Pics of the babies

[Badgemash]

Took some pics of the kids tonight in the bath, not great, but you can see the differences between their shells. Octavia is the bigger, yellower one, Mr.T is the smaller, browner one. He was starting to pyramid, but hopefully the higher humidity regimen will help. I couldn't get the pics to upload, so I've put the link from facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240290&id=794032599&saved#!/album.php?aid=240290&id=794032599

 

[DeanS]

Yeah! Keep 'em hot, humid and hydrated. You shouldn't see the pyramiding grow any further. I had the same problem with Eggroll. She had serious pyramiding at 5 months. It seems to have diminished somewhat (no it's not gone...it just hasn't grown with her).

 

[Sweetness_bug]

adorable...

Yeah! Keep 'em hot, humid and hydrated. You shouldn't see the pyramiding grow any further. I had the same problem with Eggroll. She had serious pyramiding at 5 months. It seems to have diminished somewhat (no it's not gone...it just hasn't grown with her).

 

[Neal]

This babcocki's are pretty difficult when it comes to pyramiding. Yours really look like they are off to a great start.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Neal here. You are off to a great start. You can't help what was done with them before you got them, all you can do is give them the best care possible now. It will minimize any damage that might have been done.

I'm in the same boat as Dean. Daisy, my three year old sulcata was pretty bad when I got her at three months, but after two years of the wet routine she started smoothing out.

Anyone reading this: Be careful where you buy your baby torts! The first few weeks are CRITICAL! You can not undo damage that is done in the first few weeks. Most breeders DO NOT know this stuff yet. Find one that does and you will be much happier with what happens down the road.

 

[Badgemash]

Yeah it's odd, Octavia has been smooth from the start, but Mr.T started developing the pyramids, even though they've been in the same environment the whole time. I don't know if there is a genetic component to it (am suspecting that Octavia is a hybrid since she's much yellower, shallower domed, and oval shaped). They do seem to love the humidity though, and they both have some nice new growth lines coming in.

-Devon

 

[Tom]

I don't think genetics have a lot to do with it. My sulcatas babies are smooth as a babies bottom, but their parents all pyramided despite very low protein and very slow growth. I think it probably has more to do with what was done with them in the weeks between hatching and when you got them.

 

[Badgemash]

I agree with Neal here. You are off to a great start. You can't help what was done with them before you got them, all you can do is give them the best care possible now. It will minimize any damage that might have been done.

I'm in the same boat as Dean. Daisy, my three year old sulcata was pretty bad when I got her at three months, but after two years of the wet routine she started smoothing out.

Anyone reading this: Be careful where you buy your baby torts! The first few weeks are CRITICAL! You can not undo damage that is done in the first few weeks. Most breeders DO NOT know this stuff yet. Find one that does and you will be much happier with what happens down the road.

I know they're not great pictures (camera phone) but I wonder what you think about my hybrid theory from looking at them. Octavia was actually 3 grams lighter than Mr.T when we brought them home, now she's 12 heavier.

 

[DeanS]

Anyone reading this: Be careful where you buy your baby torts! The first few weeks are CRITICAL! You can not undo damage that is done in the first few weeks. Most breeders DO NOT know this stuff yet. Find one that does and you will be much happier with what happens down the road.

Yeah! In other words, buy ALL your torts from breeders with the last name of Fife or Roach...that way you're guaranteed a hatchling with a GREAT start.

 

[Neal]

I know they're not great pictures (camera phone) but I wonder what you think about my hybrid theory from looking at them. Octavia was actually 3 grams lighter than Mr.T when we brought them home, now she's 12 heavier.

I would PM Egyptiandan and ask his opinion about them bring hybrids. Not to offend anyone, but if anyone could tell a hybrid from a photo he would be my first pick.

As far as what I know, unless you know where the parents came from you can never be 100% sure if you have a pure G-pardalis or G-Babcocki or even a hybrid. If you don't mind me asking, did you buy them at a pet shop or from a breeder? And as far as one growing faster than the other, that varies from tortoise to tortoise. I have two indian star hatchlings that are siblings and one is growing a lot faster than the other. Nothing to be concerned about, just like any animal or plant no two grow the same.

 

[Tom]

Again, I agree with Neal here. Across the board.

 

[Badgemash]

We got them at a reptile specialist pet shop, the owner knew they were coming a few weeks beforehand (I assume from the breeder), so we built their house and brought them home the same day they arrived at the store. They weren't advertised as a specific subspecies, just generically as leopard tortoises, and priced appropriately for babcocki babies. I don't have any more info than that about their background, I just found it odd how different they are from each other in shape and color etc. I actually picked Octavia because she looked so different from all the other babies.

 

[Neal]

Did you get them at Arizona Reptile Center? One of the mangers there is a tortoise guy, if you call him up I bet he would be able to tell you information about their genetics.

 

[Badgemash]

I did get them there in fact, I'll have to go back in and see if I can get more details.