help regarding eating?

[rachie8476]

hi, just wondering if anybody can help. we got a indian star about 6 weeks ago. we are not sure how old he is, was told he was two but he looks very small. anyway he's a very shy eater and doesnt like to eat if we are sat in the living room where the tortoise is housed. He also doesnt start eating till around 7pm just before his light is due to be turned off (even though he has access to food and water all day), is this normal eating behaviour? anyone elses stars start eating late at night? thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Rachael:

Sometimes you have to "give in" and allow them to train you instead of the other way around. If he won't eat while you are around, then move out of his sight. Maybe you should put up some newspaper around his habitat so he can't see out. If he wants to eat in the evening, then feed him then. There are no rules that say they absolutely MUST eat at certain times during the day.

 

[rachie8476]

ye we spend alot of time in the kitchen these days lol and we have tried covering his house during the day but he still doesnt eat till night time. thanks for your reply xx

 

[SILVERSTAR]

i actually keep mine out of veiw from everyone,for instance if you have him in the livingroom and people are over and always moving around he may jus feel safer hiding,mine still eat more when i walk away but all in all stars are shy so you gotta be extra aware of wut bothers them maybe in time he will warm up or maybe he needs more privacy or like sumone jus said before me maybe put up a paper wall so that he feels more secluded,OH and one more thing i wouldnt expect alotta energy from a bay star cus they really do sleep alot but it should at least be eatn good if its healthy ya know.......

---

post a pic next to a quarter or sumthing and i can compare it to mine cuz i have one that a little over a year and i have sum going on three years old.

 

[agiletorts]

Star tortoises are generally very shy, so yes if you leave them alone they will eat more. Also make sure you have the right temperature/lighting as they won't eat if it's too cold/hot.

Two-year old Indian Star is supposed to be still small, relatively speaking compared to most other tortoises. So don't worry about it as long as yours is still eating, even though not that much.

 

[SILVERSTAR]

yeah rach... yours should be sumwhere in between my sized torts.

 

[Neal]

I'll agree with the above. My adults could care less if I stand and watch, they'll even eat right out of my hand. But my younger tortoises will loose all interest in food if they even sense I am around.

 

[Homerist]

Hi,

My indian star is about 17months old, avid eater and slightly shy.
he will eat right out of my hand and tends to hide only when you show up suddenly or from behind which is quite normal. hahah
all in all, he is a easy to manage tort maybe because i stay in a tropical country.

i believe even for star keepers who lives in colder climate will still find stars a great breed to have. =)

 

[SILVERSTAR]

yeah and ive never had one so much as even try to escape unlike my box turtles,its like there jus cool with being kept and would rather not see wuts beyond but my older ones do roam quite a bit they jus never try and get out or anything.

 

[wildak]

Some of mine started out shy but after a short time they all come out of their hide boxes and rush over to me when I come in the pen. I think it`s funny when plow through each other to get closer to me. Two of them stand at my feet and lift one front leg so they can look up me better, it`s pretty funny.
As far as eating change the temps around a little, it may be too hot during the day for them to be activeand eating. Just because they can tolerate 100f does`nt mean they like it. I think Sri Lankans just adapted to my schedule where I do evening feedings on everyone except hatchlings which get 2-3 times a day. slightly softened squash or yams will win their hearts for sure.
hope this helps
Bryan

 

[rachie8476]

thanks for the replies guys...wella couple of weeks later we have tried everything and he still isnt eating..getting very worried about him. I will try and post a picture of him but at the minute i cant work out how to do this, it is not giving me the option of pasting the pic x

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Rachael:


Maybe your problem is what you're offering. Tell us what kinds of food your feeding the tortoise (please!).

 

[rachie8476]

we've given him a range including, endive, radicchio, collard greens, hibiscus flowers and leaves, pansys, rose petals, timothy grass, alfala, bermuda grass to name but a few. all of which are appropriate foods on care sheets for these tortoises .

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you know what the previous owner was feeding the tortoise? Sometimes they don't recognize good food as food if they haven't been getting good food.

 

[rachie8476]

we got him from the local reptile shop who got him from a breeder supposedly. yet he wont disclose this information with us of who and the more i've researched captive bred stars today the more i think he may have been wild caught and are lying to us...if this is the case i am not happy x

 

[SILVERSTAR]

feed mazuri,,,u can even buy this new red kind that they love and zoos evevn use it,

 

[rachie8476]

its just the expense of having it shipped in from america, i'm in uk and no one sells it in this country

 

[radhika]

Hey if u are not able to post the picks and need help then then try and visit this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-to-post-pictures-in-your-forum-posts--5245#axzz1Q65Vpptg , Hope this will help u.

And try and give some space to your tortoise and maintain right light and temperature around. Also try to give him proper sunlight exposure.

 

[geekinpink]

Hello!

When I first got my star tort, she's the same way, would not eat during the day, but she'd eat at night when all activities are gone. Whenever I feed her, i usually hang around a minute and offer the food by hand just for her to get use to me. She does not like it when I hover, so i usually crouch down to eye level. It took 2 months before she got used to eating during the day. Now she doesn't mind anymore. She's not shy around me and would usually come towards me when it's time to eat. She remained very finicky though.

A lot of care sheets does say to feed hay, weeds, grass to them but I've never had success with them, my stars just do not like them.

maybe shelled warriors has mazuri?

 

[coastal]

Yes, try finely chopped fresh cactus. The smell of it will trigger an eating reaction allot of times. You should also try Mazuri and the zoological tortoise sticks we offer. I can ship 1lb of each to you for about $25 shipped, just email me.