Joe, pyramiding is directly related to diet and UV exposure. Usually a high protein or too rich of a diet or an overfed tortoise will make the shell pyramid.
Sulcata tortoises should be thought of as the cows of the reptile world. Their diet should consist of 50-75% grasses(yes pesticide free lawn clippings will do just fine). The rest should consist of common weeds(dandelion, plantain, clover, sowthistle, so on....), flowers, and opuntia cactus pads. No dog food, no broccoli no alfalfa(18% protein), no commercial tortoise foods. There are a bunch of other no no foods that can be researched.
www.chelonia.org and
www.tortoisetrust.org will tell you everything you need to know.
Lots of sunshine or a mercury vapour full spectrum bulb will do the rest.
High fibre + UV + High calcium
hosphorus ratio= smooth tortoise
This is for sulcatas, other species of tortoises may vary in diet requirements.
all the best,
Chris
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