Hi guys,

Wondering if for ST, is there any way to reduce chances of pyramiding when they grow bigger?

I prefer having them with nice round high dome shells

I know they are natural pyramiders from reading the websites and chelonia.net sites and watched many youtubes videos

Just thinking do all your ST get pyramids eventually or just mainly females or is it affected to some degree by diet, calcium, vit D3/UVB? Others like sulcata and leopard I know is influenced substantially by the diet and doesn't come naturally...

Also, for those with experience, any way to polish the shell a bit to stimulate a smooth curve..any particular lotion or oil meant for ST out there? I am unable to locate any literature regarding shell cleaning apart from using H2O and cloth or some mild H2O2 for fungal...

Some1 mentioned getting a Radiated or Burmese but despite literature saying they don't pyramid naturally, I still caught many videos or photos online of these expensive buggers pyramiding like regular ST...maybe more to poor diet for these two species eh?

Thanks for sharing & offering your exp...

Cheers bros and sisters

This post has been edited by Omegaminx: Oct 14 2008, 04:19 PM

Sure, I post it weekend k, not having the right stuff to upload...by the way, for discretion sake, they are not my ST, my "friend's"

Better refer to them like that....

The shells are still normal dome now that they are just 3 inch+, but I am saying how about when they reach 1-2 years....is there a way to maintain the
round smooth dome. Pyramids make them look less sleek...

Maybe "my friend" needs to get a Burmese Star or RT later...

Cheers

Wait till got pyramid first la, then I ask if he wants to sell LoL

Hopefully no such need arises...

BTW, do any of u guys polish ST shells to give it a shine or just wipe with H2O only? Or don't clean it at all?

Surprising if you look thru all the youtube videos of star-patterned torts eg Indian, Sri Lankan, Burmese, Radiated etc...some do show obvious pyramiding regardless of species..I did see many radiated with bumpy pyramids walking around actively on video and eating like a healthy cow...so what's the deal about books/websites that state that only Indian/SriLankan Stars have natural pyramiding and others don't?

Could it be a variation within the same genus..Geochelone, and some will get while others just don't...no one has done a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to show if pyramiding has any element of autosomal dominance/recessive or co-dominance or is it polygenic like diabetes mellitus in the human population. Your parents with diabetes doesnt make u a diabetic 100% and neither does diet alone result in diabetes per se...sometimes a person can be sweet tooth all his life and have siblings and family with diabetes but he just won't develop it with time....
So I am trying to see if it would be possible to extrapolate this to ST pyramiding?
How many of ST owners notice their ST pyramid when grown up..say >2 years old? Are there any who has big ST but maintain a smooth roundish carapace?

Or how many with Radiated/Burmese torts which have shown signs of pyramiding despite healthy low protein, high fibre/calcium diet and adequate VitD3?

Cheers...

This post has been edited by Omegaminx: Oct 15 2008, 04:00 PM