Young YellowFoot Pyramiding.

[Stephen Sandnes]

Hi,

Stephen here (new member here), and new tortoise caregiver /owner.

We just bought a young (6 oz) yellow Foot from a local pet store here in St Maarten for our 7 yo daughter. She loves him and oddly enough my wife and I are finding ourselves smitten with the little fellow as well.

We were given instructions by the store owner on caring for the little guy. After getting him home I went on line to find almost all the instructions he gave us were wrong. He did say he needs air to breath and it seems he was right about that one thing haha. He also neglected to inform us about how big they get...wow.

Anyway, we have had our little guy for about 2 weeks now and have moved him from a small enclosure he sold us, to a very large one with rocks and a water pan for soaking etc... We also found that we were given terrible instruction on feeding (just lettuce a some carrots now and then) and have started giving lots of high calcium and vitamin D veggies (kale/arugula etc... along with a small bit of protein weekly (one or two cat kibbles each week as recommended by a site we found just for caring for red and yellow footers). After more reading we find that the young guy is showing signs of malnutrition, namely pyramiding. Man you can learn a lot from the web in two weeks.

I am sure we have arrested the condition but my main question here is CAN THE CONDITION BE REVERSED.

 

[TMartin510]

I think it can get better with the right care, but depending on how bad it is, I don't think it can be fully reversed. I got my redfoot 3 weeks ago and he's 4 and pryamyded but he's the sweetest and friendliest tort ever. Props to you for getting that lil one out of that store.
I feel pet stores like that are ones in it only for the money not caring how the torts are housed or doing research. However he could just not know much and someone who owned the tort before and sold the tort to him. I guess it depends on how old the tort is. Pictures!!

 

[mike taylor]

You can stop but not fix pyramids . It's humidity that causes it coupled with a bad diet . As little ones a closed chamber is the way to go . 90 to 85 ° with high humidity will stop it . Plus a good diet . I don't feed dog or cat food mazrui is better . Chicken boiled or baked fish . You can feed worms also for protein . I keep red footed tortoises care is almost the same for the two . Yellows love water so them running into a fish or two isn't uncommon in the wild . They just put to much crap in dog and cat food that your Tortoise really doesn't need .

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Stephen, and welcome to the Forum!

I think the YF tortoise is one of the worst ones to pyramid. It is very important that they be raised in warm, humid conditions. Can you please post a picture of the tortoise so I can see his size? The info I give you depends upon how big he is.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

As was mentioned by a member, your posting pics of your tort as well as its enclosure would enable the experienced to help you more. Meanwhile you could read the "beginners' thread" as well as different care sheets.