Re: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding

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Posted by KATHY on August 03, 2000 at 12:49:36:

In Reply to: Re: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding posted by Alex O. on August 03, 2000 at 01:37:24:

One question I do have is why is pyramiding bad? I read practically every comment people made with regards to it in the forums and saw nothing that explained why pyramiding is bad for the animal. Is there clear scientific proof that a tortoise with a pyramided shell will live a shorter life or is significantly less healthy than a tortoise with a "normal shell". Thanks.

: Alex

Alex,
I asked this same question because my two sulcatas are severely pyramided. The new growth is smoothing out the 'bumps,' but I wondered what the long term effect would be. Here's (basically) the answer I got: Pyramiding is usually attributed to a diet too high in protein. Of course, when you think of protein rich food, you think of dog food, cat food, meats, etc., and say you would never feed that to your tort! But many plants have a high protein content and are a regular part of many torts' diets. Foods like brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peas, beans. Anyway, excessive amounts of protein in the diet causes very rapid growth (pyramiding). Pyramiding is the *indicator* of too fast growth and its' side effects. Rapid growth causes dark coloration of your tort's carapace due to excessively thick layers of keratin. (The dark color absorbs more heat than the lighter carapace, so your tort heats up more than he would normally.) Also, the growth affects the bones, which become porous and weak in structure. I would say the main health concerns of a high protein diet (and rapid growth) are liver disorders, kidney problems and the way it affects the metabolizing of calcium.
I asked if I could somehow *stop* the effects of the pyramiding and was told to feed the recommended sulcata diet (natural grazing foods, low protein veggies, little bit of fruit), keep the tort hydrated, and offer lots of sunshine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Kathy

: : Hi there! Have 2 questions. 1) How large or old does a female Sulcata have to be before she can breed? 2) If a Sulcata has developed pyramiding of it's shell, is this process reversible or at least can it be arrested with a dietary change. From my understanding, this condition comes from too much protein in the diet. Are there long term negative consequences for the animal with this condition? Thanks!

: : Alex

Follow Ups:

Re: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding EJ 08/03/00 (2)
- Re: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding KATHY 08/03/00 (1)
  - A strong willed woman after my own heart. n/p/ EJ 08/03/00 (0)

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: One question I do have is why is pyramiding bad? I read practically every comment people made with regards to it in the forums and saw nothing that explained why pyramiding is bad for the animal. Is there clear scientific proof that a tortoise with a pyramided shell will live a shorter life or is significantly less healthy than a tortoise with a "normal shell". Thanks. : : Alex : Alex, : I asked this same question because my two sulcatas are severely pyramided. The new growth is smoothing out the 'bumps,' but I wondered what the long term effect would be. Here's (basically) the answer I got: Pyramiding is usually attributed to a diet too high in protein. Of course, when you think of protein rich food, you think of dog food, cat food, meats, etc., and say you would never feed that to your tort! But many plants have a high protein content and are a regular part of many torts' diets. Foods like brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peas, beans. Anyway, excessive amounts of protein in the diet causes very rapid growth (pyramiding). Pyramiding is the *indicator* of too fast growth and its' side effects. Rapid growth causes dark coloration of your tort's carapace due to excessively thick layers of keratin. (The dark color absorbs more heat than the lighter carapace, so your tort heats up more than he would normally.) Also, the growth affects the bones, which become porous and weak in structure. I would say the main health concerns of a high protein diet (and rapid growth) are liver disorders, kidney problems and the way it affects the metabolizing of calcium. : I asked if I could somehow *stop* the effects of the pyramiding and was told to feed the recommended sulcata diet (natural grazing foods, low protein veggies, little bit of fruit), keep the tort hydrated, and offer lots of sunshine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! : Kathy : : : Hi there! Have 2 questions. 1) How large or old does a female Sulcata have to be before she can breed? 2) If a Sulcata has developed pyramiding of it's shell, is this process reversible or at least can it be arrested with a dietary change. From my understanding, this condition comes from too much protein in the diet. Are there long term negative consequences for the animal with this condition? Thanks! : : : Alex

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