Re: Please read, more..........

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Posted by Terry on March 07, 2001 at 12:17:15:

In Reply to: Please read, more.......... posted by Barry on March 06, 2001 at 23:22:59:

Can you link the web site for us so we can read exactly what it says?

In some species a bit of bumpiness is normal, in high domed Leopard tortoises for example.
But there is a difference between that and pyramiding.

A pyramided tortoise has raised individual scutes on it's carapace, this is caused by incorrect diet and environment.
A sulcata should have a smooth shell ( carapace) no bumps at all.

If it's a young sulcata, with improved diet and environment there is a good chance that the condition can improve and new growth be smooth.

Two of my sulcatas came to me with pyramiding.
They had been housed indoors and fed a diet too high in protein.
Now housed outdoors on a more natural diet the pyramiding is not nearly as obvious.
As they grow the carapace is obtaining a much smoother appearance.

In the wild food is quite scarce and the tortoise has to roam around to find it.
In captivity it's easy to overfeed a tortoise and if it's in a small enclosure it doesn't get much exercise.Kind of like a couch potato.

This can lead to the tortoise growing much faster than it would normaly. The growth can be abnormal as in pyramiding.

Terry.

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: : Can you link the web site for us so we can read exactly what it says? : In some species a bit of bumpiness is normal, in high domed Leopard tortoises for example. : But there is a difference between that and pyramiding. : A pyramided tortoise has raised individual scutes on it's carapace, this is caused by incorrect diet and environment. : A sulcata should have a smooth shell ( carapace) no bumps at all. : If it's a young sulcata, with improved diet and environment there is a good chance that the condition can improve and new growth be smooth. : Two of my sulcatas came to me with pyramiding. : They had been housed indoors and fed a diet too high in protein. : Now housed outdoors on a more natural diet the pyramiding is not nearly as obvious. : As they grow the carapace is obtaining a much smoother appearance. : In the wild food is quite scarce and the tortoise has to roam around to find it. : In captivity it's easy to overfeed a tortoise and if it's in a small enclosure it doesn't get much exercise.Kind of like a couch potato. : This can lead to the tortoise growing much faster than it would normaly. The growth can be abnormal as in pyramiding. : Terry.

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