Help Pixie!

[starkid]

Hi guys.
This is what I can tell you -
My tortoises are kept indoors.

I feed them carrot , coriander and french beans.

I keep them in the sun light for about 20mins everyday. Is this enough?
Are calcium supplements necessary?

I have noticed that my youngest, Pixie has these extremely tiny black bugs crawling over her shell and skin. Her shell has tiny holes in it. Is this because of the bugs or too little sunlight and no calcium?

I soak them in shallow water for about half an hour, two-three times a day.
I have not seen them drinking much water.
I have been keeping them on paper for some time now, but now I will use grass hay. Can they lay eggs in it?

Please help. I just got these cute friends and I need to know more about them.
Thanks.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have no experience with Star tortoises, but just reading your post, I think you are not offering a nice enough variety of foods to the little tortoise. Here's a link to a conversation about what the others on the list are feeding their Stars: http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-4382.html

As for the bugs...I've never had this problem, but there is a product you can buy at a pet store to put on snakes when they have mites. Also, the mites or bugs are usually in the substrate, so if you clean out the habitat, give the container a good washing and let it dry in the sun, then add fresh new substrate, you will more than likely get rid of the bugs. If you're talking about an outside habitat, there are a few plants that discourage bugs. Marigold is one.

I just re-read your post and I see you keep the tortoise indoors and on paper. I don't know what to tell you. However, the holes in the shell don't sound right to me. Try washing the tortoise with a diluted solution of Chlorhexidine (Nolvesan), or diluted Betadine. Both of these can be purchased either online or at a drug store.

Yvonne

 

[Itort]

I'm going ask a few questions so we have a starting point. How large an enclosure are they in? How warm are you keeping them? Do they have humid hidesa for of them? Are you providing UV B ( I use 0.8) lights ? When you say 20 minutes of sun a day is that outside? Offer them dark greens such as dandalion, plantain weed, wood violets (all these are common weeds), collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens. Plant leaves such as mulberry or grape are good. Opuntia cactus is excellant food and rich in the nutrients needed (riverrock organics has excellant ones and you can order on line). Post some pictures of Pixie's shell, I don't know what the problem is but someone may have an idea.

 

[starkid]

I just got these torts so I have not yet made these hides

 

[Itort]

Depending on size of tort I use cheap opaque storage containers with cutouts for entrance and sphagum moss as bedding (others will attach sponge to top for humidity). The site for opuntia is www.rivenrock.com

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Starkid,
Seeing as you are in India, and probably within the range of your Star tortoises. It would be best to keep them outside in a secure pen that gets sun for at least half the day.
Most native ground vegetation should be fine for your Stars, especially grass. If you can get cuttlebone for birds that would be great for the calcium.

Danny

 

[starkid]

Can I crush human calcium tablets, and apply on their food?
Please reply, this is urgent.

 

[egyptiandan]

Yes you can crush human calcium tablets and sprinkle that on the food. You should get ones with vitamin D in them.

Danny