Help My Stars Are Mating!

[OperaticAddict]

Hello! My name is Daniel & I'm new to this forum. I have an adult 5 in male Indian Star who I've had for two years living very happily here with me in his tank in New York City. I rescued him from a terrible pet shop in Florida while on vacation & then spent a ridiculous amount of money to get him de-wormed & up to snuff. My vet believes that he is a full adult & may be much older than his 5 inches indicate because he was mistreated. I recently purchased an adult female star to keep him company, & after quarantining her for 3 months & a full vet check up, I added her to his tank. The tank is about 40 in. L x 16 in. W x 18 in. H & I use Timothy Hay as substrate with a Humid Hide box on one side. In the last week I have caught them having sex at least five times in the tank! I am not set up for this! I would love to have baby stars, but I need some advice on what I should do? Do I need to buy a vision tub or something? There is no way she is going to lay eggs on a bed of Timothy Hay. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Daniel:

to the forum!!

I don't know about stars, or breeding/egg laying in an aquarium, so I'll leave your problem for someone else to solve!

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Daniel

Where to start Your male at 5 inches isn't stunted, he's just adult size. Males don't get very big. If your female is over 6 inches, she is large enough to lay eggs. A 4' X 2' X 2' enclosure would be better than the one you have. You'll want to change to a topsoil and bark substrate for laying. A good 8" of soil and about 2" of bark will do nicely.

Danny

 

[samstar]

Also do checkout http://www.startortoiseuk.co.uk/

 

[spikethebest]

Welcome to the forum!! I want to see pictures!!

 

[elegans]

WOW! A 5" male is actually quite large. I raised a male for 10 years and he never got over 3 2/4" he was a great breeder by the way. Your female will need to be able to dig at least 5" to feel comfortable to lay eggs, or at least this is what I have found. I am happy to hear of a positive outcome from a WC Indian that is alive and doing well. They are great animals, just not outside in Florida. Welcome to Tortoise Forum. Douglas Beard

 

[samstar]

WOW! A 5" male is actually quite large. I raised a male for 10 years and he never got over 3 2/4" he was a great breeder by the way. Your female will need to be able to dig at least 5" to feel comfortable to lay eggs, or at least this is what I have found. I am happy to hear of a positive outcome from a WC Indian that is alive and doing well. They are great animals, just not outside in Florida. Welcome to Tortoise Forum. Douglas Beard

I always thought males grow upto 6-7" and females 9-10".