Leopard tortoise shells...

[mrsbilliec]

Why do some leopard tortoises have knobby shells and some have smooth?

 

[dmmj]

Everybody all together now "Pyramiding"
The knobby shell ones have pyramiding, the smooth ones do not.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, mrsbilliec!

We have much, much written about pyramiding on the forum. Happy Reading!!!

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to TFO! There is much research going on about how to raise smooth leopards and sulcatas. Many of the adults are bumpy "pyramided" because they were raised improperly, and now as adults there is nothing to do about it but make sure they get better care.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome just so there is no confusion. They are not suppose to be bumpy/pyramided. The threads at the bottom of my post is one of the ways to raise a leopard and sulcata smooth. Most tortoises are not suppose to be bumpy/pyramided. There are a couple or so very rare ones that supposedly are naturally pyramided, but again, most are not suppose to be.

 

[Tortus]

That tortoise logo in the tortoise supply ad at the top of the page is very pyramided. Or is it a species that's supposed to look like that?

I remember seeing my first leopard on a tortoise table at the pet store when I was a kid. It was very pyramided and I figured that's how they're supposed to look. I told mom I wanted it and she asked if I had $500...