pyramiding in a red ear slider

Question
hi I have had my turtle for about 6 years and never heard anything about pyramiding.  it was never in any of the books that I had read.  i am just now learning about it and what causes it.  my question is how would you know if a turtle has it.  i have seen many pictures and many videos and read many articles but i am still not sure.  some of the pictures i have seen some have smooth shells and others have slightly lumpy shells.  my turtles shell is not completely smooth.  it has some slight bumps.  is this normal or does it need to be smooth.  and about how long does it take for the shell to get back to normal if it indeed pyramiding?

Answer
Pyramiding is an interesting topic, and contrary to what some say, we really do not KNOW yet what causes it in all cases. In my opinion, there are probably a few different kinds of pyramiding- some due to calcium metabolism, some due to humidity/hydration issues (more with tortoises), some probably due to too 'rich' of a diet, etc.

Pyramiding is not common in sliders. Wild sliders are almost perfectly smooth (unless there are injuries, pollution, etc.). Long-term captives show several variations- very smooth, slightly 'bumped' on each scute, and obviously deformed/raised scutes.