Pyramiding??

oliviaabrah

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Can someone please help me identify wether my tortoise is beginning to pyramid or not?? I just noticed it today.
 

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wellington

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Russians don't pyramid easily. With yours its possible a little on the top side scutes might be starting but because the way his shell is not real smooth/ruff, which is normal for a lot of russians it could just be that.
Don't use a mercury vapor bulb and make sure the humidity is between 50-80 and he should be fine.
 

oliviaabrah

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Russians don't pyramid easily. With yours its possible a little on the top side scutes might be starting but because the way his shell is not real smooth/ruff, which is normal for a lot of russians it could just be that.
Don't use a mercury vapor bulb and make sure the humidity is between 50-80 and he should be fine.
Thank you! :)
 

oliviaabrah

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What was the source of this tortoise and how long have you had it?
What do you mean by source? I got him at Petco (I know, bad decision) if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve had him for about 7 months.
 

Herman_WA

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I got him at Petco (I know, bad decision)
Your tort looks great! May I ask what the name is?
(I always like to know the names.?)

Just curious, why is is such a bad idea to get tortoises from Petco? That's where I got mine and he's been in great health?
 

Tom

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What do you mean by source? I got him at Petco (I know, bad decision) if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve had him for about 7 months.
Pyramiding is something that happens in a young growing tortoise as they gain size. You bought a grown adult tortoise from Petco. They don't start pyramiding after they are already grown.
 

Tom

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Your tort looks great! May I ask what the name is?
(I always like to know the names.?)

Just curious, why is is such a bad idea to get tortoises from Petco? That's where I got mine and he's been in great health?
Because they sell wild caught imported tortoises that are often carrying mysterious, elusive pathogens that are highly contagious and difficult to diagnose. There is also no way to ascertain what sort of hardships they endured in the wild and in transit. A large percentage of them die. Some of them do okay for a while, and then die.

Much better to buy a captive bred tortoise from a reputable breeder that starts their babies correctly and has them already well hydrated and well started on the correct foods. This also leaves the wild ones in the wild and ensures we (the human race) are not over-collecting for the pet trade. We have enough genetic diversity in the US already to sustain captive breeding projects long term. I don't mind a few being taken from the wild now and then to freshen up the gene pool, but no need for hundreds or thousands to be imported every year. The availability of cheap wild caught tortoises tremendously hampers the market for captive bred babies. Why pay some breeder who spends hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars caring for their tortoises $150-250 when you can buy an adult from a chain pet store for $99 on sale? This question is easy to answer for anyone who has been keeping tortoises for a while, but most people don't realize the answer until its too late. The health and general fitness of a properly cared for CB animal is immeasurably better than any WC animal. Especially true of the Petco/Petsmart Russians.
 

oliviaabrah

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Your tort looks great! May I ask what the name is?
(I always like to know the names.?)

Just curious, why is is such a bad idea to get tortoises from Petco? That's where I got mine and he's been in great health?
Thank you!! His name is Russell, named after the little kid from the movie Up.

I really don’t like purchasing animals from Petco for many reasons. Petco purchases their animals from mills. These mills abuse and neglect the animals, and unfortunately, many animals suffer and die. Additionally, nobody knows where these animals come from. Many are wild caught, thus resulting in a variety of harmful parasites and diseases. When I bought Russell, I took him straight to the vet (knowing the backstory of Petco and the mills they purchase from) and it turns out he had pinworms and a respiratory infection. PETA has done many undercover studies of the mills Petco and Petsmart purchase from - some of their videos are on YouTube. Anyway, I much rather prefer buying from captive bred breeders and always advise the people I know to do so as well. It’s well worth the extra penny. Hope this clarifies it a bit!
 

oliviaabrah

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Pyramiding is something that happens in a young growing tortoise as they gain size. You bought a grown adult tortoise from Petco. They don't start pyramiding after they are already grown.
That would make sense, however I don’t think he’s fully grown yet. He’s barely 4 inches long.
 

Herman_WA

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Because they sell wild caught imported tortoises that are often carrying mysterious, elusive pathogens that are highly contagious and difficult to diagnose. There is also no way to ascertain what sort of hardships they endured in the wild and in transit. A large percentage of them die. Some of them do okay for a while, and then die.

