Baby star tortoises won't eat :(

[Sanjo]

Hi I'm new here I've had two baby stars for about four months now and they are turning six months this in November. They are not the reason for this thread as they're doing great. two days back I got two new stars who are about two months old and they don't seem to eat anything at all so I'm starting to get a bit worried. The first two days I didn't worry as much because I thought they must be adjusting to their new home but now I'm concerned. I live in Sri Lanka where the climate is suitable to have an outdoor pen so they spend their time outdoors and they get plenty of sunshine. The breeder said they ate fine before I took them home and I've been feeding the same greens he gave the babies. Also they sleep all the time. I'm worried that they might be sick and my two healthy big babies might fall sick too. Please help

 

[dmmj]

Lets start with the basics. Temps,diet,are they with the older stars?
Tortoises often require readjustment time. a few days is not abnormal. Answer the questions, then we can help more, until then keep offering fresh food every day, oh and by the way....
Salutations. Welcome and enjoy yourself.
Excelsior!

 

[Sanjo]

Lets start with the basics. Temps,diet,are they with the older stars?
Tortoises often require readjustment time. a few days is not abnormal. Answer the questions, then we can help more, until then keep offering fresh food every day, oh and by the way....
Salutations. Welcome and enjoy yourself.
Excelsior!

It's about 32°c outdoors and yes they are with the other stars. I give them green beans, kankung, papaya,cucumber and they have plenty of grass and weeds too. All four of them have plenty of space as the pen is about 8×5 ft which I've separated with bricks. They have rocks and plants to hide under. And I usually give the older babies soaks once in two days in slight warm water. I did soak the new ones once the day I got them but was too scared to mess around too much cause they hardly eat. The big fellow is a older baby and the small one is one of the new fellows

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Sanjo, are these new tortoises living with your old ones? I'd keep them separated until you know that the new ones aren't diseased. I just went through I similar situation myself. You could easily end up with ALL of your torts being ill.....If in fact the new ones are sick.

 

[Sanjo]

Sanjo, are these new tortoises living with your old ones? I'd keep them separated until you know that the new ones aren't diseased. I just went through I similar situation myself. You could easily end up with ALL of your torts being ill.....If in fact the new ones are sick.

Gosh I made a terrible mistake The new babies had so many tiny, almost invisible ticks and a few had got on the big fellows too. I removed about forty all together. I don't know what to do but I removed as much as I can with a cotton bud and seperated them immediately

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Lots of ticks may have introduced parasites, but certainly blood loss would slow them down,too. Give them a few days to recover and see.

 

[Sanjo]

Lots of ticks may have introduced parasites, but certainly blood loss would slow them down,too. Give them a few days to recover and see.

I have never experienced ticks before, how do I know I got rid of all of the ticks? Will checking everyday be enough?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

As they feed, they will get larger and easier to see. Little ones crawling around will be harder. The only ticks I see here (Florida) are fairly large. You're sure that they're ticks, right? Maybe someone else will chime in on an easy way of getting rid of them. I'd recommend food grade Diatomaceous earth...I don't know how common that would be in your part of the world. It would kill the ticks and not harm your tortoises...or your self.

 

[Sanjo]

As they feed, they will get larger and easier to see. Little ones crawling around will be harder. The only ticks I see here (Florida) are fairly large. You're sure that they're ticks, right? Maybe someone else will chime in on an easy way of getting rid of them. I'd recommend food grade Diatomaceous earth...I don't know how common that would be in your part of the world. It would kill the ticks and not harm your tortoises...or your self.

Pretty sure they're ticks! I'll try to find out if that's available where I live Thank you so much I'll keep checking for them everyday.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

OK Sanjo. Good luck. Again..Make sure it says FOOD GRADE.

 

[jskahn]

I would make sure the "breeder" knows about the problem, his other ones must have them also.

 

[Sanjo]

I would make sure the "breeder" knows about the problem, his other ones must have them also.

I called him and made sure he checked all his tortoises.

 

[Sanjo]

OK Sanjo. Good luck. Again..Make sure it says FOOD GRADE.

One of the babies died this morning

 

[G-stars]

Sorry for your loss. How are the other ones doing?

 

[stojanovski92113]

I'm so sorry

 

[Sanjo]

Sorry for your loss. How are the other ones doing?

The big babies are doing okay, eating normally and everything. the other small fellow wouldn't eat anything :/ should I force feed some fruit juice or something?

 

[Sanjo]

I'm so sorry

I'm heart broken

 

[Hermes]

The big babies are doing okay, eating normally and everything. the other small fellow wouldn't eat anything :/ should I force feed some fruit juice or something?

In sorry about your loss. I would soak them in warm water with some baby food. I hope everything works out for the rest of them

 

[stojanovski92113]

I'm heart broken

It's not easy losing a tortoise...I've been there...again I'm so sorry for your loss. But do warm soaks on your other one don't force feed him...you will stress him out & force feeding is very dangerous. Please keep us posted!! I hope someone will chime in with more experience to help you.

 

[Hermes]

It's not easy losing a tortoise...I've been there...again I'm so sorry for your loss. But do warm soaks on your other one don't force feed him...you will stress him out & force feeding is very dangerous. Please keep us posted!! I hope someone will chime in with more experience to help you.

Yeah I didn't mean force feed him the stuff sorry if that wasn't clear, I've never force fed a tortoise but I have force fed monitors and snakes and it's very traumatic and only last option type things, what I meant was putting some baby food in the warm water you are soaking him in.