pyramiding in redfoot tortoise

[joeysgreen]

Read the above links; more info is better.

In the mean time, your cage is to dry. It's obvious in the pictures without looking at the humidity measurement (which still needs to be done). I"ll second the daily bathes, or at least a larger water feature so your guy can go for a dip.

The diet can definately be more varied. Don't be afraid of items like kale, broccoli, lettuces etc. No one single item is perfect, and all have flaws. That's why we use a variety. The bigger the variety, the better chance you have of avoiding any deficiencies. The only items to avoid are those with a good chance of being toxic. I don't feed onions, raddishes, garlic etc because they are toxic in other animals and I don't want to be see if they are toxic in tort's as well.

Ian

[Dean Wirth]

Dryness has recently been found to be one ( if not the ) major causes of Pyramiding in shells.

[Herpetologic]

Dryness is likely linked to the phenomena that pyramiding is a reflection of metabolic bone disease, which can conceivably arise from several different environmental stressors.

http://www.edmontonreptiles.com/foru...ad.php?t=20925

[tegu_man]

Dryness is likely linked to the phenomena that pyramiding is a reflection of metabolic bone disease, which can conceivably arise from several different environmental stressors.

http://www.edmontonreptiles.com/foru...ad.php?t=20925

don't take this the wrong way but can you make that statement in a more strait forward way? perhaps more descripitvely and less cryptic? spelling aside of course. I'm not sure phenomena was necessarily the proper word here.nor do I beleve mbd has a huge dependance on humudity, due to lack of supporting argument at least here. though due to lack of ability to understand scientific papers I would welcome your own simplified explainations.

[Herpetologic]

Try reading the link.

[Kinixys]

Humidity is the key and if the tortoise is fully grown, you can't really alter the pyramiding. I have 3 red foots and they have always had access to moist hides and were sprayed with a misting system, yet I still have some pyramiding.I now resort to a watering can and drench the whole pen and don't worry about it being too wet.I like Turtletary's website and his advice on this too http://www.turtletary.com/redfoot.htm
Also if you can get a copy of Mike Pingletons Redfoot Manual its really good info too.
The first few years of growth are critical in terms of preventing pyramiding. If I could turn the clocks back I would have wet mine even more as I think they would have nbeen better off-we are all still learning.
Mine have loads of space in a 8 foot x 4 foot tortoise table so they get the exercise. they have UV and balanced diet-with added calcium, D3 etc too so I can only think it was my humidity that wasn't high enough.I do occasionally offer meat, pinky mice, earth worms which they devour!

If your tortoise is still young and not fully grown and humidity, exercise improves etc the pyramiding can get a lot less noticeable over time.The time from hatching to the time we receive them is critical too so it pays to know how they were treated and the humidity levels right from the beginning too if possible.

Enjoy your Redfoot- he or she can still have a long healthy life even with some mild pyramiding.
Louise

[joeysgreen]

Mike Pingleton's a great guy. I'd buy his book without all the good reviews it's recieved.

[Riopa]

My Russian tortoise has been kept in a dry dry cage (had some shell rot when I rescued him so he has been kept nice and dry) and has had no shell issues other than damage from before I got him and the lovely damage he causes himself while he's driving himself under a rock or something.