Update on my Star Tortoises!

[leno]

I had brought my torts to the vet.
All has been well. Doc advise to change to a healthier diet and change the substrate.

I have attached photos of the new enclosure made with top soil and mix w burnt earth. Of course the torts too.

I'm currently feeding Prickly pear cactus, green kale, mix with mazuri LS diet and Zoo Med Grassland tortoise diet, with clacium powder.

Have been soaking them for 20 mins twice daily.

Hope they would do well!

thanks for all the help tortoise forum! especially ascotts, yvonne, and friends.

 

[wellington]

Hope things all work out, but I am thinking it's too dry, no humidity. @Tom may be able to help better here with that. Good luck

 

[Tom]

Kale is okay once in a while, but I wouldn't feed it often. You need much more variety in the diet. If you must use grocery store foods I would favor endive escarole and some spring mix.

The enclosure looks too dry to me too. I prefer to simulate the Indian monsoon season for babies, rather than the dry season. It works better, and it grows them smoother and healthier. Of course, what do I know? Perhaps you should just continue taking advice from members who have never even seen a star tortoise in person…

I also see that you have a lamp clamped to the side of the tub there. Those clamps always fail eventually and it can lead to disaster. I recommend you suspend the lamp from over head instead of using the clamp.

Here are some diet suggestions:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

 

[Jodie]

I would build a cold frame and put plastic over that enclosure for a quick fix. It will hold the heat and humidity in, plus gives a frame to hang the light from.
I love stars. They are so pretty. Without consistent high humidity though they pyramid really bad.

 

[Careym13]

Find a way to get some plastic sheeting strung up over the enclosure...might not look pretty but it'll keep that much needed humidity in. Shower curtain liners would work too. You could build a simple frame then staple/tape the plastic to it. Your torts are beautiful btw

 

[Joo]

Hope things all work out, but I am thinking it's too dry, no humidity. @Tom may be able to help better here with that. Good luck

Leno, with more then 200 days of rain a year, We have humility above 80 all year round, remove the lamp that dry the enclosure and more natural sun. We are located 1 degree north of the equator, definitely more then enough sunlight for your torts,

 

[leno]

Kale is okay once in a while, but I wouldn't feed it often. You need much more variety in the diet. If you must use grocery store foods I would favor endive escarole and some spring mix.

The enclosure looks too dry to me too. I prefer to simulate the Indian monsoon season for babies, rather than the dry season. It works better, and it grows them smoother and healthier. Of course, what do I know? Perhaps you should just continue taking advice from members who have never even seen a star tortoise in person…

I also see that you have a lamp clamped to the side of the tub there. Those clamps always fail eventually and it can lead to disaster. I recommend you suspend the lamp from over head instead of using the clamp.

Here are some diet suggestions:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

Hi @Tom , Thanks, I will damp the soil to make the soil to make it have higher humidity. thanks.

 

[leno]

I would build a cold frame and put plastic over that enclosure for a quick fix. It will hold the heat and humidity in, plus gives a frame to hang the light from.
I love stars. They are so pretty. Without consistent high humidity though they pyramid really bad.

Thanks, I will put over a plastic cover to maintain the humidity.

 

[leno]

Find a way to get some plastic sheeting strung up over the enclosure...might not look pretty but it'll keep that much needed humidity in. Shower curtain liners would work too. You could build a simple frame then staple/tape the plastic to it. Your torts are beautiful btw

Thanks for the compliment, I will set up the enclosure to increase the humidity, btw does anyone have any photos of how the enclosure to be covered up? Sample photos to learn from ?

 

[Tom]

Leno, with more then 200 days of rain a year, We have humility above 80 all year round, remove the lamp that dry the enclosure and more natural sun. We are located 1 degree north of the equator, definitely more then enough sunlight for your torts,

Where are you Joo?

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the compliment, I will set up the enclosure to increase the humidity, btw does anyone have any photos of how the enclosure to be covered up? Sample photos to learn from ?

I don't like to "cover" open topped enclosures. I have not found an adequate way to do that. I prefer to design and build closed chambers. I'n able to control all heating, lighting and humidity parameters very easily in these closed enclosures. Here is one that I'm using right now:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/2015-growth-experiment.119874/

 

[Jodie]

This has worked extremely well for me.

 

[Careym13]

This is what I use for a closed chamber: Some of the lighting has been changed out since the photo was taken but the enclosure itself has worked out extremely well.

 

[leno]

This has worked extremely well for me.View attachment 149346

Wow, It's huge set up....nice !

 

[wellington]

This is what I use for a closed chamber: Some of the lighting has been changed out since the photo was taken but the enclosure itself has worked out extremely well.View attachment 149347

Buying this if my eggs in the cooker turn out to be good. What a great home for a closed chamber, love it. Wish I had seen it when my leopard was little.

 

[Joo]

Where are you Joo?

Same as Leno, Singapore.

 

[jimbojam]

Hi Joo and Leno, u both from Singapore? Where did u get your tortoise food supply from? Especially the mazuri LS one? I can't seems to find it in shops. Or do u have any online places that I can get the supplies from? My tortoise food is getting low and I need to replace soon.
Sorry I had to ask in this thread but I cannot seems to find the pm button or something like that. Sorry

 

[Joo]

Hi Joo and Leno, u both from Singapore? Where did u get your tortoise food supply from? Especially the mazuri LS one? I can't seems to find it in shops. Or do u have any online places that I can get the supplies from? My tortoise food is getting low and I need to replace soon.
Sorry I had to ask in this thread but I cannot seems to find the pm button or something like that. Sorry

I feed my with greens I get from wet market, grass from road sides, Sup with ZooMed Grassland tort food and calcium from pet shops (Animal Kingdom, pet lovers ...ETC)
I am not able to get Mazuri LS.