# thinking to breed indian star tortoise need advise



## xXtortoiseloverXx

hey guys,i saw like 8 Indian star tortoises in reptile store , so i am thinking to buy 2 males and 2 females to breed them , so i need some advise , currently i have 2 baby leopard tortoises,and i have 2 sulcata for 10 years.so i know the basic thing to take care tortoise.is it gonna be easy to breed star tortoise? and anything that i need to beware ?,please let me know ,thanks guys.


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## Jacob

Welcome to the forum!


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

Thanks 


Jacob said:


> Welcome to the forum!


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## Arizona Sulcata

I've never breeder stars but I think the general rule would be to have a 3-1 ratio of females to males. 2 males competing over 2 females will probably cause problems.


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

yeah i hear male tortoises will fight each other but i just read this page and they recommended 2+2 ,that is where i got the idea http://startortoises.net/breeding.html


Arizona Sulcata said:


> I've never breeder stars but I think the general rule would be to have a 3-1 ratio of females to males. 2 males competing over 2 females will probably cause problems.


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## Laura

if it was easy... there would be more of them... not sure if they are easy to breed or not... they might require conditons we cant dupclicate? or maybe they have very small clutches? 
???


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## JeffG

What part of the world do you live in, and how old are the torts you are thinking about buying? Stars are awesome torts. Just like any other reptile, they will breed if you provide them all of the things they need. 

Are these siblings? I always hesitate to buy an entire group from one source because I don't want to have only one bloodline to work with. I would never discourage anyone from attempting to breed stars, but if you have the means to acquire a group of them, it might be better to get them from multiple sources.


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## ALDABRAMAN

Welcome!

Beautiful species of tortoise.


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## Arizona Sulcata

I believe Neal here on the forum breeds Indian Stars, perhaps send him a PM for advise. I myself would love to get into the Sri Lankan Stars. Not going to happen for a very long time but that's my ultimate tortoise goal. Haha


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## tortadise

Welcome. It depends on what size they are. Typically makes don't need any compitition with other males. Indians usually need to be around a minimum of 7-71/2" to lay. They need a nesting site at least 12" deep so they can dig and lay there eggs. What I do is keep my males separate and then put them together to let them breed. Females can stress if kept together with an aggressive male. Basically just keep them the way a star needs to be housed the male will take care of it.


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## Yvonne G

Hi xXtortoiseloverXx:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

If you put male and female tortoises together, they will breed. But its not as easy as that. The female has to have the proper area in which to dig her nest and lay her eggs. That is hard, sometimes, to provide. 

What would you like us to call you?

...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?


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## Neal

What part of the country/world are you in?

The Indian Star mating and egg laying season are very dependent on a monsoon season. In AZ, it's easy for us here because we have the summer monsoons. I have heard that indian stars kept in other parts of the country that don't experience this have a difficult time breeding them.


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

JeffG said:


> What part of the world do you live in, and how old are the torts you are thinking about buying? Stars are awesome torts. Just like any other reptile, they will breed if you provide them all of the things they need.
> 
> Are these siblings? I always hesitate to buy an entire group from one source because I don't want to have only one bloodline to work with. I would never discourage anyone from attempting to breed stars, but if you have the means to acquire a group of them, it might be better to get them from multiple sources.


I am live in USA Florida , weather here is hot in 4 season , I just bought them today 2male + 2 female , I think they are siblings , I would love to get from different source but I think it is very hard to find a young star tortoise here cause I never seen one before , and the reptile store told me that last star tortoise they got were 3 years ago.


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

Thanks guys I just got 2 males +2 females today I will post some pic tomorrow they are like 2 to 3 years old


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## Radiated

what size are they?[/align]


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

Neal said:


> What part of the country/world are you in?
> 
> The Indian Star mating and egg laying season are very dependent on a monsoon season. In AZ, it's easy for us here because we have the summer monsoons. I have heard that indian stars kept in other parts of the country that don't experience this have a difficult time breeding them.


Monsoon , does that means I need to keep them outdoor ?


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

Radiated said:


> what size are they?[/align]



Size of soda can


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## Radiated

Thats small, its going to take a few years. I think its best to keep them outdoors.


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

Yeah I know , I wanna keep them outdoor but I just dont feel safe .


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## Radiated

Not safe because of what?


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## xXtortoiseloverXx

we have vulture here, and ppl may steal it


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## BigFire

Personally, I would buy from a breeder. and not support pet stores. Try to bargain for price since you are interested in buying 4 units. I would think 1.3 - 1 male and 2 females. If they are 4 inches, you have 2 or more years to wait until sexual maturity...also feed them daily, to grow into strong and capable young adults.


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## RedfootsRule

Hey, Im also going to soon get into breeding star tortoises, however I'm going to buy an adult pair. I am also located in florida, and heres what I know. Stars CANNOT be kept outside in sw florida. We have humidity in an upwards of 70% here, and about 40% is just right for stars. For a short time, (for example, summer monsoons) its fine, but they can't live full-time in it, as it will cause respiratory issues and probably eventual death...With animals this expensive, fragile, (and with their wild numbers we need to keep as many alive and breeding as we can) I would definitely build them an indoor enclosure. Try star tortoise.net, they have basically all the information you could want about anything to do with stars.


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