Pyramids

[RonaldBo]

Hi guys! This is my first thread — I’ve never used this app before, but it feels like Twitter for tortoises?? That’s awesome!

So, this is Ronald He’s about three years old, and honestly, I have no clue what kind of tortoise he is. I’ve done so much research, but I still haven’t found any that look quite like him (and I don’t even know his gender yet ).

Yesterday, I was looking at his shell and comparing pictures from three years ago. I started to worry that he might be developing pyramiding. He weighs 3.9 oz now — last year he was 2.5 oz.

Maybe he’s a Texas tortoise? Not sure. I also read that tortoises usually start hibernating around 3 years old, so this might be his first winter.

For context: I had him in Arizona from July 2021 to January 2023, then we moved to Maryland. He’s currently indoors with a heat lamp. His enclosure isn’t ideal (I know!), but I don’t have the funds yet to upgrade.

Any advice or feedback would be really appreciated!

 

[zovick]

Hi guys! This is my first thread — I’ve never used this app before, but it feels like Twitter for tortoises?? That’s awesome!

So, this is Ronald He’s about three years old, and honestly, I have no clue what kind of tortoise he is. I’ve done so much research, but I still haven’t found any that look quite like him (and I don’t even know his gender yet ).

Yesterday, I was looking at his shell and comparing pictures from three years ago. I started to worry that he might be developing pyramiding. He weighs 3.9 oz now — last year he was 2.5 oz.

Maybe he’s a Texas tortoise? Not sure. I also read that tortoises usually start hibernating around 3 years old, so this might be his first winter.

For context: I had him in Arizona from July 2021 to January 2023, then we moved to Maryland. He’s currently indoors with a heat lamp. His enclosure isn’t ideal (I know!), but I don’t have the funds yet to upgrade.

Any advice or feedback would be really appreciated!

You are probably not going to love my posted info, but it is rather important.

If you found that tortoise in AZ, you have a Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agasizzii or Gopherus morafkai) because Texas Tortoises (Gopherus berlandieri) are found only in TX and Mexico. They do not occur in AZ. It is illegal to remove any of the three species from the wild.

It is also illegal to take a Desert Tortoise out of AZ. Not sure what to tell you to do. I do know that those Desert Tortoises will most likely do poorly on the east coast as the humidity and temperatures are not good for them.

Read the info on the AZ Game and Fish Dept. site:

Tortoise Adoption Information - Arizona Game & Fish Department

Adopt a desert tortoise from Arizona Game & Fish Dept. and support conservation. Desert tortoises are nontraditional pets that teach families about Arizona wildlife.

www.azgfd.com

Additionally, the profile photo of your tortoise looks as though it has metabolic bone disease (MBD) which is characterized by the depressed backline. The MBD situation can be corrected with proper diet, calcium supplements, and good UVB lighting but the spinal deformity will not go away once it is there.

Sorry to give you bad news, but you asked for advice and feedback.

Good luck going forward.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

How did you acquire this tortoise?

 

[RonaldBo]

How did you acquire this tortoise?

He was given to me, their tortoise had babies

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

He was given to me, their tortoise had babies

I see, this is definitely a tricky situation, unfortunately I don’t know state laws when it comes to this kind of thing, but I’d definitely have a look at that link zovick added, hopefully you can figure this out. I think the tortoise does unfortunately look to have MBD as mentioned above, his shell is showing some very typical characteristics

 

[zovick]

He was given to me, their tortoise had babies

Not sure about AZ, but in CA it is illegal to breed them in captivity or let them breed. Nothing you can do about that now, though.

There is a lot of info on the link I posted earlier. It would be a good idea to read through it all. Maybe you could call the adoption center listed there and ask for advice on your situation. I am sure they have encountered this type of thing in the past.

 

[_The_Beast_]

Whatever you do, please adjust diet, lighting, and enclosure to prevent the MBD from progressing. This tortoise desperately needs proper UV and a proper diet with sufficient calcium and appropriate temps. If you can share info about the current setup, including UV source, temps (basking and cool side), humidity, and diet (care info is in the links provided), we can then identify issues with and recommend ways to address those while you manage caring for a potentially illegal tortoise.

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hi guys! This is my first thread — I’ve never used this app before, but it feels like Twitter for tortoises?? That’s awesome!

So, this is Ronald He’s about three years old, and honestly, I have no clue what kind of tortoise he is. I’ve done so much research, but I still haven’t found any that look quite like him (and I don’t even know his gender yet ).

Yesterday, I was looking at his shell and comparing pictures from three years ago. I started to worry that he might be developing pyramiding. He weighs 3.9 oz now — last year he was 2.5 oz.

Maybe he’s a Texas tortoise? Not sure. I also read that tortoises usually start hibernating around 3 years old, so this might be his first winter.

For context: I had him in Arizona from July 2021 to January 2023, then we moved to Maryland. He’s currently indoors with a heat lamp. His enclosure isn’t ideal (I know!), but I don’t have the funds yet to upgrade.

Any advice or feedback would be really appreciated!

Dude! Your tortoise is very cool looking! Nice!