Re: Shell Pyramiding

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Posted by Nathan on February 02, 1999 at 07:20:18:

In Reply to: Shell Pyramiding posted by Ray G. on February 02, 1999 at 02:36:14:

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but here's
my understanding:
The shell is made up of keratin, the same substance
that your fingernails are made up of. The way the
shell grows, however, is different, instead of growing
like your fingernail, it is as if each scute was a
fingernail and a new fingernail grew up from underneath it,
but larger, and pushed up the old scute.
If you think of this occuring over and over again,
if no scutes came off, then it would make each scute
"pile" up into pyramids. Normally though, a scute
is very thin and eventually the older layers shed off
from the animals shell, so there is some bumpiness,
but not too much, also dependant on which species it
is. BUT if there is too much protien in the diet,
protien being the stuff that makes keratin and such,
the scute layers will be much thicker and stronger
than normal, and with thicker layers you get a more
noticeable pyramid, and they don't shed as easily.
So you end up with a very bumpy shell.
As far as I know, there is no real way to correct it.
You can switch your animals to a proper diet and hope
after many years the thicker older scutes shed off...
but please don't sand or scrape your turtle,
I've heard of people doing this and it's pretty scary.

: What exactly is shell pyramiding? My leopard tort's
: upper shell is not smooth (bumpy). Is this pyramiding? What can I do to reverse this situation?

AileoNA Turtles

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: Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but here's : my understanding: : The shell is made up of keratin, the same substance : that your fingernails are made up of. The way the : shell grows, however, is different, instead of growing : like your fingernail, it is as if each scute was a : fingernail and a new fingernail grew up from underneath it, : but larger, and pushed up the old scute. : If you think of this occuring over and over again, : if no scutes came off, then it would make each scute : "pile" up into pyramids. Normally though, a scute : is very thin and eventually the older layers shed off : from the animals shell, so there is some bumpiness, : but not too much, also dependant on which species it : is. BUT if there is too much protien in the diet, : protien being the stuff that makes keratin and such, : the scute layers will be much thicker and stronger : than normal, and with thicker layers you get a more : noticeable pyramid, and they don't shed as easily. : So you end up with a very bumpy shell. : As far as I know, there is no real way to correct it. : You can switch your animals to a proper diet and hope : after many years the thicker older scutes shed off... : but please don't sand or scrape your turtle, : I've heard of people doing this and it's pretty scary. : : : What exactly is shell pyramiding? My leopard tort's : : upper shell is not smooth (bumpy). Is this pyramiding? What can I do to reverse this situation?

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