Is pyramiding successfully stopped
- Thread starter Laurence
- Start date
All the growth is coming in at the same angle. I don't see any change.
What was the weight in Feb and what is it now? In grams.
What steps are you following to change this?
What was the weight in Feb and what is it now? In grams.
What steps are you following to change this?
Laurence
New Member
You mean to say its still pyramiding?
Didnt get the weight on Feb but its grown extensively.
Been tracking humidity more often
Correct. The rate of pyramiding looks to be the same.
What bulbs are you using?
Is it in a closed chamber enclosure?
How much outdoor time does it get daily?
What substrate is is on?
What is the humidity in the enclosure?
Are you soaking daily?
Do you spray the tortoise with water?
Laurence
New Member
Outdoor, im in a tropical country. Its on garden soil and cocopeat. Around 60percent humidity with sprays and soaks.
The pyramids will never go, however the tortoise has new growth, the light parts at the edges on the top scutes. Over time your looking for the new growth to be more smooth. If it's in the open with no heat lamp then it is strange to still pyramid. Please share set up. Maintaining a weekly weight log really helps to check weight gain and loss. Use digital scales with tort in a box or sitting on a ramekin with legs dangling.
Laurence
New Member
Alright thanks will update soon
Living outdoors full time makes the hatchlings and babies pyramid. The climate doesn't matter. This is true in captive settings even in their native range.That's why yours hasn't changed. 60% humidity is way too low. This is NOT a desert species, and even if it was, babies of desert species need high humidity too.
If you want to stop the pyramiding, you need to move the tortoise to a large indoor closed chamber. If you leave it outside, it will continue to pyramid at the current rate.
You said: "Got it on Feb and had pyramiding already, since then, ive been following everything necessary very extensively."
You haven't been doing any of the things necessary to stop pyramiding. This makes me think that you have read or watched the wrong care info, and that you believe pyramiding has something to do with UV, the foods they eat, protein, or calcium supplementation. None of these have anything to do with pyramiding. Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Conditions outdoors are too dry, and your tortoise shows the indisputable evidence of that. Here is the correct care info. Read through this at least twice, and look for the sulcata care sheet near the bottom. Questions and conversation are welcome.
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Laurence
New Member
Is this 4.5 inch still considered a hatchling? Should it be as high humidity as a 2inch?
Not a hatchling, but still a little baby. Think how much growing it has left to do. its 4.5 inches now, but it will eventually reach 32 inches.
Here are two basic principles that apply to this situation:
1. Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. If the tortoise is currently growing, it needs that humidity. There is no size limitation on this. They don't reach some arbitrary size where you can take them from high humidity one day and start keeping them dry the next with no consequence.
2. It is very difficult to stop pyramiding that is already in progress. It is MUCH easier to prevent pyramiding, than it is to try and stop it when its already happening.
As a general rule, I like to give babies no more than an hour of sunshine per inch of tortoise. This applies to SMOOTH tortoises that are already growing nicely. I would do a lot less for a tortoise that was pyramiding. More time outside = more pyramiding. I don't move them outside full time until they are around 10 inches. If you want a sulcata to grow smoothly, it needs to be in an indoor closed chamber with high humidity and stable warm temperatures.
