hello~~

[kcy]

hello everyone. i'm new here but then i really don't know much bout tortoise. juz brought a star tortoise & the shop fella told me it's illegal selling it. but somehow i brought it too

oh... can i ask y does the tortoise look like tired? even after food. is this normal?

is wood shaving (use for hamster) good for the tortoise? the shop person told me to buy this so that the tortoise won't be dirty all over the place.

please advise...

thanks

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Hi kcy, welcome!

I do not know much about stars, so please post your questions in the exotic tortoise section (http://tortoiseforum.org/forum-62.html) or in the general discussion. Also read as much as you can in the stars thread for info on proper care.

Is this your first tortoise/turtle?

 

[willy wonka]

hello everyone. i'm new here but then i really don't know much bout tortoise. juz brought a star tortoise & the shop fella told me it's illegal selling it. but somehow i brought it too

oh... can i ask y does the tortoise look like tired? even after food. is this normal?

is wood shaving (use for hamster) good for the tortoise? the shop person told me to buy this so that the tortoise won't be dirty all over the place.

please advise...

thanks

hi and welcome.. firstly congratulation for having a star tortoise. star tortoise quiet hard to keep. very hard responsibilities. not a recomended tortoise for beginner. as i know star tortoise is a very shy tortoise ( at beginning). may i know how old you stars is? can you post some pictures of your stars?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Kcy:

to the forum!

I don't think the hamster substrate will be a good one for your little tortoise. If memory serves correctly, its made out of pine shavings and pine contains harmful oils.

Just keep your Star on newspaper until someone here can offer better advice.

It sounds like the tortoise might be sick, if it looks tired all the time. Try a warm soak and see if he doesn't perk up a bit.

 

[Luvthemtorts]

If you mean "tired" because the animal eats then moves itself to sleep under the heat source or hides then yes it is normal. If you mean 'tired" as in you have to move the animal to the food and it does not thermoregulate by itself then you have a problem.
Please post up with information such as basking temps, ambient temps, humidity, enclosure details and soaking schedule then we can give you a more educated guess.

I'd like to clarify that captive born Elegans are not particularly difficult to keep. This is a myth perpetuated by the fact that many animals are wild caught and are stressed or exposed to foreign pathogens. The same can be said for many species of chelonia. Captive born is your best bet if you want a healthy, trouble free tortoise.

If the wood shavings say pine or cedar on the bag then change it out immediately. Newspaper can be used until a suitable substrate can be located in your area.

 

[Jacqui]

Sounds like you have already gotten good information and now we are just waiting for more from you. Welcome and congrats!!

 

[kcy]

Hi kcy, welcome!

I do not know much about stars, so please post your questions in the exotic tortoise section (http://tortoiseforum.org/forum-62.html) or in the general discussion. Also read as much as you can in the stars thread for info on proper care.

Is this your first tortoise/turtle?

hello,

doctor cosmo, ya. it's my 1st star totty. i hav look thru tis forum. thx 4 the help

---

hello everyone. i'm new here but then i really don't know much bout tortoise. juz brought a star tortoise & the shop fella told me it's illegal selling it. but somehow i brought it too

oh... can i ask y does the tortoise look like tired? even after food. is this normal?

is wood shaving (use for hamster) good for the tortoise? the shop person told me to buy this so that the tortoise won't be dirty all over the place.

please advise...

thanks

hi and welcome.. firstly congratulation for having a star tortoise. star tortoise quiet hard to keep. very hard responsibilities. not a recomended tortoise for beginner. as i know star tortoise is a very shy tortoise ( at beginning). may i know how old you stars is? can you post some pictures of your stars?

hello willy,

thx. it's reli hard to keep? ya. they r reli shy & i tink it's normal since u mention it. i tink the my stars r around 4mth as i get the info from the shop owner. duno much bout it too. :-(
ok will post some pic. btw, u r from m'sia rite? which part u r in?

---

Hi Kcy:

to the forum!

I don't think the hamster substrate will be a good one for your little tortoise. If memory serves correctly, its made out of pine shavings and pine contains harmful oils.

Just keep your Star on newspaper until someone here can offer better advice.

