Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Recently I acquired a female star tortoise - Geochelone elegans -
with extensive pyramiding.

Does anyone have experience with pyramiding tortoises and their
reproductivity?

Will females with extensive pyramiding always have difficulties with
egglaying/deformed eggs? Or will some do better than others?

Besides pyramiding the tortoise is en great condition. And it does not seem to have any spinal depression

Best regards

Sune Hauch - Denmark

Stared tortoises are one of the few species that are supposed to pyramid. If you post a photo someone might be able to tell you for sure whether or not your tort's shell has grown abnormally. Here is a link to some pyramiding info with lots of pictures. At the end are pictures of torts whose shells are supposed to pyramid. Good Luck!
http://www.turtlestuff.com/pyramid.html

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Thanks for the advice fisherk2!

I will try once more to post a picture of my Star tortoise.

I am told it is of Sri Lankan origin.

What I am very curious about is if a tortoise with this much pyramiding will be able to reproduce. As mentioned it does not seem to have a spinal depression and appers otherwise healthy.

Thanks

Hauch - Denmark

Here is one more picture....

While Stars are supposed to be as smooth and round as any other tortoise they do seem to be more prone to pyramiding. I'm guessing that it might be because it is a popular belief that they should be kept dry. This is obviously not the case. While the habitat should be kept dry it should also be provided with a humid hide or a humid(warm) section of the enclosure.

The Star you have picture is pyramided but it is not severe. If the opening for the deposition of the egg is not obstructed I'll bet she would breed just fine.

I have a leopard that I recently acquired that is severly pyramided. She deposited 8 eggs and 2 hatched. It was her first breeding.

Btw... that is a nice looking Star.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Thanks for EJ for giving me hope that I can make my female star tortoise reproduce in spite of its - not so severe - pyramiding.

Down below you can see my male star. Also supposed to originate from Sri Lanka.

.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

...her beak's kinda overgrown a bit...nice tort