Calling on indian star owners residing in INDIA

Kachhap said:

Hey Shanu 303, I have got a Indian star recently which is around 9-10 inches long and roundish. I wanted to know how old it could be and whats the gender. Any ideas would be appreciated. I have also seen your Youtube Video and like it.

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9-10 inches is what the star tortoises can grow unto i.e the full mature size. so it is hard to ascertain age without any clear picture/image.
My guess would be anywhere from 15-30 years old

shanu303 said:

@who rocks i'd like to point out that the calcium supplement you suggested is for human consumption and not for tortoises or reptiles in general. There is no need of calcium supplement if you feed proper diet and provide enough sunlight, but if you still want to give calcium then use cuttlefish bone and nothing else, i repeat nothing else, not from ayurved store, not from pharmacy and not even from pet shop. Just Cuttlefish bone.

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Hi shanu,

Regarding samudra face, its same as cuttlefish bone. Not a human consumable product. This product comes from sea. Used for birds & reptiles. Now this is a local name for that calcium resource. I have researched about its contents. & yes stars eat that only when they really need it. They r smart enough to keep them self fit. You don't need to smash it & feed them in their diet. Well this is up to my knowledge. Definitely natural diet is always recommended as u said

BaNeHa said:

Hi Shanu,
I too do follow TTT...
i'm from Mumbai...
and 'Kittu' the star is 3" (7.8 cm) long (male female i dunno)...
My mom got K last year Nov'14 and since Apr'15 K is with me...
My mom loves K but as you know there's little to nothing knowledge available about stars' diet though they are one of the native species, so from Nov'14 to Apr'15 K's main diet comprised of French beans, tomatoes, coriander leaves (please don't cringe)... this is all as directed by pet store owner...
Since I had K, I started reading a lot about stars... but unfortunately to my surprise though being a native specie most of the local grees available in market there are so little options for our torts...
As stated on TTT, dandelions and few of cacti are like wonder food for torts...
I asked my relatives to bring few pads of cactus found at our native place and K gobbled it like there's no tomorrow... but cacti are not found everywhere in Mumbai... and hibiscus leaves i have but where the fck am i suppose to find dandelions...?
Also how did you get grape wine leaves...?

I'm stopping here just cause there is no end to my rambling when it comes to K...

Please do reply as this thread is from 2013 and too old to be noticed...

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Baneha,

As shanu advised... That's all we get easily in our market around. Tomato & beans r big no. Don't feed that. Pls don't rush after dandelions... They r not found in India as far as I no. I've tried allot for the same. U can order Bermuda grass seeds from ebay. & plant it in his outdoor pen. Try to feed him from ur garden plants- rose , hibiscus & leaves.(non pest plants) pad cactus u can plant in a pot.& only feed the young grown buds. Not the big pad. It has toxic things.
For variety change banana , strawberry, watermelon (not in rainy) can b served. U can get gazania, cats eye & petunia plants or seeds in nursery . even that's good.

Can i feed them christmas cactus...?

I have few questions:
Can I keep stars on the substrate made of river sand mixed with dried leaves and wood flakes & Coco husk/coir?
Can I give him pumpkin coz he is eating only pumpkin. He is very choosy. Does not touch anything.

Kachhap said:

I have few questions:
Can I keep stars on the substrate made of river sand mixed with dried leaves and wood flakes & Coco husk/coir?
Can I give him pumpkin coz he is eating only pumpkin. He is very choosy. Does not touch anything.

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never use sand without a mixed proportion of soil, in your case you shouldn't use it, it can cause compaction and other respiratory problems. wood chips are very big and dry so avoid them, you can use coco coir/husk, just make sure to keep it moist but not wet.

Near window
Coco pit base
Box house
Air controll by same material 75% slideble roof
Sunlight proper

Stil in cold i have started hot water pouch u can see in pic.
Am i missing anything...?
Please answer evryone.
@shanu specially you, bhai..

Hari8689 said:

Near window
Coco pit base
Box house
Air controll by same material 75% slideble roof
Sunlight proper

Stil in cold i have started hot water pouch u can see in pic.
Am i missing anything...?
Please answer evryone.
@shanu specially you, bhai..

