

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I was wondering is it possible to raise a star tortoise with a bowling ball smooth shell? I dunno if it sounds silly to most but ive been researching these tortoises for awhile now because im very interested in adding one to my reptile collection and almost every sub-adult/adult star tortoise that ive seen has some sort of pyramiding to it....if so is it the same the same as raising most other tortoises in a closed chamber enviroment? And if so, would anyone who owns one of these amazing tortoises please attach some photos por favor? Id like to see if its at all possible
 

G-stars

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Hello.

It’s definitely possible to raise a nice smooth star. Yes there are a lot of them that have minor to major pyramiding out there. A lot of people are scared to raise this species with higher humidity because they believe they will get a URI, but that will only happen if the temps are cool. A closed chamber will definitely help achieve this, I use the 80/80 rule. No less then 80F at all times and aim for 80% humidity.

Here is a good example of one that wasn’t raised full time in a closed chamber and is still relatively smooth. She was started off by being in a closed chamber half the time and the other time outdoors in a heavily planted enclosure with high humidity. She is now living outdoors full time with a heated night house, and you can see that her new growth is still smooth. So the first year or two are very crucial to what they will look like as adults.
 

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G-stars

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Here are a couple more examples of smooth stars although these are just a year old.
 

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Tom

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@Markw84 has pics of perfectly smooth ones.

Here is one of mine:
IMG_3127 copy.JPG
IMG_3129.JPG


Here is how you do it:
 

AmandaF

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@Markw84 has pics of perfectly smooth ones.

Here is one of mine:
View attachment 352085
View attachment 352086


Here is how you do it:
They are beautiful
 

Brockazoid

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Hello.

It’s definitely possible to raise a nice smooth star. Yes there are a lot of them that have minor to major pyramiding out there. A lot of people are scared to raise this species with higher humidity because they believe they will get a URI, but that will only happen if the temps are cool. A closed chamber will definitely help achieve this, I use the 80/80 rule. No less then 80F at all times and aim for 80% humidity.

Here is a good example of one that wasn’t raised full time in a closed chamber and is still relatively smooth. She was started off by being in a closed chamber half the time and the other time outdoors in a heavily planted enclosure with high humidity. She is now living outdoors full time with a heated night house, and you can see that her new growth is still smooth. So the first year or two are very crucial to what they will look like as adults.
Heyyyyy thats a gorgeous looking tortoise there, is that one of your tortoises? Or do know the owner by chance?, or was it part of your research when it came to how you approached the idea of raising one of these bad boys yourself?thank you very much for sharing that information with me there i feel a whole lot more confident about raising one myself ive been researching them for like almost 7-8 months now but i still wanna do a little more before i actually decide to purchase one myself im currently working on collecting the items necessary to raise a freshly hatched baby myself....😊 Again thank you very much for the insight im going to take in the info you shared with me and apply it to the info ive already gathered so far... 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
 

G-stars

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Heyyyyy thats a gorgeous looking tortoise there, is that one of your tortoises? Or do know the owner by chance?, or was it part of your research when it came to how you approached the idea of raising one of these bad boys yourself?thank you very much for sharing that information with me there i feel a whole lot more confident about raising one myself ive been researching them for like almost 7-8 months now but i still wanna do a little more before i actually decide to purchase one myself im currently working on collecting the items necessary to raise a freshly hatched baby myself....😊 Again thank you very much for the insight im going to take in the info you shared with me and apply it to the info ive already gathered so far... 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hello.

Yes that’s one of my tortoises. I acquired her from a friend, who acquired her as a hatchling. So I know exactly how she was raised up. I’ve had her over a year now and she has been kept outdoors full time since I’ve had her. But I breed Sri Lankans, Indians, and Burmese stars. So I’ve been able to raise up smooth stars this way. Your best bet is with a closed chamber enclosure.
 

Carl StarTortoise

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Are you considering an Indian or Burmese star? I recently adopted a little Indian star and am in love with the little guy, but I wish I would have gone with a Burmese star now that I have read how much more personable the species is.

@Markw84's smart pvc enclosures are the way to go btw. I was a little shocked by the sticker price at first, so I build one myself. After all the material it wasn't that much cheaper to build it and it was a pain in the ***, also isn't near as nice as Mark's. I'll definitely order from him for my next closed chamber enclosure.
 

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