Pyramiding - in reverse?

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MaddieLynn

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I've been looking at the red & yellow foot tortoises at Tortoise Supply, and they all seem to be nice and healthy. I've especially noticed how nice and smooth their 6-8 inch redfoots look!

However, their yellowfoots seem to have something going on that looks like pyramiding - in reverse! See here:

http://www.tortoisesupply.com/products/Baby-Yellowfoot-Tortoise.html

What is it? Is it something unhealthy like pyramiding? What would cause that? It can also be seen in the juveniles, but it's not as pronounced:

http://www.tortoisesupply.com/products/Juvenile-Yellowfoot-Tortoise.html

Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?

Also, has anyone here ever purchased a tort from TortoiseSupply.com before? Are they a good place to buy?
 

DoctorCosmonaut

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I have noticed that online before, but I have no clue... I kinda thought the same things you did
 

dmmj

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I must admit I dont see it, are you talking how the shell looks kinda pinched where the plastron meets the carapace?
 

kimber_lee_314

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I have a couple young hatchlings that are developing like that also, so I'd love to hear why ...
 

DoctorCosmonaut

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dmmj said:
I must admit I dont see it, are you talking how the shell looks kinda pinched where the plastron meets the carapace?

yes kinda like mortar pushing out between bricks
 

Yvonne G

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My little Emmie (Manouria emys phayrei) hatched out like that a couple years ago. She actually looked like that when she hatched. If you scroll down in this thread you'll see her baby picture:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-4148.html?highlight=emmie

I don't remember what Danny told me about why they do this, however she is slowly growing out of it. She's either one or two years old now, ...I've lost track of time. Here's what she looks like now:

emmie8-7-10-1.jpg


emmie8-7-10-2.jpg


In the second picture you can clearly see how the original area when she first hatched, is indented, but all the new growth since then is up higher, and level. Sorry for the poor picture quality. I've just gotten a new camera and I'm still learning it. I think I was too close to my subject.
 

MaddieLynn

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DoctorCosmonaut said:
dmmj said:
I must admit I dont see it, are you talking how the shell looks kinda pinched where the plastron meets the carapace?

yes kinda like mortar pushing out between bricks

It is kind of like mortar pushed between bricks... however, I'm not talking about where the palstron meets the carapace. I'm talking about how the area in between the scutes is raised, while in pyramiding the center of the scutes are raised. All other hatchling torts I've ever seen have smooth shells.
 

Kristina

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I personally believe it is caused by a lack of calcium and/or D3. I have two Hingebacks that have that issue. It has always appeared to me to be a lack of bone mass under the scutes. In a hatchling it is probably a result of the mother not having enough calcium in her diet, and as the hatchling grows and calcium is supplemented, the new bone mass is thicker.
 

Yvonne G

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Well, there's an article on reverse pyramiding in the Turtle Survival Alliance magazine by Sue Donaghue of Walkabout farms. But my computer just about crashes when I try to load a big PDF file, so I'm unable to get the link for you. However if you do a web search for "TSA reverse pyramiding walkabout farms" it should come up for you.
 

Kristina

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I am not finding the article by searching it, and I was pretty sure I read the last issue cover to cover... Which issue was it in? Maybe I just missed it.
 

TylerStewart

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With young yellowfoots, it's pretty normal. If you put them into 100% humidity for a half a day (literally), it goes away. When they spend a half a day outside in low humidity, it comes back. The bigger sized ones don't show it much, and obviously with the firmer shells, it doesn't really change day to day. It's humidity related. I even notice it when I take them to shows - they're packed very humid, and by the end of the day on the table at the show, you can see it more than in the morning. By the next morning, they're smooth again. It's really the only species I've seen it happen with. It's not nutritional, or MBD or any health thing. It happens with every baby yellowfoot I've ever had, and we never lose any to health problems, etc.

PS. Generally speaking, yellowfoots don't pyramid, even in terrible conditions with low humidity. Something to think about. Elongateds are the same way. I don't think I've ever seen one of these species pyramided - even though now I know someone will find a photo :)
 

Tom

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Tyler had those same yellowfoots at the Pomona show this weekend and they looked very healthy and active.

And yes, in my opinion http://www.tortoisesupply.com/ is an excellent place to get a tortoise and supplies. I bought several things from him this weekend.
 

matt41gb

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Here ya' go Tom. I got her as a rescue back in April. The areola of her scutes are translucent, it's really strange. I'll try to get a better picture of it on here.

100_2355.jpg


100_2370.jpg


-Matt
 
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