Pyramiding????

[Rosiee]

I have just read the thread about someone worrying about a pyramiding tortoise, and a theres a few things i need clearing up as there a bit fuzzy.
What actaully is pyramiding? is it when the whole shell grows wrong and up like a pyramid or just the single rings on it. And what is the main cause? i have a 2 year herman and although i am not worried that it is pyramiding its shelling isnt completly smooth?
I have heard that a cause can be humity but i dont keep my tortoise inclosure humid.

 

[Rosiee]

Here is photo warn me if he is growing wrong and i dont no?

 

[Rosiee]

 

[Laura]

Hard to tell for sure, but it looks like your tort has some. Compare it to other pictures of the same type. What do you think?
Here is a link to one of my rescues and enclosure pics.. Its a sulcata with SEVERE pyramiding.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welco...HLFw5YsXyQ

 

[Itort]

Does it have a humid hide? That will help. Torts in wild will shelter in areas of higher humidity then the surrounding area, i.e. under logs, rock overhang or burrows.

 

[Jentortmom]

You should add some humidity to the enclosure either by a humid hide or by misting the enclosure. Also pyramiding can be cause by diet, what are you feeding him??

 

[puredevonian]

Hi
I think that my thread is the one that you were on about in the beginning, my hermann tortoise is also 2 years old.
there is a picture of my little man on my thread.

 

[Rosiee]

i feed him alot of things really its diet is very varied, the staple thing is cucumber, watercress, cress, and danilion leafs, and then from time to time i put in a little tomato, carrot, kale, or rocket leafs, or something leafy, then 4 times a week i dust his food with calcuim powder and he always has an aviable cuttle bone.

I am quite worried now ne suggestions on the humity thing are welcome, i didnt no hermens needed it? I was thinkning about using a floor substance that will hold mositure is there one?

 

[-EJ]

I'm of the opinion that temperature is the most important aspect of preventing pyramiding with humidity a close second.

What kind of night time temperatures and daytime temperatures do you have?

Also, what kind of temperature gradient do you have.

When a keeper talks about variety you should be looking at a minimum of 20 different items to have a relatively decent variety. 2 or 3 times that is getting close to worry free. This is why I like using and recommend diets like Mazuri and T-rex tortoise diet. These are fomulated diets which are designed to cover all the nutritional bases.

Ed

i feed him alot of things really its diet is very varied, the staple thing is cucumber, watercress, cress, and danilion leafs, and then from time to time i put in a little tomato, carrot, kale, or rocket leafs, or something leafy, then 4 times a week i dust his food with calcuim powder and he always has an aviable cuttle bone.

I am quite worried now ne suggestions on the humity thing are welcome, i didnt no hermens needed it? I was thinkning about using a floor substance that will hold mositure is there one?

 

[Rosiee]

I feed him alot more then that but i couldn't rember there names to name it all.
As for temp, in the day about 85 - 95c, and at night 55-65c i dont no wat u mean buy a tempurature gradient, but its a little therometer from rep-co that tell me the temp.

 

[Rosiee]

I have only had her about a month and her shell was like that when i bought her and if Pyramiding isnt going to effect qulity of life, and now i am warned about it i can use preventing methods to stop it carrying on, it only makes me love my tortoise more that she is a little different then the rest.

 

[puredevonian]

I have only had her about a month and her shell was like that when i bought her and if Pyramiding isnt going to effect qulity of life, and now i am warned about it i can use preventing methods to stop it carrying on, it only makes me love my tortoise more that she is a little different then the rest.

Go girl and good luck

 

[Itort]

All of us deal with some degree of pyramiding in our tortoises. The only real control we have in preventing it is getting hatchlings, older tortoises from people who have followed guidelines, or older wild caught torts (which can bring their set of problems and frustrations). A pyrimided tort makes a fine pet and we can manage the tort so it gets no worse. Good luck with your little guy.