Does anyone have captive raised Egyptians that aren't pyramiding?

[Tccarolina]

Egyptian tortoises interest me, but I don't like the look of pyramiding in any tortoise. Most of the ones that are for sale are sold as "well started" or something like that, and pyramiding is already well started as well according to the pictures.

Is it because they are so rare and expensive that nobody wants to run the risk of experimenting with these tortoises to see how to eliminate pyramiding?

Steve

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I have some that are 2-3 years old that have no pyramiding. They are growing very nicely.

 

[Tccarolina]

What do you do to prevent it, do you keep them in a more humid environment?

Steve

 

[GBtortoises]

I have some, but unfortunately, they arrived here with pyramiding already beginning. I keep them in a dry environment with dry hides but within that have a somewhat large humid are for them that is self contained. Basically it's a translucent plastic container with the lid on it with one door hole cut into the side. It contains about 1.5" of moistened substrate (60% organic soil, 30% coir, 10% ground leaves & sphagnum). It also contains two clay flower pot halves for hides. I spray this well once a day. Two of the tortoises spend most of their time within the humid area while the other two prefer the dry hides. Because I have had this set up with these tortoises in it for less than six months I have not seen much difference in their growth yet. So it remains to be seen if the two that prefer the humid area will grow different than the two that don't.

Although I have not set them up this way yet, I believe that young developing Egyptians would probably also benefit from a more humid environment. The problem may be when trying to do so in captivity is that there is a long standing believe that the species is very sensitive to higher ambient humidity levels. This was definitely the case 20 years ago when I have several wild caught adult Egyptians here. It may not be the case as much with captive borns that are exposed to a slightly different environment from birth. I don't feel that I have enough of them to want to be able to "experiment" with at the moment. Another issue that I am finding in talking with other Egyptian keepers is that they are keeping them way too hot day and night. Mine become very inactive when temperatures begin to rise above the low 80's. This is also the case when the temperatures are too warm at night.

 

[CyberianHusky]

Egyptians are tough to minimize pyramiding unless your in a climate warm enough to utilize real sun and the outdoors some. If keeping indoors on a tort table to minimize pyramiding keep humidity down to around 30% except for morning feeding when wet greens will bring it up for a little bit but will go back to 20-30% levels once the food is consumed or dried out. Your egyptians will eat better if the humidity is low and seem to use the moisture in the air to guide them to wet food in the morning. Also UVB is a must along with an isolated basking spot the over head lighting for the table is a sunsystems 8 bulb 4 foot T5 compact fl systems out of the 8 bulbs 6 are full spectrum and 2 are UVB. Usually 4 bulbs (3 full spectrum and 1 UVB is on unless humidity goes up then I turn on the other four to get the levels back down. In short lots of UVB for proper food processing and keep it dry and you should be able to minimize pyramiding.

 

[Tccarolina]

Egyptians are tough to minimize pyramiding unless your in a climate warm enough to utilize real sun and the outdoors some. If keeping indoors on a tort table to minimize pyramiding keep humidity down to around 30% except for morning feeding when wet greens will bring it up for a little bit but will go back to 20-30% levels once the food is consumed or dried out. Your egyptians will eat better if the humidity is low and seem to use the moisture in the air to guide them to wet food in the morning. Also UVB is a must along with an isolated basking spot the over head lighting for the table is a sunsystems 8 bulb 4 foot T5 compact fl systems out of the 8 bulbs 6 are full spectrum and 2 are UVB. Usually 4 bulbs (3 full spectrum and 1 UVB is on unless humidity goes up then I turn on the other four to get the levels back down. In short lots of UVB for proper food processing and keep it dry and you should be able to minimize pyramiding.

It sounds like you're saying that low humidity minimizes pyramiding, is that correct? Because that is the polar opposite from the latest thinking on pyramiding. Do you have smooth egyptian tortoises you've produced on your regime?

