I got Daisy at three months old in January of 2008. She was kept on grass hay pellets and had a flourescent UV bulb over her for 12 hours a day. Her siblings were all similarly pyramided. This is what she looked like then:
This is what she looks like now at three years old. For the first few months I gradually and carefully made her room and enclosure more and more humid and wet. By about October of 2008 her enclosure could be described as "swampy". Seriously, I think a RES would do quite well in there. It is still swampy to this day. At first, I didn't think the pyramiding was even slowing down, but now, in the last six months or so, I clearly has flattened out. Here is what she looks like now:
She grew very slowly right up until the last few months where she's now having a growth spurt. I started feeding her occasional Mazuri, but that's the only thing that has changed. I'm reluctant to claim that the new growth spurt is the result of Mazuri, but it sure seems that way.
I'm not really trying to make a point with this post, just showing everyone where Daisy started and what "swampy" has done for her in my situation. Last pic is her next to my 4 month old for a size comparison. For the sulcata newbies, my four month olds have been raised "right" from hatching and are very big for their age, while Daisy was raised all "wrong" and is very small for her age.
This is what she looks like now at three years old. For the first few months I gradually and carefully made her room and enclosure more and more humid and wet. By about October of 2008 her enclosure could be described as "swampy". Seriously, I think a RES would do quite well in there. It is still swampy to this day. At first, I didn't think the pyramiding was even slowing down, but now, in the last six months or so, I clearly has flattened out. Here is what she looks like now:
She grew very slowly right up until the last few months where she's now having a growth spurt. I started feeding her occasional Mazuri, but that's the only thing that has changed. I'm reluctant to claim that the new growth spurt is the result of Mazuri, but it sure seems that way.
I'm not really trying to make a point with this post, just showing everyone where Daisy started and what "swampy" has done for her in my situation. Last pic is her next to my 4 month old for a size comparison. For the sulcata newbies, my four month olds have been raised "right" from hatching and are very big for their age, while Daisy was raised all "wrong" and is very small for her age.