Amazing! How are you raising her? Most people can't raise a smooth tortoise, and especially not that fast! Do you keep her in high humidity, special diet, humid hides, etc?
Novalee, my beautiful sun colored Greek
- Thread starter Meg90
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Alright, here comes the secret to my success 
This is how I housed my little Greeks--Anouk after I noticed she started to get bumpy (yeah I was a noob once upon a time too) and Novalee from day one, since I learned my lesson.
Anouk's enclosure, pre-plexi lid era
Baby Novalee's enclosure (yes that's her, on a 4" square tile, look how TEENY!)
I added 1/3 sized section of moist ecoearth to the enclosure, which previously, had been straight aspen. And after that was drying out too quickly, I added a piece of plexi-glass over the whole eco section. I would wet down that section with hot water once a week atleast, more during the winters.
All of my little torts soaked on their own. So I didn't "force" soak them in a seperate container ever. I didn't spay their shells, or anything like that.
Diet was spring mix, dusted with Ca, occasional romaine and other greens, no veggies except squash and the occasional bell pepper slice. Oh, and Mazuri, a few times a month.
This is how I housed my little Greeks--Anouk after I noticed she started to get bumpy (yeah I was a noob once upon a time too
) and Novalee from day one, since I learned my lesson.Anouk's enclosure, pre-plexi lid era
Baby Novalee's enclosure (yes that's her, on a 4" square tile, look how TEENY!)
I added 1/3 sized section of moist ecoearth to the enclosure, which previously, had been straight aspen. And after that was drying out too quickly, I added a piece of plexi-glass over the whole eco section. I would wet down that section with hot water once a week atleast, more during the winters.
All of my little torts soaked on their own. So I didn't "force" soak them in a seperate container ever. I didn't spay their shells, or anything like that.
Diet was spring mix, dusted with Ca, occasional romaine and other greens, no veggies except squash and the occasional bell pepper slice. Oh, and Mazuri, a few times a month.
Inventive! After feeding, does she spend a lot of time in the humid section? And is that portion heated underneath?
Very nice enclosure! Do you feed at a particular time of day?
Your setup and results definitely support the theory that pyramiding is at least in part connected to the drying out of the edges of growing scutes. In the wild, much growth occurs during the lush spring period, when temperatures are cooler, and humidity is much higher.
Very nice enclosure! Do you feed at a particular time of day?
Your setup and results definitely support the theory that pyramiding is at least in part connected to the drying out of the edges of growing scutes. In the wild, much growth occurs during the lush spring period, when temperatures are cooler, and humidity is much higher.
When she was little, I never let my apartment fall below 73F--it was usually 76 or so during the day (oh those were the days! I was naive about heating bills back then lol) I didn't heat the eco earth section, the only time it was ever warmed was when I used hot water on the dirt. She never spent a giant amount of time over there either, but her water dish was there, and she would go over to soak and drink, and when she was big enough to do laps she would cross into that side daily. She still slept beneath her basking light, and usually buried down in the aspen. Hot side was 85-100F I would think. Right underneath the light being the hottest.
Humidity in that area was always upper 80s- 99%. I had a digital thermometer/hygrometer resting tort level so I could monitor that.
I usually fed in the mornings when they were little---under 3-4" in SCL length and I would even feed twice a day, like once more in the afternoon. She ate alot as a teeny thing because I don't believe in saying no to growing infants The girls would sit on their tiles when they were hungry, so that was my cue. Now since they are older, I usually do every other day---also because in winter they naturally have less to forage on. In the summer I'll go back to once a day.
Anouk has a minimal amount of pyramiding. I kept her on Aspen for about 8 weeks after I got her, no humid "side" as I like to call it. She got bumpy, I noticed, and her growth from then on, was smooth. I'll take new pics the next time I'm at home during the day, when the sun is out.
Humidity in that area was always upper 80s- 99%. I had a digital thermometer/hygrometer resting tort level so I could monitor that.
I usually fed in the mornings when they were little---under 3-4" in SCL length and I would even feed twice a day, like once more in the afternoon. She ate alot as a teeny thing because I don't believe in saying no to growing infants
The girls would sit on their tiles when they were hungry, so that was my cue. Now since they are older, I usually do every other day---also because in winter they naturally have less to forage on. In the summer I'll go back to once a day.Anouk has a minimal amount of pyramiding. I kept her on Aspen for about 8 weeks after I got her, no humid "side" as I like to call it. She got bumpy, I noticed, and her growth from then on, was smooth. I'll take new pics the next time I'm at home during the day, when the sun is out.
Meg90 said:
My little Zahara is the same way. As soon as I upped the humidity in her enclosure, she smoothed out, and her new growth is coming in great. By the time she is full grown the bumps will be hardly noticeable.
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