Steve

Steve

 

[Tim/Robin]

This is the best we have been able to do. Both of these were acquired as hatchlings 4 years ago this summer. We do not provide them a "humid hide". They have been raised on aspen with a water dish in their enclosure and soaked daily for the first year or so and now they get soaked once a week. Their enclosure is the hottest we have. Daytime temps range from high 80's to 125-130F in a small area directly under their basking bulb. YES, they bask at those temps!!

Female:

Male:

 

[ascott]

Steve, it is not that everyone is yet convinced that wet = smooth....I do believe that some moisture (some) is a necessary thing....some species can utilize alot of of wet and others can handle very little....I find that it is a scary thought of first time tortoise keepers drenching enclosure substrates and not constantly paying attention to what temps can do in relation when water and soil are mixed in an enclosed environment...(again, some species do better than others)...and sometimes when someone fairly new hears to pour water into the substrate and place a top on it to keep the humidity in I hope that they have also read when doing this you must perform a delicate dance of keeping things "just right"....I personally wonder what we will find out in 20-30 years as long term health affect on tortoise that were kept really wet....?

I believe that in some of the desert species or species from arid above ground environments...we need yo keep in mind that while hatchlings may spend most of the day under hiding that they do come to the surface where they have the ability to dry out and then can return to hiding....a micro climate must be set up vs an all wet environment....again, simply my gut feelings....

I do hope that you can come to your answer by gathering a variety of information and opinion posts....

 

[kimber_lee_314]

What do you do to prevent it, do you keep them in a more humid environment?

Steve

Mine spend a lot of time outside. When they are inside I keep them rather dry. They do have a moist side (where I wet the underneath layers of coco coir, but not the top layer) and a dry side. They spend most of their time on the dry side. Here are a couple of pics of mine:

 

[jdherps]

Kimber who did you purchase your torts from? I have 3 different bloodlines from different breeders and I'm noticing different pyramiding in the different groups but they are all only about a year old

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Kimber who did you purchase your torts from? I have 3 different bloodlines from different breeders and I'm noticing different pyramiding in the different groups but they are all only about a year old

One of them was from Danny. I'm not sure who the other one came from (the one pictured.) My husband bought him from someone in Texas.

 

[CyberianHusky]

Egyptians are tough to minimize pyramiding unless your in a climate warm enough to utilize real sun and the outdoors some. If keeping indoors on a tort table to minimize pyramiding keep humidity down to around 30% except for morning feeding when wet greens will bring it up for a little bit but will go back to 20-30% levels once the food is consumed or dried out. Your egyptians will eat better if the humidity is low and seem to use the moisture in the air to guide them to wet food in the morning. Also UVB is a must along with an isolated basking spot the over head lighting for the table is a sunsystems 8 bulb 4 foot T5 compact fl systems out of the 8 bulbs 6 are full spectrum and 2 are UVB. Usually 4 bulbs (3 full spectrum and 1 UVB is on unless humidity goes up then I turn on the other four to get the levels back down. In short lots of UVB for proper food processing and keep it dry and you should be able to minimize pyramiding.

It sounds like you're saying that low humidity minimizes pyramiding, is that correct? Because that is the polar opposite from the latest thinking on pyramiding. Do you have smooth egyptian tortoises you've produced on your regime?

Steve

Steve

Hello Steve;
Not just low humidity but also a good amount of UVB. They have to properly process what they consume. They also need to have a little activity in their routine. They are from arid environments and knowing that they will ignore a water dish if you put one in there all point to keep it dry. When my humidity goes up they go out of their routine and not eat as much and get sluggish. You'll never completely eliminate pyramiding but it can be minimized. Mine are not completely smooth but there pyramiding is very minimal. I will post pics of this.
Gerry

 

[egyptian and proud "mayar"]

it is illegal here to trade in Egyptian torts because the are about to extinct , but i really love them
wish you all take a good care of it