It sounds like the tortoise might be sick, if it looks tired all the time. Try a warm soak and see if he doesn't perk up a bit.

hello emy,

ya. i also think tat hamster substrate is not good 4 my stars. i hav remove it. later 2nite i might place newspaper for the stars.
i have tried to soak the totty in warm water but it duno seem like the totty like it. she move away from the water. is that normal? will try & update u again 2moro.

---

If you mean "tired" because the animal eats then moves itself to sleep under the heat source or hides then yes it is normal. If you mean 'tired" as in you have to move the animal to the food and it does not thermoregulate by itself then you have a problem.
Please post up with information such as basking temps, ambient temps, humidity, enclosure details and soaking schedule then we can give you a more educated guess.

I'd like to clarify that captive born Elegans are not particularly difficult to keep. This is a myth perpetuated by the fact that many animals are wild caught and are stressed or exposed to foreign pathogens. The same can be said for many species of chelonia. Captive born is your best bet if you want a healthy, trouble free tortoise.

If the wood shavings say pine or cedar on the bag then change it out immediately. Newspaper can be used until a suitable substrate can be located in your area.

hello,

thx 4 ur adivise. i think the totty is normal cuz after it's food she will go & look 4 a shade & sleep juz like tat. tat's y i'm wondering is tis normal? i dun have to feed it as she will go & bite the food 4 herself. ya! many have advise me to use newspaper to put under her.

bout the soaking schedule. i dun have. do i really set a time 2 do tis. if yes, den how many times a day? wow~u guy reli like professional in caring totty~~ i'm impress

thanks

---

Sounds like you have already gotten good information and now we are just waiting for more from you. Welcome and congrats!!

thanks. jacqui.

i really have no regret joining this forum. all ppl here r really friendly & professional.

ya. will post photo of the totty once i taken it.

 

[Luvthemtorts]

Soaking in lukewarm water every other day will be sufficient to keep the animal hydrated. Make sure the water only comes up to the bottom of the plastron so its head is above water even when retracted.

 

[willy wonka]

hi and welcome.. firstly congratulation for having a star tortoise. star tortoise quiet hard to keep. very hard responsibilities. not a recomended tortoise for beginner. as i know star tortoise is a very shy tortoise ( at beginning). may i know how old you stars is? can you post some pictures of your stars?
[/quote]

hello willy,

thx. it's reli hard to keep? ya. they r reli shy & i tink it's normal since u mention it. i tink the my stars r around 4mth as i get the info from the shop owner. duno much bout it too. :-(
ok will post some pic. btw, u r from m'sia rite? which part u r in?

---

hello there..

yup i'm from malaysia. now i'm staying at brickfields. you also from m'sia? which part?? hows your little stars? ok now? hope you'll post some pictures for we all

---

Hi kcy, welcome!

I do not know much about stars, so please post your questions in the exotic tortoise section (http://tortoiseforum.org/forum-62.html) or in the general discussion. Also read as much as you can in the stars thread for info on proper care.

Is this your first tortoise/turtle?

hello,

doctor cosmo, ya. it's my 1st star totty. i hav look thru tis forum. thx 4 the help

---

hello everyone. i'm new here but then i really don't know much bout tortoise. juz brought a star tortoise & the shop fella told me it's illegal selling it. but somehow i brought it too

oh... can i ask y does the tortoise look like tired? even after food. is this normal?

is wood shaving (use for hamster) good for the tortoise? the shop person told me to buy this so that the tortoise won't be dirty all over the place.

please advise...

thanks

hi and welcome.. firstly congratulation for having a star tortoise. star tortoise quiet hard to keep. very hard responsibilities. not a recomended tortoise for beginner. as i know star tortoise is a very shy tortoise ( at beginning). may i know how old you stars is? can you post some pictures of your stars?

hello willy,

thx. it's reli hard to keep? ya. they r reli shy & i tink it's normal since u mention it. i tink the my stars r around 4mth as i get the info from the shop owner. duno much bout it too. :-(
ok will post some pic. btw, u r from m'sia rite? which part u r in?

---

Hi Kcy:

to the forum!

I don't think the hamster substrate will be a good one for your little tortoise. If memory serves correctly, its made out of pine shavings and pine contains harmful oils.

Just keep your Star on newspaper until someone here can offer better advice.

