Calling on indian star owners residing in INDIA

[mchong9606]

@unicorn sorry for the late reply.... was busy...
regarding the soil.... it should be normal garden soil... not coarse and not too fine..... it should be slightly damp in the enclosure.
you need to ask the person in charge in the nursery regarding pesticides free soil.... and you have to spot clean the soil.

and the enclosure looks pretty good except for the pebbles and the water dish..... the pebbles are not appropriate in the entire enclosure, maybe just a part... and the pebbles should be small, not that big as humpty and dumpty will find it very hard to move around... as they're very small....
the problem with the water dish is that it is too high for them to easily get in and out.... this problem is arising because there isn't 3-4 inches of substrate.... if it were there it could easily be dug and the water dish would have been with its rims in level with the substrate... try searching different places... I'm sure you'll find pesticide free soil...

and great use of the old cage... just cover the open sides and you're all good

I agree 100% with shanu303, the rocks are far too big for your little stars. They have short legs and will not be able to climb over them and may flip over and get stuck. They will never be able to reach the water safely and could drown. Stainless steel is very slippery. Get a cheap clay saucer the ones you put under potted plants. Please get some damp soil as suggested and place the clay saucer into the soil so that it is level with the saucer. Good luck!

 

[seanang168]

Hi ...
I just got a pair of stars yesterday. Have kept them for the time being in a tray with newspaper as substrate for the time being (see pix). In the process of making a proper enclosure. I was wondering if I could use fern leaves/ blades as a substrate and if so would the stars be harmed if they eat the ferns. Also, could you help with the lighting. Where can I get a good heating light for them. Nothing available in mumbai from brands like Exo Terra etc.

Actually I kept my stars for more than 20 years using newspaper as I could not find those recommended substrates in this forum at my place either. I wonder for those that use soil or dirt, isn't it going to be quite unhygienic and smells? Wonder how the maintenance would be like?

 

[STAR TORTOISE 123]

Hello I am happy to see indian members on the forum. Guess what even I am one. I oun a star tortoise 1 year old. I hadn't known the requirements of a tortoise. So sadly mine is unhealthy.I will feed it properly too. I got a zoo med powersun 100 watts and a shade from a cousin of mine living in America. And now I know what I have to do for it.
One question to the indian members is that where do you all get the calcium supplement to keep on its food?

 

[anmol]

I have had Slider for a week and I bought him for 10$ in India. His plastron is about 6 cm. The pet store guy told me he is a year old. He was kept in pathetic conditions in the pet store. I also do not know if he is a male or a female. but i would be happy if it turns out to be a male.

For the first three days i had kept him in an empty shoe box as my niece was scared of my tortoise, but now she is away and I allow him to move about freely in my apartment. Also, initially I handled him a lot. Now I have left him to himself and observe him from far.

I stay in an environment which is in the habitat of the Indian star tortoise so the temperature is never less than 28 degree celcius. I have provided no temperature control and I have no enclosure for him, he can freely roam around my entire 1500 sq ft apartment, and he basks in my balcony which faces the east which is where he spends most of his day. His bedding is shredded newspapers located in a shady corner of the balcony. He eats okra, cucumber, hibiscus leaves and flowers and grass(in order of his preference) and egg shells as a source of calcium, his stools are brown and very slightly runny and he makes no peculiar sound when held close to the ears. Initially he used to drag his hind legs but now he has started lifting himself up, though not completely. his head seems slightly slimmer than a regular star tortoise which makes me feel he is weak. and I am slightly paranoid that he is pyramiding. One of the scutes has a slight bump. He has a very huge shell almost semi circular. He hates being soaked in warm water. He sleeps for about 15 hours a day which makes me feel he is ill.

I have attached a few of his pictures. Please let me know how shall I take care of him. He is my first tortoise and I am really attached to him. I want him to grow big and healthy. I would be really glad for all the advice and suggestions


http://postimg.org/image/a6t8re8gn/
http://postimg.org/image/xhcyla68z/
http://postimg.org/image/yxoh3f95v/
http://postimg.org/image/t6yapp15v/
http://postimg.org/image/6efa9vear/
http://postimg.org/image/3vozvg36r/
http://postimg.org/image/wk1xyo5cz/

 

[Suru]

Hi Shanu,
Am from pune and have booked 1 star tort.. I will bring it home on Monday.
I will be uploading the pic later that.

I have gone through all the post and gained good knowledge for my start.....
I would definetly come accross lots of new things when i will be handling my tort. So i will need help of this forum....
Thanks for opening this forum.

 

[shanu303]

@Suru actually you should thank Josh for opening the forum he is "the Almighty Creator" of TFO... i just opened this thread... if you're thanking me for opening this thread then you're most welcome
and i'd be waiting to see pics of your new star

 

[shanu303]

@anmol Welcome to TFO your star is gorgeous.... and i see nothing wrong with the slimness of the head... it varies from individual to individual..
one thing i'd suggest is that you better make a separate enclosure... at least provide a separate place for your tort... because when you let your tort roam in the apartment there are many chances of him/her being hit by legs and other mishaps could happen too... keep him in a place where there is minimal human exposure... you said you've a balcony where he/she basks... just make a small enclosure there for the day... then bring him/her in at night.....
i suggest you stop feeding eggshells because you can't control the amount of calcium intake... too much can be fatal too.. if you can find cuttlefish bone in a petshop near you that would be great...
and try giving bath in lukewarm to normal water....
i know the temps in india are good for tortoise all year except winters, so you need to provide a heat source in winters... they can easily catch cold .... they're very prone to that....