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You shouldn't use a glass enclosures as they don't allow UV light to pass through it, which is necessary for the torts to develop vit D. (LET THEM BASK IN THE SUN)
Also, you shouldn't be keeping two torts together as tortoises are territorial and they can injure each other by indulging into a fight.

@Hari8689 I agree with @arotester on the UV Light part that the aquarium glass or most glass in general does not let UV rays to pass through, although no need to change the complete enclosure, just let them bask in open sunlight with some shade areas for 2-3 hours a day. Also cover the bottom side portions of the aquarium with some paper or cloth so that the tortoises cannot see out from them, Tortoises can't recognise glass or mirror so when they see outside space and sometimes their reflection, they tend to freak out and even try to bang in the glass. Your tortoise enclosure in the process of construction so you need to keep on refining it, tidy it a bit, clean the aquarium glass if possible, also add some small live plants in the enclosure and Lastly keep up the good work. You are going in the right direction.

with regards to keeping 2 tortoises together, you can manage them when they are small, but the moment they get slightly bigger you might have to separate them. Also check for signs of bullying and depression, like one of the tort keeps on hiding continuously, or one of the tort or both stop eating etc.

I havent gave any glass enclossure. Its acrylic...and about sunlight...yes if u r saying about window glass...yes its a glass but enclosure is made if acrylic

Yes i clean it evrey alternet days. And i will stick something at down and outside...so they wont see outside.
I cant keep any plant as the plant will need water and the base of enclosure is made by wood and secondly i know they will destroy the plants in few hours... i know my torts...they dont fight with each other but they will destroy anything togather

This torts are two years of age i guess.
When i need to change the enclosure bcuz of their size...i will call you and then will make something bigger

See the skin on neck....
Do i need to worry...?
I tried to pull that skin very kindly but it wasnt got seprated from the body...

Hari8689 said:

See the skin on neck....
Do i need to worry...?
I tried to pull that skin very kindly but it wasnt got seprated from the body...

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skin shedding is a characteristic feature of many animals, more prominent in reptiles, so it is perfectly normal unless it is accompanied by blood but please don't pull it by hand, let it come off naturally, you might damage more than you help.

Ok. I have tried once of thinking its something else but then i realised that it was skin.
Thanks anyways

Nice Forum indeed, had a headache 2 months back searching for right food, habitat etc. that was a time when i got my happy (star) from local pet store. so far he is doing good and i would like to share some of his / her (not sure of gender) traits:

He hates taking bath, whenever i bath him with luke warm water he prefer to run and hide like a baby. In his enclosure he has his own water tray and i notice him playing in it 2 -3 times a day. Strange thing is that he like to pass his stool in that same tray. sometime if he wishes he don't mind doing that in balcony. but his fav. place remains tray.

whenever i leave him to bask under the sun he takes it for some time and thereafter hide himself behind flower pot.

One more strange thing is that when i leave him in my balcony, wherein i have plants and grass he try to climb the wall and end up doing somersault and keeps doing that until he his tired, at times he do that in his enclosure too.

So far as food his concern his hates anything which is not green.
- He loves hibiscus leaf but don't even touch flower.,
- Tomato or cucumber he is not found of, which i think is not a bad sign.
- Spinach (he only eat 5 % of total leaf).
- coriander / ladyfinger / lettuce ( he loves, but i noticed his stool is not as firm as it should be post his this particular food).
- On trial basis i gave him leaf from Ashoka tree (he eat it like crazy. though i am not sure of this leaf to be included in his diet or not).
- Rose leaf he likes but petals he don't even smell.
- tried feeding him grass but instead he sit on them and pee (is it normal?).
- Once i have given him radish leaf which at the time of giving was green (he eat that time) but by evening it turned pale and very light yellow and he didn't even touched it (which i think is coz of his green color obsession)
- will give him meethi ki baaji / sarso ki leaf / shaljam ki leaf and will let you guys know if he likes them.

I have not kept any alternative source of calcium like cuttlefishbone, is it advisable?

i will appreciate suggestions to keep him in more comfortable situation.

Thanks guys..

Hi all
I will be texting by this new I'd
Thank you

hari prem said:

Hi all
I will be texting by this new I'd
Thank you

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Ok, but what was your old I.D.?

Attaching Pic of my tort.

Hari8689