Re: Pyramiding survey

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Posted by Freight on August 18, 2001 at 09:10:07:

In Reply to: Pyramiding survey posted by Lisa and Virgil on August 17, 2001 at 23:08:26:

We got Suka when he was supposedly 1yo, and we were so impressed with his shell as it had all these large pyramids and points, and looked so heavy duty.He was kept in a tank that was 3 times his length, so he could either sit in his light, hide box, or on his food, and he would continuously attempt escape. I beleive that the people who had him fed him dog food at least to get him up to legal size for sale, but at the point when we got him, at supposedly 1yo he weighed 3 1/2 pounds, and was 7 inches long, and was well on his way to having a very distorted shell. His growth rate has been unbeleivable,as he has been with us 2 1/2 years and now weighs a whopping 22 pounds!!! He eats a low nutrient diet, although because he's so stubborn/picky, he will not accept straight hay, nor will he eat cut grass or clover, but he will graze on these foods outdoors, go figure?
Anyway, his growth seems finally to have slowed a bit, as he has actually lost a small amount of weight with all his patrolling the back yard, and his shell is growing smoothly. The pyramids on his marginal scutes have diminished greatly, but he still has the ones on his back which seem to disipate more slowly. It also appears that the presence of large pyramids cause other distortions of the shell as it grows out that are quite insignificant, but can be noticed under close observation.
I wish we got him sooner, but I'm happy to see we're on the path to recovery, even though its a slow one!

Good luck, I hope this helps!

Freight
: I'm curious about all this pyramiding talk and do NOT want to offend anyone. My questions are:

: 1. At what age did you first notice it?
: 2. Has it gotten worse? And how fast?
: 3. Did you adopt one already pyramided and is it recovering?
: 4. Are 'pyramids' only pointy or does any elevation, no matter how level, count?
: 5. Do you know what specifically caused yours to pyramid? As in you didn't know better, but do now?
: 6. Is King Karl's shell considered 'perfect'? Is that our goal? I love him, he is beautiful.

: My info on Virgil . . . he will be one year old next month and I haven't seen any signs of pyramiding. Now, the blocks on his shell are mildly and levelally (is that even a word?) slightly raised and is only noticeable when felt. There is nothing pointy. He eats a large variety that includes hibiscus, clover, grasses, cactus, and various leaves. He always has water available. I occasionally sprinkle calcium on his food. He appears healthy as a horse. Thanks to all who reply.

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: : We got Suka when he was supposedly 1yo, and we were so impressed with his shell as it had all these large pyramids and points, and looked so heavy duty.He was kept in a tank that was 3 times his length, so he could either sit in his light, hide box, or on his food, and he would continuously attempt escape. I beleive that the people who had him fed him dog food at least to get him up to legal size for sale, but at the point when we got him, at supposedly 1yo he weighed 3 1/2 pounds, and was 7 inches long, and was well on his way to having a very distorted shell. His growth rate has been unbeleivable,as he has been with us 2 1/2 years and now weighs a whopping 22 pounds!!! He eats a low nutrient diet, although because he's so stubborn/picky, he will not accept straight hay, nor will he eat cut grass or clover, but he will graze on these foods outdoors, go figure? : Anyway, his growth seems finally to have slowed a bit, as he has actually lost a small amount of weight with all his patrolling the back yard, and his shell is growing smoothly. The pyramids on his marginal scutes have diminished greatly, but he still has the ones on his back which seem to disipate more slowly. It also appears that the presence of large pyramids cause other distortions of the shell as it grows out that are quite insignificant, but can be noticed under close observation. : I wish we got him sooner, but I'm happy to see we're on the path to recovery, even though its a slow one! : Good luck, I hope this helps! : Freight : : I'm curious about all this pyramiding talk and do NOT want to offend anyone. My questions are: : : 1. At what age did you first notice it? : : 2. Has it gotten worse? And how fast? : : 3. Did you adopt one already pyramided and is it recovering? : : 4. Are 'pyramids' only pointy or does any elevation, no matter how level, count? : : 5. Do you know what specifically caused yours to pyramid? As in you didn't know better, but do now? : : 6. Is King Karl's shell considered 'perfect'? Is that our goal? I love him, he is beautiful. : : My info on Virgil . . . he will be one year old next month and I haven't seen any signs of pyramiding. Now, the blocks on his shell are mildly and levelally (is that even a word?) slightly raised and is only noticeable when felt. There is nothing pointy. He eats a large variety that includes hibiscus, clover, grasses, cactus, and various leaves. He always has water available. I occasionally sprinkle calcium on his food. He appears healthy as a horse. Thanks to all who reply.

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