Is this the start of pyramiding?

[VegasJeff]

I’m still learning and don’t feel my setup is optimal yet. I took a picture of him while he was getting a soak. Tell me what you think. I'll post the link to an older picture below this one.





Older Picture linked here

 

[Tom]

We can't tell while looking straight down on the tortoise. We need a profile pic.

 

[VegasJeff]

We can't tell while looking straight down on the tortoise. We need a profile pic.

What do you mean by a profile pic? From a different angle?

 

[Blakem]

What do you mean by a profile pic? From a different angle?

Yes, probably from a front face view. I do see some slight pyramiding. Your tortoise is young enough that it can be reversed. Tell us how you’re raising it? Temperatures, hydration, diet, humidity?

 

[Tom]

What do you mean by a profile pic? From a different angle?

Yes. From the side. We can't see if there are ridges or not when looking down at the tortoise.

 

[bouaboua]

What do you mean by a profile pic? From a different angle?

And if you can provide the temperature and humidity of his enclosure may also help.

 

[VegasJeff]

Here’s a picture from the front.

 

[VegasJeff]

And if you can provide the temperature and humidity of his enclosure may also help.

His home is in an open air enclosure sitting in the warmest room in my house. Temperature runs from 75 at night to low 80’s in the day. I’m in the desert here, humidity measures 20% - 30% according to my monitor.

I’ve been reading about high humidity closed enclosures and heard it prevents the pyramiding. I’m trying to figure something out.

 

[VegasJeff]

Reposting the picture since the forum wouldn't let me post an iPhone Portrait photo as Portrait. Edited it with Paint.

 

[Tom]

Front is better than the top, but we still need a picture from the side. In profile.

If there is pyramiding at all, it is very minor. You don't need a humid closed chamber for this species. Damp substrate, either coco coir or fine grade orchid bark, and a humid hide, along with daily soaks while it is a little baby should be all you need, as long as you aren't drying the carapace out with the wrong heat lamps.

Here is a care sheet for Russians, but I raise DTs exactly the same, but with a little grass in the diet for a DT.

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

tortoiseforum.org

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet

Russian tortoises have great personalities, are very hardy, tolerate a wide variety of enclosure parameters, stay small, and are generally a good "starter" tortoise in my opinion. Here is how I like to set them up: Indoor Enclosure type and size: Most people want to know the minimum size...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[VegasJeff]

Here is a picture from the side.

 

[William Lee Kohler]

You don't need a humid closed chamber for this species

WHAT species? Didn't see it mentioned at all?

 

[Maggie3fan]

WHAT species? Didn't see it mentioned at all?

I thought it was Sulcata, not a desert tort...Tom? Does need a humid hide and better heat and light...?

 

[Tom]

WHAT species? Didn't see it mentioned at all?

Its a desert tortoise. Gopherus agassizii. Or possibly G. morafkai. I can't keep them straight since they split it into two different species. Either way, care and feeding is the same.

 

[Yvonne G]

The only Gopherus species that is prone to pyramiding is the Texas tortoise. Your tortoise probably won't pyramid. Even kept under extremely dry conditions, they don't pyramid. It takes some pretty bad care to make a tortoise like yours pyramid.

 

[Tom]

I thought it was Sulcata, not a desert tort...Tom? Does need a humid hide and better heat and light...?

Note the nuccal scute and the leg scales. They do look similar as babies.

 

[VegasJeff]

Its a desert tortoise. Gopherus agassizii. Or possibly G. morafkai. I can't keep them straight since they split it into two different species. Either way, care and feeding is the same.

It’s a desert tortoise. The way you tell the difference between it and the sulcata is this one has an extra scute above their head. Look at the picture of mine and then look at a picture of a sulcata.

Before I learned how to identify them, I was afraid I might have a Sulcata that would grow to a giant size in my tiny house.

There are 2 species of Desert Tortoise. Gopherus agassizii, is on this side of the Colorado river in California and Nevada. The other species is on the other side of the Colorado River in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.