hello
richard fife covers this topic in his new leopard tortoise book
lack of humidity seems to be my number one guess
i have had the same experiences with one being smooth and one having raised scutes.
But in the outdoor enclosure they did not stay in the same spots
the smooth one always hid under the opuntia cactus bush
It was always moist under the bush but where i live in southern ca it gets really hot for most of the year
she turned out perfectly smooth
the other was always out and about I never saw him in a high moisture hiding spot usually burrowed in the straw hut he developed some raised scutes
these tortoises as babies stay in burrows for most of the first 2 years in the wild
i have never seen it affect a tortoises health having raised scutes
burrows are warm with high humidity
we are now hatching tortoises naturally outdoors in our enclosures and leaving them outside from birth in covered enclosures
only time will tell
thanks
jeff
planet reptiles

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