Best Breeder Burmese Star

[Shaif]

Hi Friends,

I have been learning about Burmese Stars for over a year now. I think I may be ready to take the leap! Who is the best breeder? Can you guys give me a general price range to expect? I'm hoping to find a very healthy and outgoing hatchling or well started baby who is very comfortable with human interaction. I'm willing to wait for the perfect one.

 

[JoesMum]

What country are you in? it makes a lot of difference

 

[Markw84]

You will love Burmese stars! Very hardy once started properly and quite personable. You will probably be around $1000 for well started one.

I have a group expecting eggs this winter, but no eggs yet.
Check with:
@Tom
@Dan
@KenS
@kingsley
@skottip

 

[no one]

Just curious what is the price for an Indian Star over there?

 

[Markw84]

Just curious what is the price for an Indian Star over there?

Probably around, or just under $500

 

[no one]

Wow, that is €423,44 (euro)!! And a Burmese Star, €846,88 (euro). Prices are high. I pay €200,- for an Indian Star hatchling from a breeder. That is $236,16.

 

[Shaif]

What country are you in? it makes a lot of difference

You are absolutely correct. Sorry about that omission.

I’m in Pittsburgh, PA. USA.

 

[Shaif]

You will love Burmese stars! Very hardy once started properly and quite personable. You will probably be around $1000 for well started one.

I have a group expecting eggs this winter, but no eggs yet.
Check with:
@Tom
@Dan
@KenS
@kingsley
@skottip

Thank you! I’m very excited and see some trusted names in this list.

Good luck with your first babies! Please share your pictures!

 

[Tom]

Hi Friends,

I have been learning about Burmese Stars for over a year now. I think I may be ready to take the leap! Who is the best breeder? Can you guys give me a general price range to expect? I'm hoping to find a very healthy and outgoing hatchling or well started baby who is very comfortable with human interaction. I'm willing to wait for the perfect one.

They are a fantastic species. Love them. Personable, hardy, easy to feed and care for…

I got mine from John at Coastal, KenS, Skottip and the Behler Center. Very very happy with all of them.

Here are a few things I've learned about them that might help:

• When you ship babies, they stop growing, or slow down a lot, for months. The first six months I had mine, I was terrified that something was wrong and they were going to die. Remember who is telling you this though. I'm used to baby sulcata growth rates. So when my stars only gained a gram every week or two, I was in a state of high anxiety for a long time. In talking to other keepers, I now know this is common. Eventually they all start growing and thriving at a more "normal" rate. Mine all reached mature size in about 4 years and I just got my second clutch of eggs last night. Fingers crossed for some fertility out of my first years moms.
• The Burmese star breeders who are all fantastic human beings who I love, admire and respect, do NOT have the temp sex thing worked out yet. No offense fellas, just reporting what I've seen! I bought babies that were all supposed to be temp sexed for female and I ended up with exactly 50% from each individual seller being female. So for example, I bought 4 from Mr. KenS and two were female and two male. The four from Skottip were two males and two females. Two bought from John were one male and one female. I've heard of other buyers having similar experiences.
• They like grass. I offer fresh grass to all my tortoises, but some seem to like it more than others. My sulcatas and SA leopards love the grass. Russians eat around it. CDTs will eat some, but they seem to prefer other stuff first. If I mix grass into my stars pile of food, they devour it all up. When I let them roam in their grassy pens in my yard, I frequently see them grazing on the grass when they have other things available to eat.
• I haven't yet come across anyone who doesn't think babies should be soaked every day. This is sometimes argued with other species. Everyone seems to agree: Soak baby platynota every day.
• Some people used to keep them on the dry side. Just like so many other species, it doesn't work well and results in slow growth and pyramiding. This species can be added to the list that thrive in tropical monsoon conditions.
• My stars are most active and eat most in the afternoon/evening. Many days the food pile would just sit there hardly touched, and then be devoured at 4-5pm with not a scrap left. I found this odd, as none of my other species do this, but there it is. Heard the same story from other keepers. Many summer nights, I go out to collect them and put them away and I'll find 3-4 of them walking around in the dark. NONE of my other tortoise species do this at all. My other species are bedded down for the night and asleep when the sun starts going down.
• They like it hot. In summer, ambient in their closed chambers would climb into the mid 90s. I would still see them basking under the heat lamps. Crazy! They do have enough sense to stay out of the sun on hot summer afternoons, but they like heat.

