Worried about my Redfoot's Carapace

[Redfoot Sam]

This is Nessie, my 10 year old redfoot. I am worried about his shell. I know there is some pyramiding, but it has these grooves in it as well, and some of them are white-ish. Is there anything I can do? What is the problem here? Also, how bad would you consider the pyramiding on a scale of 1-10?

I have had him since I was 8, and he was a hatchling. I knew nothing about keeping a tortoise and he was honestly neglected until recently when I realized I was keeping him in poor living conditions. I built him a big tortoise table (6'X4') and have been researching none stop for weeks on how to provide him a better life. Please help me out.

 

[Millerlite]

He won't be effected by his shell. It's slight pyramiding . can't do much now. Beside start doing things right from what you learned. Over all he looks healthy. How old are uou now ?

Kyle

 

[BILBO-03]

There's nothing you can do to stop it sorry but you can make the right environment for him with humidity and live plants. The white lines may be new growth or his shell is just dry.

 

[Gillian M]

Hello @Redfoot Sam and welcome to the forum!

Please give your tort daily soaks in warm water so as to stop the pyramiding where it is, and make sure there's enough HUMIDITY and WARMTH.

Any pics of your tort's enclosure?

Read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the care sheet, and ask ANY question when in doubt.

 

[Yvonne G]

By 'grooves' do you mean all the lines around each scute? That occurs as the tortoise grows. Each time he has a growth spurt a new line/groove is added.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

He actually looks pretty good.
Could that be minerals left behind by water misting? Being dry makes the growth rings more visible.
On a scale of 1 to 10 since you asked, with 10 being the very worst.
I'd say the pyramiding on him is maybe a 5/6.
Check mine out.
A few of them are similar.
No big deal

 

[Redfoot Sam]

He won't be effected by his shell. It's slight pyramiding . can't do much now. Beside start doing things right from what you learned. Over all he looks healthy. How old are uou now ?

Kyle

Im 19 now.

 

[Redfoot Sam]

He actually looks pretty good.
Could that be minerals left behind by water misting? Being dry makes the growth rings more visible.
On a scale of 1 to 10 since you asked, with 10 being the very worst.
I'd say the pyramiding on him is maybe a 5/6.
Check mine out.
A few of them are similar.
No big deal

Wow. In the summer I hope to do some research on an outdoor habitat, but there's no way it could happen right now with the KC winters!

 

[dmmj]

he looks pretty good on a scale of 1 to 10 I would say 3 or 4 I have seen much much much worse

 

[Pearly]

Nessie's shell may not be perfect by some standards but it sure is beautiful by mine! And Kudos to you for sticking up for 10 yrs! I keep RF as well and believe that good food, fresh water, safe and optimal (warm, humid, not boring) opportunity to spend time outdoors and interaction with their Food God is the most important stuff for them. Keep them from getting sick and if by chance they do, be prepared to fork out some big $$$ on medical expenses. If you live in warm climate, build nice size enclosed tortoise garden for Nessie plant "food-plants" that she can graze on, hide under, explore.., build a cave where she can hide. If you live in frigid climate, plant your tort table with bunch of plants, and there too, make some hides, cave, hills, valleys, uneven terrain of varied texture, from low growing plants like grasses or ground covers to taller bushy ones and tallest that providing different textures on the ground, some flat rock, cork, maybe pieces of driftwood, moss, and areas of soft substrate where they can dig a little nest if they want. Have enough heat lamps to keep the whole table warm. I think with the big table I'd go with fluorescent UVB tube lights rather than those powersun bulbs. My RFs are not much of baskers. In winter i use extra red bulb for extra heat during a day and they often like to sit under that one rather then under the incandescent light (i use the tube for uvb). Check out the enclosure section here and see if you like any of the ideas there. There are lots of pictures of indoors and outdoor pens. I have learned everything i know from this forum, Pintrest, garden centers and home improvement stores. Again, give yourself credit for raising Nessie for the 10 yrs to look this way. Those "shell hills" look very mild and I think maybe a product of open top enclosure where humidity can not be consistently over 80%. I happen to like that "gently/mildly/hilly look". I admire your commitment to your pet. Keep it up