There is no evidence to support the claim of cloacal drinking in tortoises. There is no evidence that tortoises absorbe moisture through the skin.

Richard Fifes study was concerned with environmental conditions which most likely comes down to the simple fact of the growth margins where the scutes meet.

I think diet has little to do with the shape of the tortoise. I've got tortoises raised on the very same diet. Some are pyramided some are not. The only variance is the environmental conditions.

In Richards case... I believe the only thing he changed was the environment. He's been feeding the same diet for as long as I can remember.

>>Diet has everything to do with it because we are talking about a "shell growth problum" Most of the tortoises that have this shell pyeramiding like Leopords and Sulcata come from ares that dont offer much water for long periods of time. Some living inactive and not eating or drinking for 4-6 months or longer at a time. No vote here to on waterproof skin. It has been known for decades tortoises absorb water from the anel vent (skin).Richard Fife has done a compairative analysis study of this subject and published it. Even though I dont see how the humidity factor has a connection I believe it due to his dilagent study. Empirical evidence and compairative analysis is real proof. I have phyical evidence in a case with two Black Mt.Tortoises siblings. I raised one and someone else raised another 18 years later it get a sibling back from the same clutch and mine (looks like a wild phayrei) is perfect and the other has a very notable different shapped shell. Diet and environment. Vic M
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

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