Here is Pink2, one of the ones from Skottip, laying her very first clutch of 8 eggs on 10-1-2017:



And here is my largest female depositing her first 7 eggs last night. She came from John at Coastal. She dug about 8 test holes last month but never laid, so I was very relieved to see this. She weighs almost 4000g now:


I'm told they usually lay in winter, so with 15 eggs in hand in Fall, I'm pretty happy. Hoping for a good season!

Take the plunge. You will love them. I can't think of any downside to this species. They stay a manageable size, they are gorgeous, they eat anything and everything, they are adaptable to different climates and diets, they are friendly and curious with their people, but not violently aggressive toward each other… I suppose if you only like giant 50 pound plus species, then this one isn't for you, but for everyone else, I don't know what more a person could ask for.

I've seen hatchlings for sale from $1000 each up to $1400 each.

Ask us lots of questions! I love talking about this species and I love hearing other people talk about them too.

 

[G-stars]

I love this species. I agree with most of what @Tom said about them. Yes temp sexing for this species is NOT accurate from my experience with 15 hatchlings. I have also noticed that they like it hot and humid. Now that they are old enough to be outside full time, I have noticed the same as Tom that they won't eat or be active until the afternoon. Not something my other tortoises do. As far as his experience with shipping them goes, all 15 of my hatchlings grew quickly from day one. They averaged 20 grams a month for the first year.

 

[Shaif]

They are a fantastic species. Love them. Personable, hardy, easy to feed and care for…

I got mine from John at Coastal, KenS, Skottip and the Behler Center. Very very happy with all of them.

Here are a few things I've learned about them that might help:

• When you ship babies, they stop growing, or slow down a lot, for months. The first six months I had mine, I was terrified that something was wrong and they were going to die. Remember who is telling you this though. I'm used to baby sulcata growth rates. So when my stars only gained a gram every week or two, I was in a state of high anxiety for a long time. In talking to other keepers, I now know this is common. Eventually they all start growing and thriving at a more "normal" rate. Mine all reached mature size in about 4 years and I just got my second clutch of eggs last night. Fingers crossed for some fertility out of my first years moms.
• The Burmese star breeders who are all fantastic human beings who I love, admire and respect, do NOT have the temp sex thing worked out yet. No offense fellas, just reporting what I've seen! I bought babies that were all supposed to be temp sexed for female and I ended up with exactly 50% from each individual seller being female. So for example, I bought 4 from Mr. KenS and two were female and two male. The four from Skottip were two males and two females. Two bought from John were one male and one female. I've heard of other buyers having similar experiences.
• They like grass. I offer fresh grass to all my tortoises, but some seem to like it more than others. My sulcatas and SA leopards love the grass. Russians eat around it. CDTs will eat some, but they seem to prefer other stuff first. If I mix grass into my stars pile of food, they devour it all up. When I let them roam in their grassy pens in my yard, I frequently see them grazing on the grass when they have other things available to eat.
• I haven't yet come across anyone who doesn't think babies should be soaked every day. This is sometimes argued with other species. Everyone seems to agree: Soak baby platynota every day.
• Some people used to keep them on the dry side. Just like so many other species, it doesn't work well and results in slow growth and pyramiding. This species can be added to the list that thrive in tropical monsoon conditions.
• My stars are most active and eat most in the afternoon/evening. Many days the food pile would just sit there hardly touched, and then be devoured at 4-5pm with not a scrap left. I found this odd, as none of my other species do this, but there it is. Heard the same story from other keepers. Many summer nights, I go out to collect them and put them away and I'll find 3-4 of them walking around in the dark. NONE of my other tortoise species do this at all. My other species are bedded down for the night and asleep when the sun starts going down.
• They like it hot. In summer, ambient in their closed chambers would climb into the mid 90s. I would still see them basking under the heat lamps. Crazy! They do have enough sense to stay out of the sun on hot summer afternoons, but they like heat.

Here is Pink2, one of the ones from Skottip, laying her very first clutch of 8 eggs on 10-1-2017:
View attachment 221202


And here is my largest female depositing her first 7 eggs last night. She came from John at Coastal. She dug about 8 test holes last month but never laid, so I was very relieved to see this. She weighs almost 4000g now:
View attachment 221203

I'm told they usually lay in winter, so with 15 eggs in hand in Fall, I'm pretty happy. Hoping for a good season!