It sounds like the tortoise might be sick, if it looks tired all the time. Try a warm soak and see if he doesn't perk up a bit.

hello emy,

ya. i also think tat hamster substrate is not good 4 my stars. i hav remove it. later 2nite i might place newspaper for the stars.
i have tried to soak the totty in warm water but it duno seem like the totty like it. she move away from the water. is that normal? will try & update u again 2moro.

---

If you mean "tired" because the animal eats then moves itself to sleep under the heat source or hides then yes it is normal. If you mean 'tired" as in you have to move the animal to the food and it does not thermoregulate by itself then you have a problem.
Please post up with information such as basking temps, ambient temps, humidity, enclosure details and soaking schedule then we can give you a more educated guess.

I'd like to clarify that captive born Elegans are not particularly difficult to keep. This is a myth perpetuated by the fact that many animals are wild caught and are stressed or exposed to foreign pathogens. The same can be said for many species of chelonia. Captive born is your best bet if you want a healthy, trouble free tortoise.

If the wood shavings say pine or cedar on the bag then change it out immediately. Newspaper can be used until a suitable substrate can be located in your area.

hello,

thx 4 ur adivise. i think the totty is normal cuz after it's food she will go & look 4 a shade & sleep juz like tat. tat's y i'm wondering is tis normal? i dun have to feed it as she will go & bite the food 4 herself. ya! many have advise me to use newspaper to put under her.

bout the soaking schedule. i dun have. do i really set a time 2 do tis. if yes, den how many times a day? wow~u guy reli like professional in caring totty~~ i'm impress

thanks

---

Sounds like you have already gotten good information and now we are just waiting for more from you. Welcome and congrats!!

thanks. jacqui.

i really have no regret joining this forum. all ppl here r really friendly & professional.

ya. will post photo of the totty once i taken it.

---

---

---

---

hello kcy..

yup i'm from m'sia. are you also?? which part? now i'm staying in brickfields. btw how's your little stars?? still shy?? hehe. don't worry, it's normal. hope you can post some pictures for us..

 

[jobeanator]

if its a hatchling or yearling id use moistened paper towels for them. its sufficent and keeps humidity pretty well for them.

 

[samstar]

My office is near brickfields

 

[Starry night]

Just wondering what type of language you are speaking in. Is that like some kind of internet slang (edited by YG). Anyways, stars can be difficult to keep for a first time tortoise. You do know that you need to provide a good light source with UVB for them and also a heat lamp for them. You will also need to supplement them with calcium with D3. I know some say don't use it but I've been told from several breeders and vets whom all say use the calcium with D3. You should try and and get the book "start tortoises" by Jerry fife as that book is almost like the bible for star tortoise keeping. Just learn very quickly not too feed them iceberg lettuce at all. Learn which greens not to feed them because some like broccoli and spinach has calcium blocking nutrients in them which causes your growing tortoise to not be able to absorb his much needed calcium. If you do not use a light with a UVB source and feed and supplement it correctly then it may end up dying. It's said that most star tortoises die within the first 12 months because of improper care. Check out startortoises.net because this guy has spent some time on giving some great info on his site about every aspect of caring for them. Do you know if it's a Sri Lankan star or Indian star. Good luck and I hope that you learn how to properly raise him. Welcome to the forum.

 

[samstar]

Just wondering what type of language you are speaking in. Is that like some kind of internet slang .

Ouch, thats sure was below the belt.

 

[Luvthemtorts]

Well it seems that Starry Nights' post was edited to remove some derogatory remarks so this may seem a bit harsh, however I am leaving my post intact since he is aware of what he said and may benefit from it.

I would assume from the post that they are from overseas hence the less than perfect English. I think they did just fine though as the post is quite legible.

Starry Night,
You are the very person who purchased a Star from a respected breeder and proceeded to freak out and run their name through the mud because of parasites. You are the same person who bought exquisite tortoises from Janie and sold them only to replace them with more.
You also seem to have more book knowledge than real world experience and much of what you posted is only partially correct or conditional.
In the future why not build some experience by maintaing a healthy herd long term and then give some meaningful input from what you have learned instead of downing someone because of their less than perfect English.

.

