New enclosure.. safe plants?

[samstar]

I cannot find straw but I am willing to change the top part of the hay every 3 days and the whole hay once in 7 days. I shall also pick up the poop everyday.

Would this be ok?

I ain't no tort expert but it sounds good

 

[Yvonne G]

I cannot find straw but I am willing to change the top part of the hay every 3 days and the whole hay once in 7 days. I shall also pick up the poop everyday.

Would this be ok?

And, if you cut the hay with the scissors to make it shorter lengths...say 4 or 5 inches...then you wouldn't be removing so much of the substrate when you spot clean.

Yvonne

 

[GBtortoises]

Cutting it shorter would probably also make it a better substrate too. The problem I've found with trying to use hay or straw indoors is that it is in long strands which tends to get dragged around in bunches. But that is baled hay, not bagged. Being shorter would stop it from being dragged around and maybe the tortoises would walk on top of it instead of through it!

 

[Naturelover]

I will be changing the top part of the hay today.. I shall cut it shorter as suggested..

Thank you everyone, you guys are really the best

 

[Naturelover]

I got some tomatoes, cucumbers, pumkin, pumkin seeds, romaine lettuce and coriander for him today.. he dint like the pumpkin too much but he ate three 1 inch pieces.... He loves tomato and cucumber but I am feeding him both the items in moderation..

I will be getting a rose and some hibiscus flowers and leaves tomorrow... Can I feed him rose leaves?

 

[stells]

The benefit of using hay for stars is they can and will eat it... IMO grasses should be part of their diet.... there has been a few reports of Straw getting impacted if eaten regularly....

 

[samstar]

good thing for me is that I have a garden for them to graze on

 

[stells]

Mine love the garden its just to cold most of the time in the UK for them to get outside... mine do get out for however long the weather stays good for...

 

[Naturelover]

I can leave him out in our garden since my dogs play there the entire day... I have cut up the new hay into 5 inch pieces...

Can anyone ID if Samson is Indian, Burmese or Sri Lankan? I am still not sure since they look similar...

 

[J_Foster]

Can anyone ID if Samson is Indian, Burmese or Sri Lankan? I am still not sure since they look similar...

He's almost certainly an Indian Star. Definitely not Burmese. 95% sure he's not Sri Lankan. Indians have fewer radiating lines (like yours) and tend to be a little more brown & tan while Sris tend to be more black & cream colored. That's the best way I can describe it. Better yet, go to this link and it'll explain it all to you more clearly:

http://startortoises.net/indian-vs-burmese.html

It's a great website on stars. Enjoy!

- Jim

 

[tortoisenerd]

Rose leaves are a favorite of many tortoises. Do make sure that anything fed, especially flowers, is chemical free. You do not want them to have had any pesticides, fertilizers, etc. If they have had chemicals, they should sit out of reach of the tortoise for at least 6 months to leach out the chemicals. If you buy them for a nursery or similar, unless they are marked organic, you need to assume they have chemicals on them. I think flowers especially are dangerous because to make them look pretty (no bugs) they will use a lot of chemicals, much more so than foods meant for human consumption.

Do watch the moderation of the cucumber and tomato. In my opinion, this would mean 10% of the meal once a week for example. Tortoises can easily get hooked on the bad foods.

 

[Naturelover]

Thanks for the id I shall see the link...

My mum has a few rose plants, she grows them without fertilizers or pesticides.. The plants are nourished with natural manure like vegetable peels, egg shells etc ... I think I shall take a few leaves from there to feed Samson.

I shall feed him tomato or cucumber only once a week in small amounts. As of now he has tasted 9 vegetables and he eats them all.. I am so happy that he is not fussy, it makes my life a lot easier..

I am concerned about one thing.. he is very shy.. He puts his hand inside his shell everytime I pass by. His previous owner dint tame him.. he doesnt bite but I want him to get used to me.. I am trying to take things slowly since I dont want to scare him... Any suggestions how I can make him like me?

 

[tortoisenerd]

My tortoise will also put his head inside every time you sneak up on him. I find he is better if he sees me slowly coming from far away. I will put my hand in his line of sight, and leave it there for a bit before moving it closer. Get your tortoise used to your face and hands by having them near your tortoise. See if your tortoise will pull its head out if you keep your hand there for awhile. You can try hand feeding him (if he is hungry this will work better, such as waiting a while after you feed him typically in the day, and then that being his first bit of meal), but be cautious that then the tortoise will associate your fingers with food, and thus you nay get bitten. The more time you are visible to the tortoise while it still feels safe in its surroundings, the more likely it is to get "tame". It is normal for a tortoise to be shy. Some will never get much more tame. You can work on it for a bit and see how it goes.

 

[mlocke4548]

You just don't seem to get it about the glass aquarium. It doesn't matter that the top is open glass aquariums are no good for tortoises of any kind. Regardless of size.

 

[Naturelover]

Mlockey4548, I am not asking advice about the glass aquarium.. Everyone has their own way to keep pets, I have my own reasons and he is doing fine in the glass aquarium.. I know plenty of people who use glass aquariums and their torts are absolutely fine... I would appreciate it if you could help put with questions rather than telling me that the habitat is wrong... And yea state facts when you are saying that something is not right.. Baseless arguments are of no use...

Tortoisenerd I have some good news.. Samson has started to accept me. He doesnt put his head in any more when I go near him.. He eats when I am around and he lets me touch his head. I am not bothering him too much but he doesnt hide anymore when I am near him