These are 2 California Desert tortoises, but pyramiding is the same for every tortoise.
The Pyramided Tortoise First.
Showing how thick and porus the bone is on the pyramided tortoise
The pyramided vertebral scutes and whats underneath, notice that the sutures between the bones are not very tight
The Nonpyramided Tortoise
Showing how tight and thin the bone is on a well grown tortoise
Notice how tight the sutures are on a well grown tortoise
Photos courtesy of the WCT yahoo group
Danny