Missy Questions (her small size? AND first signs of pyramiding)

[linzmiz81]

Hello! After I introduced my Missy baby, I wanted to ask, you experienced tortoise parents, a few specific questions... (I love this baby so much that I actually find myself with a bit of anxiety over the proper care of her...I know that sounds nuts--but I love the little thing!!)
My two main concerns are:
1.) Missy was given to me by my cousin, after I fell head over heals for her. I was told that she was about a year old... As I research and talk to other Sully owners, Missy looks really tiny to be a year old. I am posting a photo of her so you can see her tiny size. Is it possible that she is a year old and that tiny, and if so, should I be concerned?
2.) Missy's shell is showing the beginning signs of pyramiding. I started giving Her a calcium supplement, about a week ago, for this reason... She gets tons of outdoor play time, so her exercise and energy level are awesome. I finally seem to have a healthy diet nailed down and she gets her necessary soaks. Anything more I can do to reverse the beginning signs of pyramiding and when should I notice a positive change ?
Thank you, so much, in advance! You all seem so knowledgeable and I feel better already just knowing I have a great group of tort lovers to turn to.
Lindsay

 

[Lilyloveslettuse]

She looks healthy to me. All Sulcata tortoises have a little pyramiding.

~lll

 

[linzmiz81]

You think so? That makes me so happy to hear... Not too small, huh? Thanks SO much.

 

[alysciaingram]

Not all sulcatas have pyramiding. There are ways to prevent pyramided growth in sulcatas. I have a 7 month old who has been kept in a closed humid chamber for the entire time I've had him, and he is growing smooth as can be.


Here is Tom's link and directions on how to care for your tortoise. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/showthread.php?tid=15137

If you search the enclosure section you can learn how to make your own closed chamber.

Here is a picture of my Koopa.

And of Peach who is a few months younger and receiving exact same husbandry.

 

[Beck]

It is possible she is that small after a year if care hasn't been that great. We see it a lot on here. A small yearling (or older) gets better care and really starts sprouting!

Pyramiding is often seen in pet sulcatas, but not in the wild. This shows as that we are lacking in some husbandry method. Tom has found it. Apparently, sulcatas hatch in the rainy season in Africa. It is hot and humid with green everywhere! To prevent pyramiding you must keep your young one in humid conditions. Please see the link posted above for more details.

Pyramiding cannot be reversed, but with a Hot & Humid method, you will start to see smooth growth come in. Eventually the pyramiding will be less noticeable as your tort gets HUGE!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[Tom]

(I love this baby so much that I actually find myself with a bit of anxiety over the proper care of her...I know that sounds nuts--but I love the little thing!!)

There is nothing about any of your post that sounds "nuts" to people who are active participants in an online tortoise forum. It all sound very rational and reasonable to me.


1. It is possible for her to be a year old. She's on the small side right now, but not terrible. Don't worry about it at all. Just offer the best husbandry, diet and growing conditions possible. Basically you want to simulate the African rainy season. Hot, wet, humid, and marshy. These are NOT desert animals and that is the reason why their shells mal-form when they are kept too dry and dehydrated.

2. First realize there is a big difference between preventing pyramiding and stopping pyramiding that is already in progress. For you, I would use a closed chamber and keep humidity at 80% or higher all the time. I would also offer a humid hide, soak daily and spray the shell with plain water several times a day. With this routine, you must keep the temps up, never lower than 80 day or night. She should also have a basking spot of around 100 for 12 hours a day, and it should be dark, but still warm at night. Ambient temps are easiest to maintain with a ceramic heating element on a thermostat.

Please click the links in my signature and read. There is a whole lot more info in there and all of this is explained in much greater detail.

Here are a couple more too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

Enjoy!

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All Sulcata tortoises have a little pyramiding.

This is not true at all. I can show you a hundred pictures of totally smooth captive sulcatas. And ALL the wild ones are smooth.

I don't wish to hurt your feelings or insult you, but this statement is simply false.


Here on this thread are several smooth sulcatas. The update on page 6 shows them at about a year old. Completely smooth, as are all the sulcatas that I've raised in the past couple of years.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-50806-page-6.html

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Pyramiding is often seen in pet sulcatas, but not in the wild. This shows as that we are lacking in some husbandry method. Tom has found it. Apparently, sulcatas hatch in the rainy season in Africa. It is hot and humid with green everywhere! To prevent pyramiding you must keep your young one in humid conditions. Please see the link posted above for more details.

Thank you Beck, but I cannot take credit for discovering these techniques. This was most definitely a team effort and many people contributed tidbits and chunks along the way. I took many years to find and assemble the many pieces to this puzzle and some are still missing.

I WILL take credit for being the biggest loudmouth, or most pushy person about it though!

 

[Beck]

Re: RE: Missy Questions (her small size? AND first signs of pyramiding)

Thank you Beck, but I cannot take credit for discovering these techniques. This was most definitely a team effort and many people contributed tidbits and chunks along the way. I took many years to find and assemble the many pieces to this puzzle and some are still missing.

I WILL take credit for being the biggest loudmouth, or most pushy person about it though!

I think you've corrected me on this point before. I always confuse loudest for smartest. My bad.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[linzmiz81]

Wow! This is all such wonderful advice. Thank you all, so much, for your quick responses. And, Tom, thank you for reassuring me that I don't sound "nuts"... Finally I have a place to talk to other people with this same niche and itch. Thanks again!!
Lindsay

(Missy, after feeding, with the equivalent of a milk mustache...)

 

[Lilyloveslettuse]

Sorry Tom. I didn't know that. My sulcata doesn't have much if any pyramiding...

 

[EllieN]

My best friend and I got our sullys around the same time, in the spring/summer of last year. Hers may be a month or two older than mine. Hers is still the size of yours, while mine weighs over a pound now. Hers is perfectly healthy, just small. She's been feeding her the same amount from the start, and Panyo always leaves a little food in the dish, so we assume she's eaten all she wants. Mine, on the other hand, is a little piglet and devours as much as I give her. I've been slowly increasing the amount of food she gets, and she continues to eat it all and she's really grown. I noticed that a couple of the people on here who have fast-growing torts chop up their food, and about 9 months ago I started doing that. They can pack a lot more in that way.

So there's no reason to stress about her size. They all grow at different rates.