Dear All

I just wanted to know what you are supposed to do when you see the shell of your tortoise start to pyramid.

I know that this is related to too fast growth but what is the best way to slow it down, put it on a diet!

We are currently not feeding ours foods which contain too much protein. I read that quite a lot of weeds are high in protein as well. Is the treatment just less of what we are giving him or bulking it out with 'salad leaves' that don't have much of anything in except water!

Any help appreciated.

WELL ...I HEAR THAT THE FOOD DUSTING HAS CALCIUM IN IT AND IF USED TO MUCH IT CAN START PYRAMIDS

Just to let you know that in the mean time, we are encouraging ours to forage and are generally giving less food. We hope that by the end of the summer, our tortoise will have slowed down his growth rate though I'm not sure that this is good preparation for hibernation.

Hi

It is very hard trying to keep the growth at a regular pace. The pyramiding will not go away but catching the situation as early as you have, you can regulate the growth and it will not appear to be so noticiable as they get older. Letting them forage is a brilliant way, but you need to be aware that they will not get minerals or vitimins e.g. nutrabol and lime flour, you could dig the lime flour into the ground where the weeds grow! just a thought, and of course cuttle fish lying around is a good source of calcium.  Yes you are right there are some weeds that are high in protein one being clover, it is Ok with adult torts but best given sparingly with the babies. Some people only feed their torts for 6 days out of 7, I tried that with mine but she started to eat the soil, so I don't do that anymore, that was just me that it didn't work out for. I wouldn't supplement the food with salad, Floretti can be Ok in the winter months to bulk out the food if need be, but when it is summer the weeds are out there in abundance for free.  Have a look at the website link I have posted, it is a brilliant site that will tell you what weeds are available for the month and what weeds are Ok and the ones that aren't. Just a couple of factors to also take into consideration, are they getting the correct UV and what set up are they in?http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/tortoise_home_1.asp

Jane