G. Elegans Home/Food Suggestions...

[Yash Raj]

Wooden box. 20 x 18 inches.
Water sprinkled cardboard hide box. 6 x 4 inches.
Water sprinkled green thick cloth.
Steel water plate. Small.
Steel food plate. Large.
Any suggestions ?

Calcium with Vitamin D3 is given once a week mixed with food, i. e. Sponge Gourd. I'm just giving Sponge Gourd from last 1 month.
Gave Ridge Gourd & Okra 2-3 times.
Any other things to be given ?

Baby is 4-5 months old. When to soak & how many times to soak in a day ?

Please help me...
I'm worried very much. Inadequate information is available about G. Elegans. Please clear my doubts. I've searched a lot on the internet but confused. Please help...
Thanks.

 

[Neal]

First thing, I would add some substrate in there. If it were me I would ditch the towels all together...but you should add some type of substrate, even dirt, in there somewhere so he can get some good exercise. The water dish is ok, maybe find a smaller food dish or replace it with a flat rock. Don't know how long that cardboard will hold up if it continually has water sprinkled on it. I'd recommend a small plastic food container with a hole cut out instead. Are you getting him any outdoors time? If not...I don't know if D3 once a week will be enough...it could be for all I know...but a couple hours of sunlight will go a long way. I raise my indian stars and leopards the same exact way. Here is my caresheet for leopards:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1d7jM2aCr

 

[Yash Raj]

Hm. Thanks. This is just a temporary home. But still 1-2 months for a new home. So...
What substrate to use ?
Hide box will me made.
Only indoors. Calcium with D3 how many times a week ? Any other tablets/powders to mix with food ?
Soaking info. ? How many times a day ?
Food okay ?

 

[Yash Raj]

I give him/her fresh morning sunlight sometimes this way...
I open the windows & keep the box there in sunlight. But after few minutes he/she runs away to shadow.

 

[Mao Senpai]

Cypress mulch, orchard mulch... coco coir, even organic dirt will be fine. Try not to use... sand.. and if so mix it with something else as well... don't want them to ingest too much sand and have them get impacted.

 

[Neal]

Hm. Thanks. This is just a temporary home. But still 1-2 months for a new home. So...
What substrate to use ?
Hide box will me made.
Only indoors. Calcium with D3 how many times a week ? Any other tablets/powders to mix with food ?
Soaking info. ? How many times a day ?
Food okay ?

Whatever is easiest for you. I would first recommend dirt as long as it doesn't have any pesticides or chemicals in it. Cypress mulch, peat moss, orchid bark are all good options.

Do some research on how often to D3, I do it 2 - 3 times a week and my tortoises seem to do fine with that.

I think once a day is fine for soaking. Soak him until he starts running around, it's usually about 5 - 10 mins.

I don't know what Sponge Gourd or Gave Ridge Gourd is, and I'm not sure about Okra as being a stable part of a tortoises diet. Are you able to get spring mix, or any type of leafy greens where you are?

 

[Yash Raj]

Okay.
May be available, but I don't know the names & identification.
It is frustrating, I searched the internet !
India.

---

Sponge Gourd & Ridge Gourd are like Zucchini.
Just give me the names. All of them & I'll search for their local names.
Thanks.

 

[Yash Raj]

Today I used a trick. I mixed crushed 2 types of lawn grasses, Hibiscus leaves, Rose leaves & a small amount of Okra & Sponge Gourd. He/She is eating. Is it okay ?

 

[TortBrain]

How about night time? Is he/she kept warm enough??
Very important for hatchling ST. 4 died on me from my past experience.
If not wrong, yours only around 1.5"?

 

[Neal]

Today I used a trick. I mixed crushed 2 types of lawn grasses, Hibiscus leaves, Rose leaves & a small amount of Okra & Sponge Gourd. He/She is eating. Is it okay ?

Again, I'm really not sure about Okra and Sponge Gourd...whether good or bad I have no idea. Hopefully someone who knows better will chime in. The other components of your diet are very good choices. If you have any hibiscus flowers, use those too.

 

[Yash Raj]

Night is 25° C [77° F] now. Winter is coming & it will be 18-21° C [64-69° F] at night. Is it fine ? If not, what to do ?

I have a surrounding garden lawn home. With plants. We have Hibiscus. White, Red & Pink.
Red Rose.
But I do not keep my Tortoise outside due to pesticides on lawn.

Can anyone help me with the diet part ?
How about Fenugreek leaves, Colocasia, Coriander/Cilantro, Radish leaves, etc. ?

 

[Yvonne G]

Okra is fine to feed. I don't know about sponge gourd, but I did an image search and it looks like a squash. It is an edible vegetable, so it should be ok too.

 

[Yash Raj]

Okra is fine to feed. I don't know about sponge gourd, but I did an image search and it looks like a squash. It is an edible vegetable, so it should be ok too.

We have Ridge Gourd, Sponge Gourd, Snake Gourd, Bitter Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Ivy Gourd, etc., edible vegetables. You may look at them on Wikipedia or Google Images.
Can I give Potato, Plantain, Bell Pepper, Colocasia, Coriander/Cilantro, etc. ?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Yash Raj:

Did we ever learn where you are?

Please remember that I don't know how to take care of star tortoises. I was only saying that the veggies you mentioned are edible. I have fed okra to my torts before. I wouldn't feed potatoes, however they're not harmful. Bell pepper is ok as is plantain. But colocasia is toxic. However the tortoises in malaysia eat it as a staple in their diet. Coriander/cilantro would be ok once in a while, but not regularly.

 

[TortBrain]

Night is 25° C [77° F] now. Winter is coming & it will be 18-21° C [64-69° F] at night. Is it fine ? If not, what to do ?

I have a surrounding garden lawn home. With plants. We have Hibiscus. White, Red & Pink.
Red Rose.
But I do not keep my Tortoise outside due to pesticides on lawn.

Can anyone help me with the diet part ?
How about Fenugreek leaves, Colocasia, Coriander/Cilantro, Radish leaves, etc. ?

Better keep the little one warm. My basking spot is around 90+'F and I still find that it's not warn enough. Get a heat bulb.
Let it roam outside during sunny day.
Really, sun can do miracle to them and they are super duper active when sun tanning. Just don't over bake them. Lol! Mist them once awhile and have shades for them to hide.