Much better to buy a captive bred tortoise from a reputable breeder that starts their babies correctly and has them already well hydrated and well started on the correct foods. This also leaves the wild ones in the wild and ensures we (the human race) are not over-collecting for the pet trade. We have enough genetic diversity in the US already to sustain captive breeding projects long term. I don't mind a few being taken from the wild now and then to freshen up the gene pool, but no need for hundreds or thousands to be imported every year. The availability of cheap wild caught tortoises tremendously hampers the market for captive bred babies. Why pay some breeder who spends hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars caring for their tortoises $150-250 when you can buy an adult from a chain pet store for $99 on sale? This question is easy to answer for anyone who has been keeping tortoises for a while, but most people don't realize the answer until its too late. The health and general fitness of a properly cared for CB animal is immeasurably better than any WC animal. Especially true of the Petco/Petsmart Russians.
Interesting..... thanks for responding.
 

Herman_WA

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Thank you!! His name is Russell, named after the little kid from the movie Up.

I really don’t like purchasing animals from Petco for many reasons. Petco purchases their animals from mills. These mills abuse and neglect the animals, and unfortunately, many animals suffer and die. Additionally, nobody knows where these animals come from. Many are wild caught, thus resulting in a variety of harmful parasites and diseases. When I bought Russell, I took him straight to the vet (knowing the backstory of Petco and the mills they purchase from) and it turns out he had pinworms and a respiratory infection. PETA has done many undercover studies of the mills Petco and Petsmart purchase from - some of their videos are on YouTube. Anyway, I much rather prefer buying from captive bred breeders and always advise the people I know to do so as well. It’s well worth the extra penny. Hope this clarifies it a bit!
That is such a cute name!
 

wellington

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That would make sense, however I don’t think he’s fully grown yet. He’s barely 4 inches long.
I have a Russian I rescued from a girl no longer interested in him. He too was from one of the big chain pet stores. I have had him for more then 7 years. He is still not very big. Just started more steady growth last year or so. The horrible care before me, and after being swiped from the wild, set him back.
Probably the same with yours. The shells dont usually look that ruff on a captive bred young tort.
Get him set up in a proper enclosure with proper heat, uvb and humidity and proper diet and he will eventually start getting more consistent growth.
 

Tom

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Thank you!! His name is Russell, named after the little kid from the movie Up.

I really don’t like purchasing animals from Petco for many reasons. Petco purchases their animals from mills. These mills abuse and neglect the animals, and unfortunately, many animals suffer and die. Additionally, nobody knows where these animals come from. Many are wild caught, thus resulting in a variety of harmful parasites and diseases. When I bought Russell, I took him straight to the vet (knowing the backstory of Petco and the mills they purchase from) and it turns out he had pinworms and a respiratory infection. PETA has done many undercover studies of the mills Petco and Petsmart purchase from - some of their videos are on YouTube. Anyway, I much rather prefer buying from captive bred breeders and always advise the people I know to do so as well. It’s well worth the extra penny. Hope this clarifies it a bit!
They don't come from "mills". They are collected from the wild and sent to large holding areas, sometimes referred to as "farms", where they get carefully and safely packed up and legally shipped to the US.

PETA is your enemy. They do nothing but lie, create false narratives, and try to manipulate good caring people into donating money to them, so they can kill shelter pets and get bans passed so that you can't have your pets. We've discussed this many times here. There is a difference between legal imports and the images PETA uses showing illegal smugglers.
 

oliviaabrah

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They don't come from "mills". They are collected from the wild and sent to large holding areas, sometimes referred to as "farms", where they get carefully and safely packed up and legally shipped to the US.

PETA is your enemy. They do nothing but lie, create false narratives, and try to manipulate good caring people into donating money to them, so they can kill shelter pets and get bans passed so that you can't have your pets. We've discussed this many times here. There is a difference between legal imports and the images PETA uses showing illegal smugglers.
Thank you for the correction. I'm quite new here so I haven't had a chance to look at all the forms yet. I just knew that big chain stores were bad and that PETA had videos of the "farms", which I now know detail the illegal smuggling rather than the legal imports.
 

Tom

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Thank you for the correction. I'm quite new here so I haven't had a chance to look at all the forms yet. I just knew that big chain stores were bad and that PETA had videos of the "farms", which I now know detail the illegal smuggling rather than the legal imports.
Nobody is born knowing this stuff. This forum is so good for learning so many different things. There are people here who know about all kinds of things. We've all learned a ton by being here. Even old timers like me.

Hope you like what you learn and are able to use it to help your tortoise, and other people's tortoises too. Questions and conversation are welcome. :)
 

oliviaabrah

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Aww, thank you! I was checking out your page and I've learned so much already. I went out today and bought some coco coir, a terra cotta plant saucer, and a nice big box for a humid hide that I plan on keeping at 95% humidity. I really admire you and I'm so thankful that you commented on my page! I feel much better as a tortoise owner. :)
 

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