How to Training Shy Star Tortoise.

suryansh786

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Got a star tortoise 3 years ago. His age would be roughly 6 years.
He is too shy and gets inside his shell if anyone passed near its house.
He doesn't eat anything except cucumber.
He urinates white color pee.
How can I train him so that, He will start eating with my hand and become friendly?
 

Maggie3fan

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Got a star tortoise 3 years ago. His age would be roughly 6 years.
He is too shy and gets inside his shell if anyone passed near its house.
He doesn't eat anything except cucumber.
He urinates white color pee.
How can I train him so that, He will start eating with my hand and become friendly?
He will only eat cucumber because he has trained YOU to only feed him cucumber...He can only eat what you feed him...feed him the correct food and he will have to eat the correct food...handling him over 3 years should have tamed him...do you have kids who might be scaring him?
 

suryansh786

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India
He will only eat cucumber because he has trained YOU to only feed him cucumber...He can only eat what you feed him...feed him the correct food and he will have to eat the correct food...handling him over 3 years should have tamed him...do you have kids who might be scaring him?

There are no children in my home. I give him different veggies and leaves but he never eat them.
 

KarenSoCal

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Cucumber does not satisfy his nutritional needs.

It sounds like it's time for some "tough love". Stop giving him cucumber. Put a big pile of many different types of greens in front of him in the morning, and leave him be. He will not starve himself. He may go on a hunger strike for a couple weeks trying to get you to cave in, but stay strong. He will eventually eat it.

The white pee is called urates. They are normalas long as they are creamy or like toothpaste. If they are gritty or hard, he needs to be soaked more.

Do you soak him? That's a way to get him more used to you. Sit in his yard with him and pet his shell for a bit. Offer him a safe flower to eat. If he's off cucumber, he might be more likely to take food from your hand.

When you pick him up, hold him securely against your chest. Torts are terrified when their legs dangle in the air. He'll feel much more secure with his feet against you.

Does he like the hose? Gently spritz him with some water. If he likes it, make sure he can see you while you spray him.

And make sure that no one is teasing or harassing him. Maybe someone who walks by on a sidewalk and can see him in his enclosure.
 
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