My redfoot is pyramiding

[Torta6888]

Hi I bought a redfoot a year ago from Petsmart, she is kept in a tort table with a humidifier, cypress mulch and lots of logs and hide areas with the obvious heat and uv bulbs. When I got her she had a little bit of pyramiding but I loved her little personality so I couldn't dream of getting a different one. Its shell has gotten a tiny bit more pyramid like and I was wondering if it is diet related. She loves this tortoise pellet stuff and I read online that those can actually add to pyramiding even when they claim to help ward it off. I love my little booger and want to take care of the shell issue so any helpful tips would be do very appreciated!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Torta6888:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

I think if you were to keep her habitat quite a bit more humid and moist, you can nip that pyramiding in the bud. Instead of depending upon your humidifier, you can also pour water over the substrate every morning.

 

[Kristina]

You can also mist her directly on her shell, 3 times a day or more. I spray all my babies many times daily (up to 10) and all of them are growing smooth.

I personally doubt that your diet has anything to do with it, although for other reasons you really should have a varied diet of dark leafy greens, weeds, fruits, worms/insects, and mushrooms.

I love Kit Kats - but that doesn't mean they are good for me, if you catch my drift

 

[Tom]

Mmmm... Kit Kats and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. ... and Twix too...

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Mine came with some pyramiding too - since it doesn't go away it's hard to tell if it's actually getting worse. Keep an eye on the growth lines - they should be smooth. I doubt your little one is getting worse, but I would also get him off the pellets asap.

 

[Redstrike]

A number of us use heat ropes under the soil/substrate to boost humidity. The ropes are hooked up to a dimmer switch/rheostat. I sandwich my ropes between two layers of soil (8-10cm deep on top and bottom), then top this with ~15-20cm of cypress mulch. Sealing the top, or a portion of the top, will also help you raise the humidity. I usually add 500ml of water to a single spot, allowing the water to spread under the cypress. I've had bad luck with shell rot when I just poured water all over the substrate - constantly wet substrate seems to cause rot, even when keeping things quite cleanly (daily feces removal, weekly substrate turnover, etc.). I dig a small pit in the mulch and pour the water in.

The humidity may help curb your tortoises pyramiding. These are the ropes I use:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes

My humidity remains >70% most of the time. It gets down to ~60% beneath and surrounding the area where my MVB is running.

 

[Torta6888]

Thank you all so much! Real name jessica, and im in the valley in California where it's bone dry unfortunately. She is off pellets now, and I started spraying her and the substrate. I really appreciate all the helpful tips! I love love love my tort and want to be the best mamma

 

[Torta6888]

My real name is jessica and im located in the northern valley of California where it is bone sry. Thank you all so much for these helpful tips! I love my tort so much and want to care for her as best I can. I misted her substrate this morning and that did seem to help, I've alsogot her off the pellets completely. It upsets me that every pet store and reptile house suggested them when they really aren't good for torts. If anyone else has any ideas I am all ears

 

[Madkins007]

Pet shops are good places overall, but there is almost no way to know if the person helping you knows jack about the animals you are looking at.

I would also point out that there are dozens of theories about why pyramiding occurs, and what to do to prevent or stop it. We do not seem to have the perfect answer yet.

A big key is certainly hydration. Whether misting is enough to keep your habitat humid depends on a lot of factors- what the climate in the room is like, the substrate, the tank design, etc. It is plenty for some people, and no where near enough for others. I personally like the substrate heat ropes and keeping the substrate wet in the bottom couple inches and it should work for most people, but not everyone.

Another key is very possibly the amount and 'richness' of food. The shell is several layers of living and dead tissues of different kinds, and they all have to be nourished and grow at the same rate. I don't think we have pinned this one down, but probably no wild tortoise eats as much, or as rich food as we generally serve, as consistently as ours do.

UVB light, exercise space, warmth, good sleep, etc. all probably have some role to play as well as we keep unraveling this particular mystery.