 

[shanu303]

@STAR TORTOISE 123 i don't put any extra calcium supplements.... i just give home grown hibiscus, jasmine flowers and leaves..... i haven't had any problems in last 3 years....

 

[vaibhavballi]

Hello friends, I too bought a Indian star just a few days back. That shopkeeper gave me some wrong information which includes its species and about feeding tomato as a normal diet. I searched a lot and just before 2 days back come to know about its species and tips for taking care of this beautiful creature. Thank god i found this thread, and @shanu303 for starting this thread.
Just for one last time confirmation...IT IS A INDIAN STAR????RIGHT????
I was actually very happy when i bought my little buddy because i wanted to have one as my pet from a long time back. But at first i thought it was sulcata hatchling, so got little afraid about how will i take care of it when it will grow large.
I am so fond of my buddy already that when he sleeps i keep him on my laptop palm space and admire its peace and innocence.
Just a little doubt...I stop giving him tomato and now mostly giving him dhaniya, cucumber, ladyfinger, grass growing near my hostel(but not wild long one for sure). He eats fine but not seen him pooping a lot. Rest things are normal. He do not like to be in water(luke warm) for long and always wants to get out as soon as possible and sleeps most of the time. So is everything normal in your views??? Please suggest.
Thank's to everyone again for sharing there experiences and tips with everyone.

 

[STAR TORTOISE 123]

Welcome to this forum vaibhavballi

 

[Star-of-India]

Nice little Star! Yup, it's a star tortoise!

 

[vaibhavballi]

thanx man, is dhaniya and bhindi good for regular diet for him????

 

[arotester]

Hello I am happy to see indian members on the forum. Guess what even I am one. I oun a star tortoise 1 year old. I hadn't known the requirements of a tortoise. So sadly mine is unhealthy.I will feed it properly too. I got a zoo med powersun 100 watts and a shade from a cousin of mine living in America. And now I know what I have to do for it.
One question to the indian members is that where do you all get the calcium supplement to keep on its food?

You can use use the shelcal tablets from med store .But personally i am not big fan of supplements,so i feed my torts the varied diet for their nutrients.I have never fed my torts cal supplements and they are doing well.

 

[arotester]

Hello friends, I too bought a Indian star just a few days back. That shopkeeper gave me some wrong information which includes its species and about feeding tomato as a normal diet. I searched a lot and just before 2 days back come to know about its species and tips for taking care of this beautiful creature. Thank god i found this thread, and @shanu303 for starting this thread.
Just for one last time confirmation...IT IS A INDIAN STAR????RIGHT????
I was actually very happy when i bought my little buddy because i wanted to have one as my pet from a long time back. But at first i thought it was sulcata hatchling, so got little afraid about how will i take care of it when it will grow large.
I am so fond of my buddy already that when he sleeps i keep him on my laptop palm space and admire its peace and innocence.
Just a little doubt...I stop giving him tomato and now mostly giving him dhaniya, cucumber, ladyfinger, grass growing near my hostel(but not wild long one for sure). He eats fine but not seen him pooping a lot. Rest things are normal. He do not like to be in water(luke warm) for long and always wants to get out as soon as possible and sleeps most of the time. So is everything normal in your views??? Please suggest.
Thank's to everyone again for sharing there experiences and tips with everyone.

Star tortoises need extra attention when they are small.You need to keep your tort in luke warm water for 20 mins(water level till lining joining plastron and shell),doesn't matter if it wants to get out . Also ,bhindi is fine in once or twice a week(without seeds). Keep the diet varied ....do some research on it.

 

[vaibhavballi]

Actually i will bring cuttlefish for calcium and i did not mean some medicine as supplement but some packed food maybe if any available in Indian market...and is it fine if i left water near its shelter which eventually gets cold and sometimes he goes in it???because everyone is forcing on luke warm water only... i give him one bath in luke warm water everyday...

 

[Suru]

@Suru actually you should thank Josh for opening the forum he is "the Almighty Creator" of TFO... i just opened this thread... if you're thanking me for opening this thread then you're most welcome
and i'd be waiting to see pics of your new star

@Shanu,

Yes, actually i meant by opening this thread. Here is my tort's pics. He is very active and always runs here and there and after some time lookes for a corner and sleeps.

 

[vaibhavballi]

@Suru what leaves and stuff u give ur tort to eat???

 

[arotester]

Actually i will bring cuttlefish for calcium and i did not mean some medicine as supplement but some packed food maybe if any available in Indian market...and is it fine if i left water near its shelter which eventually gets cold and sometimes he goes in it???because everyone is forcing on luke warm water only... i give him one bath in luke warm water everyday...

there must be water dish big enough so that he can get into it but not so big that he will drown into it.Water must be in their enclosure 24x7 and i think cuttlebone is good as i provides cal as well as trims down the beak if overgrown.If you want to try anything else for cal, use alfalfa hay as his food

 

[Suru]

@Suru what leaves and stuff u give ur tort to eat???

As of now I give him Palak, Coriander (Kothimbir), Cucumber (Kakdi), Tomoto. But he dont eat Palak much and i will try out some more stuffs later. As he dont drink much water so i soak him in warm water daily (in shallow dish. water level below his face). After soaking i keep him in such a place where he will be able to have sun bath.

 

[vaibhavballi]

Is feeding Hibiscus flower and leaf as regular diet is fine or not????
And also all parts of hibiscus flower is fine to eat as per its nutritional contents point of view(excessive proteins and oxides) or not???