Pyramiding question

[johnkarabas]

Am looking at getting a leopard tortoise. The one I'm looking at has some pyramiding he is about 8 inches long. Is the pyramiding a physical problem or just aesthetic. The rest of the tortoise looks ok, is there anything else I should look at to make sure he is healthy?

Thanks
John

 

[Tom]

You can't tell from the outside. Pyramided bone has a different structure than regular bone. In some cases, the effects are basically cosmetic. What's more important is how the tortoise was raised. Did it get lots of sunshine, a good diet and plenty of hydration? These things would matter more to me.

Almost everyone (outside of this forum) still raises them too dry (in my opinion) so it would be hard to find one that is not pyramided. If all other conditions were good, I would not let some pyramiding stop me.

 

[johnkarabas]

Thanks Tom, appreciate the input

 

[Neal]

I agree with Tom that some pyramiding cases are basically cosmetic.

As far as I am concerned, aesthetics in an older tortoise are less important to me so really all I would be looking for are any signs of discharge from the nostrils, clear eyes, and weight of the tortoise.