Reverse Pyramiding

[Yvonne G]

This baby will be a year old in December. Tyler Stewart says reverse pyramiding is common in YF tortoises and it comes and goes with humidity. The baby is in a Vision cage with damp substrate and high humidity. But I must confess, I never
soak him. He has a water dish he climbs into at will. The enclosure used to be planted very dense, but as plants died they were removed and not replaced.



Any suggestions or comments?

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I don't have any suggestions per se, but what causes that?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Ooo this is actually very interesting to look at! Didn’t realise it could cause indents like this, there was another member recently who’s red foot had a similar shell and they were wondering if it was a deformity, but it must’ve been reverse pyramiding, didn’t even know that was a thing! Thanks for sharing Yvonne!

 

[wellington]

I have no idea why some have that, but I must say, even though we don't have a lot of YF on here, it seems the ones I have seen usually had a few scutes with reverse pyramiding. Seen a few RF too.
Maybe @Markw84 has an answer.

 

[TammyJ]

Could it be caused from fluctuating humidity? Too much and then drier?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Could it be caused from fluctuating humidity? Too much and then drier?

I’m presuming that’s what causes it, I’d love to try and learn more about it!

 

[COmtnLady]

Wow Yvonne! Show us a pic of its face and legs. I haven't ever seen a a real Yellow Foot. Where'd you get this one?

 

[cooky_luvs]

All all of my babies from a particular pairing I have developed like that so there may be a genetic factor. The good news is it eventually evens out if they are kept correctly. I think in a way it possibly makes actual pyramiding less likely, since the middle of scute is depressed it’s less likely to form pyramiding, which would be the middle of the scute being raised? Or maybe I’m just thinking about it optimistically. I’ve also heard it referred to as ridging. (The outer ridges of the scute being raised vs the middle)

Here’s one of my babies that had that as a youngster versus now (completely smoothed out) and then another sibling that is also very similar at this stage. I’ve seen this with several from the same parents, but not really with other pairings at least not to the same extent.

I do notice it’s much more pronounced if conditions are not humid, but it’s still present no matter how high I have the humidity, until they grow out of it.

Edited to add that I do soak daily so I don’t believe that would be a factor since I’ve experienced the same thing.

Edited to also add is that an actual yellow foot or a red foot because yeah it’s definitely more normal with yellow foot. I just assumed it was a red foot showing the same condition but then when I read it back, I am not as confident.

 

[Yvonne G]

Wow Yvonne! Show us a pic of its face and legs. I haven't ever seen a a real Yellow Foot. Where'd you get this one?

I have the factory.

 

[jaizei]

I have the factory.

Does 'the factory' have a name?

If not, I petition that she's now 'the factory'

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, there's The Female From L.A., The Male From Robert Carpenter, The Female I Hatched From An Egg and The Female From Robert Carpenter. That's 2.2, the factory. Right now there are 19 eggs cooking.

This baby isn't going to join the factory, as she's going south to live in the desert.

 

[COmtnLady]

Pictures, pretty please?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I can't say how common that is in Yellowfoot. Just that I've never seen it firsthand in any Redfoot.

 

[zovick]

This baby will be a year old in December. Tyler Stewart says reverse pyramiding is common in YF tortoises and it comes and goes with humidity. The baby is in a Vision cage with damp substrate and high humidity. But I must confess, I never
soak him. He has a water dish he climbs into at will. The enclosure used to be planted very dense, but as plants died they were removed and not replaced.

View attachment 382231View attachment 382232

Any suggestions or comments?

I have seen this occur in a few Radiated Tortoises over the years. Normally it goes away gradually as the tortoises grow older and they end up looking perfectly normal as adults.

And then we have the Impressed Tortoises (Manouria impressa) whose shells grow like this normally!

 

[wellington]

I have seen this occur in a few Radiated Tortoises over the years. Normally it goes away gradually as the tortoises grow older and they end up looking perfectly normal as adults.

And then we have the Impressed Tortoises (Manouria impressa) whose shells grow like this normally!

Thank you. I was trying to think of the tortoise that whenever I have seen it, it has the reverse pyramiding. Because I have always seen it on them, I never really questioned it
That is the way their shell naturally is for life right?

 

[zovick]

Thank you. I was trying to think of the tortoise that whenever I have seen it, it has the reverse pyramiding. Because I have always seen it on them, I never really questioned it
That is the way their shell naturally is for life right?

Yes, that is correct. The adults all have the indented scutes to some degree or another.

 

[zovick]

Here are some pix of my Manouria impressa group to give you an idea of how they look. Five different animals are pictured. All five of them were CB from imported adults in the early 2000's.

 

[Anyfoot]

I was under the impression this is normal in yellowfoots ????


Homeana hingebacks start out like this and grow on smooth as can be.