Take the plunge. You will love them. I can't think of any downside to this species. They stay a manageable size, they are gorgeous, they eat anything and everything, they are adaptable to different climates and diets, they are friendly and curious with their people, but not violently aggressive toward each other… I suppose if you only like giant 50 pound plus species, then this one isn't for you, but for everyone else, I don't know what more a person could ask for.

I've seen hatchlings for sale from $1000 each up to $1400 each.

Ask us lots of questions! I love talking about this species and I love hearing other people talk about them too.

Don’t laugh at me. I printed this post. I’m going to give it to my husband tonight and inform him this will be his Christmas gift to me.

Seriously excited.

 

[Shaif]

Guys, is Chris L a good source? I can preorder for a February clutch.
He’s in my geographical area—so hopefully less trauma shipping or I could even make the drive.

Thanks again!
S

 

[Tom]

Don’t laugh at me. I printed this post. I’m going to give it to my husband tonight and inform him this will be his Christmas gift to me.

Seriously excited.

Too late. I already laughed…

Chris L. is a great source. I would definitely make the drive vs. shipping if you have the choice.

If it doesn't work out with Chris, my first clutches should hatch in late Jan or early Feb. It would be a longer drive to get to me though. Much longer…

 

[Shaif]

I love this species. I agree with most of what @Tom said about them. Yes temp sexing for this species is NOT accurate from my experience with 15 hatchlings. I have also noticed that they like it hot and humid. Now that they are old enough to be outside full time, I have noticed the same as Tom that they won't eat or be active until the afternoon. Not something my other tortoises do. As far as his experience with shipping them goes, all 15 of my hatchlings grew quickly from day one. They averaged 20 grams a month for the first year.

Thank you for your input. Did you have your stars shipped? If so, was it a far distance? So awesome that they were gaining from the beginning!

 

[Shaif]

Too late. I already laughed…

Chris L. is a great source. I would definitely make the drive vs. shipping if you have the choice.

If it doesn't work out with Chris, my first clutches should hatch in late Jan or early Feb. It would be a longer drive to get to me though. Much longer…

Going to try to avoid the shipping. But would buy from you in a second if you were closer.

 

[skottip]

Well, I am honored to be on this list! By far my favorite tortoise. I have some eggs cooking now but I also have some holdbacks from last year that are pushing 100 grams or so. Some just over, some just under. Super smooth with rock hard shells. I also have some larger ones available. Feel free to text me if you want at 954 604 7054. I have babies available from 6 different females. Tom, you grew those babies fast! OMG, Now I wish I held a few back that year. lol What year did I sell those to you? Shaif, I have never had a problem with shipping (knock on wood)...

 

[G-stars]

Thank you for your input. Did you have your stars shipped? If so, was it a far distance? So awesome that they were gaining from the beginning!

Yes they got shipped to CA from NY; @KenS is the breeder. You will get some nice healthy animals from him. Didn't have one problem with the shipping or them settling in. They immediately started eating and putting on weight.

 

[Tom]

Tom, you grew those babies fast! OMG, Now I wish I held a few back that year. lol What year did I sell those to you?

June of 2013.

 

[Geezer]

I also received some shipped from @KenS and had no problem with growth after receiving them. The first group from this year are over 100 g.

 

[Shaif]

Well, I am honored to be on this list! By far my favorite tortoise. I have some eggs cooking now but I also have some holdbacks from last year that are pushing 100 grams or so. Some just over, some just under. Super smooth with rock hard shells. I also have some larger ones available. Feel free to text me if you want at 954 604 7054. I have babies available from 6 different females. Tom, you grew those babies fast! OMG, Now I wish I held a few back that year. lol What year did I sell those to you? Shaif, I have never had a problem with shipping (knock on wood)...

Thank you for the reply. This is a very impressive list, so you should be proud! I have put a down payment on a baby that is closer to my home. I know some torts are ok with the shipping, but I'm always a wreck--the "what if's" kill me. Also, I have to wait for the enclosure (ordered, but still in line). But thank you for offering one of your hold backs. They must be amazing. Do you have pics?