I am guessing he is 48+ as I have had him for 40yrs.

Sweet,

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Anthony looks small in those pictures, having seen him first hand he is a lovely tortoise.

My gripe with pleeted diets:

1) instructions on t-rex pellets say feed as much as tortoise will consume in 12 hours.

My problem with that is even if you fed a tortoise as many weeds as it could consume in 12 hours it would be overweight especially in an indoor enclosure.

2) I cant get an answer on the calorific value of t-rex tortoise pellets, even when e-mailing the company they said they did not know. My basis for this is an animal can consume a certain mass of food. If this mass is higher in calories weight issues could occur.

Jason

There is absolutely no way you can overfeed a weed based diet and you actually porvide the reason why... calories... and... the inability for tortoises to efficiently break down plant material.

What issues could occur if more calories are consumed than used in a tortoise? I don't think they convert empty calories to fat as mammals do... but I don't know for sure.

With pelleted diets I do limit the intake based on gut feeling and nothing more. When I feed it dry it is available 24/7.

Wow! No arguments!

Reading Helens post give me a better insight into what you guys were looking for. In amonst my groups I have two tortoises bought for me when I was 8 - so thats 32 years of care being the longest stretch I can boast. Must be at least 50-60 years old now, as in those days they were mainly brought in as adults - very few younger tortoises.

I'll keep popping back to answer any specific questions as time allows.

Kevin

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Coast to Coast Exotics www.coasttocoast.co.uk
Legendary reptile breeder and shop
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http://www.zoo-logic.co.uk/

Oh, and the oldest torts I have reared in vivaria all their younger days, are now around 15 years old. Admitedly, not with the smoothest shells, as in those days we had even less insight into what caused this problem. I'll try to post some piccies when I get a chance - but I seem to be having problems with photobucket at the moment.

__________________
Coast to Coast Exotics www.coasttocoast.co.uk
Legendary reptile breeder and shop
Zoo Logic UK Ltd - Importer/exporter/wholesaler.
http://www.zoo-logic.co.uk/

I would like to ask V Max and Helen what they think causes or contributes to pyramiding in tortoises?

Hmmm. I think the verdict is still out on that one. Our understanding of torts is still in its infancy - no matter what some keepers appear to say with their cast in concrete views. An interesting paper was published a few years ago suggesting a lack of humid hides has an effect - increasing the chances of pyramiding. When I do field work, I tend to find tortoises hiding places are quite damp and humid - roots of trees, piles of branches etc etc. Could be some mileage in that. Certainly in the last few eyars since reading this paper I have provided such an area and it appears to have had some effect, but thats just gut instinct - nothing scientifically proven. So, sorry cant add anything more that hasnt been argued before on this section of the forum.

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Coast to Coast Exotics www.coasttocoast.co.uk
Legendary reptile breeder and shop
Zoo Logic UK Ltd - Importer/exporter/wholesaler.
http://www.zoo-logic.co.uk/

This directly contradicts what the TT say. They argue that moisture, fluid, hydration what ever you call has nothing what so ever to do with MBD, pyramiding. My view is that the jury is out on this one!

I totally disagree and personally believe it has a lot to do with it.

After reading a paper myself on an experiment conducted on pyramiding.I totally agree that the lack of or very low humidity levels cause or contribute to pyramiding.