Is our new Margie slightly pyramided? or is this normal?

ataturt

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Hi guys! My girlfriend and I got this little guy a month ago. It is about a year and a half old and from a reputable dealer who is known here.

It's our first time owning a tortoise and so we did a lot of research of course and read a lot about pyramiding.

As soon as we got him/her I noticed that it looks like the scutes might be slightly sticking out. However, I was curious is this a sign of pyramiding already? or is this normal since it's still young and growing.

I am being sure to keep some humidity for it since its still young, as well as soaking for hydration and uvb.

It's only at about 2.5 inches considering its age. (it is from the dwarf subspecies though)

btw don't worry that's not its enclosure in the background, that's just its little tanning spot for some fresh uvb.

Please let me know if more pictures or angels are needed!!

img2 (1).jpgimg1 (2).jpg
 

Yossarian

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Yes it is pyramidding, quite a bit for a small tort tbh. It is an indication things are too dry.

FYI, their is no dwarf subspecies, it looks like testudo graeca nebulensis to me. It is a small subspecies but if it is small for its age then might be worth having a look at your husbandry, enclosure, food, lighting, etc. . .

Here is the care sheet, pls have a good read, it is accurate and up to date. Pay particular attention to the needs for humidity for youngsters.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise | Tortoise Forum
 
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Tom

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Yes it is pyramidding, quite a bit for a small tort tbh. It is an indication things are too dry.

FYI, their is no dwarf subspecies, it looks like testudo graeca nebulensis to me. It is a small subspecies but if it is small for its age then might be worth having a look at your husbandry, enclosure, food, lighting, etc. . .

Here is the care sheet, pls have a good read, it is accurate and up to date. Pay particular attention to the needs for humidity for youngsters.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise | Tortoise Forum
Agreed. All of it. Except I don't know if its a greek or a Margie. They look so similar as babies and I've not raised any of either. I'll take your word for it.
 

Yossarian

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Agreed. All of it. Except I don't know if its a greek or a Margie. They look so similar as babies and I've not raised any of either. I'll take your word for it.

Funny enough, I was looking a pic of a margie shortly after and was second guessing myself but 15 minutes had passed haha.
 

TeamZissou

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Yes it is pyramidding, quite a bit for a small tort tbh. It is an indication things are too dry.

FYI, their is no dwarf subspecies, it looks like testudo graeca nebulensis to me. It is a small subspecies but if it is small for its age then might be worth having a look at your husbandry, enclosure, food, lighting, etc. . .

Here is the care sheet, pls have a good read, it is accurate and up to date. Pay particular attention to the needs for humidity for youngsters.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise | Tortoise Forum

There aren't many nabuelensis in the US at this point. As far as I know Chris Leone is the only one to have imported any adults, so most of the babies out there are from him and people have waited years for them and know exactly what they have. It's interesting that they're starting to show up more in the UK, based on the few ID posts that have shown up in the past couple weeks. All the Greek subspecies are tough to tell though!
 

Yossarian

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There aren't many nabuelensis in the US at this point. As far as I know Chris Leone is the only one to have imported any adults, so most of the babies out there are from him and people have waited years for them and know exactly what they have. It's interesting that they're starting to show up more in the UK, based on the few ID posts that have shown up in the past couple weeks. All the Greek subspecies are tough to tell though!

I wasnt aware of that, but I also have noticed a sudden influx of post about them.
 

ataturt

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Thank you so much for the info guys, we got this from Michael at ShelledFriends who actually did get it from a Ron Temper who got his from Chris, although he mentioned this was from Chris' Testudo marginata weissingeri, a "dwarf" (for lack of a better term) strain of Marginated tortoise. The same ones that Chris wrote about on here and on his website.

We really hope its a marginated since that is what we desperately wanted haha. Here's a picture of the back

We will keep making sure humidity is high, I've been keeping the substrate wet but we will get a humidifier as well to be sure
 

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Yossarian

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Thank you so much for the info guys, we got this from Michael at ShelledFriends who actually did get it from a Ron Temper who got his from Chris, although he mentioned this was from Chris' Testudo marginata weissingeri, a "dwarf" (for lack of a better term) strain of Marginated tortoise. The same ones that Chris wrote about on here and on his website.

We really hope its a marginated since that is what we desperately wanted haha. Here's a picture of the back

We will keep making sure humidity is high, I've been keeping the substrate wet but we will get a humidifier as well to be sure

yeah definately a marginated then, sorry for misidentifying.

If your using an open top table you wont be able to keep humidity up enough, the air in the room can absorb way more water vapour than that little table can make.
 

TeamZissou

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Cool. I guess you mean this thread:


I had not heard of this subspecies. Interesting about the "dwarf" designation when they can reach 9" in length. Sounds like your tortoise still has a lot of growing to do. Keep the humidity up to limit further pyramiding.

It's also funny that few if any of the "Greek" tortoises occur in Greece. Marginated actually do in occur in Greece, yet they're not "Greeks". I think I read in Turtles of the World that the term graeca in the scientific name came from the carapace looking like a Greek mosaic.
 

Impulse2

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Margies have triangular spots on the plastron and one stripe mark on the tail. Getting older they develop a skirt. Old females have flexing plastron. Greek tortoises have spurs. Hermanns have spur tails and yellow cheeks (western subspecies).
 
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