Summer Stars

KarenSoCal

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All the yolk sacs are absorbed and they've moved into their first enclosure. This is a staged pic that I took just to show the number. I don't soak them with this many in a tub. :)
View attachment 313016

A bin of fun!! Back left corner is practicing 2-legged walking, and back right corner is perfecting his rock climbing skills! ? ?
 

Blackdog1714

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That looks like a whole batch of DIVORCE if I get another! WOW they look great as we have come to expect from your quality control!
 

Tolis

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Probably the best part of the hobby is welcoming hatchlings to earth, its such a special moment.
Contributing to an endangered species population gives meaning to keeping it in the first place.
How do you and other breeders manage your populations, I assume sorted by size and sex, but then how do you keep your equally sized males from fighting?
Whats the minimum number of hatchlings one should get to ensure both male and female so one day could breed this species?
 

Tom

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Probably the best part of the hobby is welcoming hatchlings to earth, its such a special moment.
Contributing to an endangered species population gives meaning to keeping it in the first place.
How do you and other breeders manage your populations, I assume sorted by size and sex, but then how do you keep your equally sized males from fighting?
Whats the minimum number of hatchlings one should get to ensure both male and female so one day could breed this species?
Males of this species seldom fight. They get along well in groups. I have two adult groups. One is 2.3 and the other is 5.3. They are all pretty peaceful with each other.

Babies primarily live inside in closed chambers, with short forays for basking in separate outdoor enclosures. Once they are adult size, I move them outside full time with heated shelters that are managed for temperatures all season long, as you've seen in my night box threads.

Hard to say how many to buy. I bought fourteen hatchlings and got 8.6. Gus bought 15 hatchlings and got 15.0. I'd suggest at least a half dozen.
 

Tom

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They are all moved into their first enclosure. Since they are so small, I like to contain them in these little tubs inside of a larger closed chamber. Once I get them eating good I'll move them into a full size 36x48" area.IMG_2238.jpg
IMG_2245.jpg
 

Tom

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Pics of the day:
IMG_2274.jpg
IMG_2285.jpg

The variability, color and patterns on their little shells is just amazing. There are so many great tortoise species to work with and enjoy, but I don't know how you beat this. I just love this species.

On today's menu was collard greens, mallow, sow thistle, lavatera flowers, and the bright purplish thing is a sliver of opuntia fruit.
 

Tom

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I don't know what I'm doing right, but I'm doing something really really right with this species. Another 100% hatch rate from the next batch of summer eggs. These are out of my wide banded female. She tends to lay smaller clutches.
IMG_2376.jpg

There are only two notably different things I'm doing this year:
1. Early this year I decided to let the males and females live together full time.
2. The gophers and bugs destroyed about 2/3 of my tortoise food this year. I was forced to rely on larger amounts of grocery store greens than usual. Mostly endive and escarole, but lots of other greens mixed in periodically. The big difference though is the addition of all the amendments. Every meal got soaked Timothy horse hay pellets to add fiber. This quickly became apparently in their bowel movements too. Firmer and better formed. I also got a bunch of Will's dried leaf offerings from @Kapidolo Farms . Every bucket of food got a couple of handfuls of either nettle, echinacea, or moringa thrown in. I also used the "herbal hay" from @TylerStewart at totoisesupply.com. I used less Mazuri this year than normal because I had so much other stuff to feed them. ZooMed Grassland, Forest, and Gourmet pellets rounded out the food amendments nicely. They were still getting the usual grape leaves, mulberry leaves, opuntia pads and other assorted summer foods, but much more grocery store greens than usual.

I don't know what is making the difference, but I can't top 100% hatch rates for 3 out of 4 clutches. The single egg that didn't hatch from the first three clutches was one of hers.

There are 38 more summer eggs from five more clutches still incubating, and due to hatch in the next 2-4 weeks. Plus I've now got 5 winter clutches in the works too! Tell your friends. I'm going to need some help selling all these babies.
 

Tom

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Here are the new hatchlings hanging out in their brooder box after today's soak. They've got some small lavatera branches for cover and nibbling, mallow, and some endive with a little ZooMed Forest tortoise pellet and some dried raspberry leaves mixed in. They will spend about a week in boxes this size as their yolk sacs completely absorb and their umbilical scars heal up.
IMG_2402.jpg
 

Chubbs the tegu

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I don't know what I'm doing right, but I'm doing something really really right with this species. Another 100% hatch rate from the next batch of summer eggs. These are out of my wide banded female. She tends to lay smaller clutches.
View attachment 314241

There are only two notably different things I'm doing this year:
1. Early this year I decided to let the males and females live together full time.
2. The gophers and bugs destroyed about 2/3 of my tortoise food this year. I was forced to rely on larger amounts of grocery store greens than usual. Mostly endive and escarole, but lots of other greens mixed in periodically. The big difference though is the addition of all the amendments. Every meal got soaked Timothy horse hay pellets to add fiber. This quickly became apparently in their bowel movements too. Firmer and better formed. I also got a bunch of Will's dried leaf offerings from @Kapidolo Farms . Every bucket of food got a couple of handfuls of either nettle, echinacea, or moringa thrown in. I also used the "herbal hay" from @TylerStewart at totoisesupply.com. I used less Mazuri this year than normal because I had so much other stuff to feed them. ZooMed Grassland, Forest, and Gourmet pellets rounded out the food amendments nicely. They were still getting the usual grape leaves, mulberry leaves, opuntia pads and other assorted summer foods, but much more grocery store greens than usual.

I don't know what is making the difference, but I can't top 100% hatch rates for 3 out of 4 clutches. The single egg that didn't hatch from the first three clutches was one of hers.

There are 38 more summer eggs from five more clutches still incubating, and due to hatch in the next 2-4 weeks. Plus I've now got 5 winter clutches in the works too! Tell your friends. I'm going to need some help selling all these babies.
Ill be in touch w u in the spring ..there is one gone lol
 
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Tom

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Baby star tortoise wonderland:
IMG_2420.jpg

This is a 96x36 inch closed chamber that is divided in half. These guys get 48x36" to run around in. I leave plants and cover for them to walk around on, nibble, and hide if they want.

It is unbelievable how much food 21 tiny little tortoises can make disappear every day.
 
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Trav_55

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Dec 15, 2020
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Waipahu
Pics of the day:
View attachment 313375
View attachment 313376

The variability, color and patterns on their little shells is just amazing. There are so many great tortoise species to work with and enjoy, but I don't know how you beat this. I just love this species.

On today's menu was collard greens, mallow, sow thistle, lavatera flowers, and the bright purplish thing is a sliver of opuntia fruit.
Baby star tortoise wonderland:
View attachment 314394

This is a 96x36 inch closed chamber that is divided in half. These guys get 48x36" to run around in. I leave plants and cover for them to walk around on, nibble, and hide if they want.

It is unbelievable how much food 21 tiny little tortoises can make disappear every day.
Are these the Burmese star’s?
 

LoonyLovegood

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Colorado Springs, CO
Baby star tortoise wonderland:
View attachment 314394

This is a 96x36 inch closed chamber that is divided in half. These guys get 48x36" to run around in. I leave plants and cover for them to walk around on, nibble, and hide if they want.

It is unbelievable how much food 21 tiny little tortoises can make disappear every day.

Have you sold
Served on a bed of escarole today. Just a few more to finish hatching...
View attachment 312491

Have all from these clutches found homes? I'm in the market for a well-started hatchling.
 

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