Just wondering what type of language you are speaking in. Is that like some kind of internet slang . Anyways, stars can be difficult to keep for a first time tortoise. You do know that you need to provide a good light source with UVB for them and also a heat lamp for them. You will also need to supplement them with calcium with D3. I know some say don't use it but I've been told from several breeders and vets whom all say use the calcium with D3. You should try and and get the book "start tortoises" by Jerry fife as that book is almost like the bible for star tortoise keeping. Just learn very quickly not too feed them iceberg lettuce at all. Learn which greens not to feed them because some like broccoli and spinach has calcium blocking nutrients in them which causes your growing tortoise to not be able to absorb his much needed calcium. If you do not use a light with a UVB source and feed and supplement it correctly then it may end up dying. It's said that most star tortoises die within the first 12 months because of improper care. Check out startortoises.net because this guy has spent some time on giving some great info on his site about every aspect of caring for them. Do you know if it's a Sri Lankan star or Indian star. Good luck and I hope that you learn how to properly raise him. Welcome to the forum.

 

[kcy]

hello kcy..

yup i'm from m'sia. are you also?? which part? now i'm staying in brickfields. btw how's your little stars?? still shy?? hehe. don't worry, it's normal. hope you can post some pictures for us..
[/quote]


hello willy,

ya. i'm from m'sia. i'm staying in cheras. my stars not so shy already but there's a problem now with her.
it's it normal that after the stars "poo" if will have somekind of white white thing in the backside. i clear the thing off but it become more. is that normal? & if you know can you explain what is that?

thanks...

---

to starry night,

i'm using english language & using those short messaging words. have you been those msn or icq? those chat room usually use these short words. OMG i never think nobody won't understand me...... anyway, thanks for the info. appreciate much

hello luv,

english is an international language & this doesn't effect even if we are from other country. only the usage of grammar will be a problem other then that we can communicate well here, rite? by then, forget what have happen. we are here to discuss tortoise. i shall use back the proper spelling in future :-(

Well it seems that Starry Nights' post was edited to remove some derogatory remarks so this may seem a bit harsh, however I am leaving my post intact since he is aware of what he said and may benefit from it.

I would assume from the post that they are from overseas hence the less than perfect English. I think they did just fine though as the post is quite legible.

Starry Night,
You are the very person who purchased a Star from a respected breeder and proceeded to freak out and run their name through the mud because of parasites. You are the same person who bought exquisite tortoises from Janie and sold them only to replace them with more.
You also seem to have more book knowledge than real world experience and much of what you posted is only partially correct or conditional.
In the future why not build some experience by maintaing a healthy herd long term and then give some meaningful input from what you have learned instead of downing someone because of their less than perfect English.

.

Just wondering what type of language you are speaking in. Is that like some kind of internet slang . Anyways, stars can be difficult to keep for a first time tortoise. You do know that you need to provide a good light source with UVB for them and also a heat lamp for them. You will also need to supplement them with calcium with D3. I know some say don't use it but I've been told from several breeders and vets whom all say use the calcium with D3. You should try and and get the book "start tortoises" by Jerry fife as that book is almost like the bible for star tortoise keeping. Just learn very quickly not too feed them iceberg lettuce at all. Learn which greens not to feed them because some like broccoli and spinach has calcium blocking nutrients in them which causes your growing tortoise to not be able to absorb his much needed calcium. If you do not use a light with a UVB source and feed and supplement it correctly then it may end up dying. It's said that most star tortoises die within the first 12 months because of improper care. Check out startortoises.net because this guy has spent some time on giving some great info on his site about every aspect of caring for them. Do you know if it's a Sri Lankan star or Indian star. Good luck and I hope that you learn how to properly raise him. Welcome to the forum.

 

[willy wonka]

hello willy,

ya. i'm from m'sia. i'm staying in cheras. my stars not so shy already but there's a problem now with her.
it's it normal that after the stars "poo" if will have somekind of white white thing in the backside. i clear the thing off but it become more. is that normal? & if you know can you explain what is that?

thanks...

---

hai kcy,

i'm glad that your stars not so shy anymore. hope she will active.. about

the white thing, do you mean your star 'poo' the white thing? if correct,

you no need to worry because tortoise may pass 'that thing' in the water

or elsewhere and it is called uric acid and tortoises need to get rid of this

as if they dont it can build up in their bodies and affect their kidneys. so,

don't be worry. it's normal. dont forget to give your stars enough heat and

uvb.. looking forward your stars pictures.. cheers..