Help

[shellos]

Have an Indian star tortoise about a year old . I have had it for bout 3 months I live in India and I give it veggies . The guy I got it from wasnt very specific .. Could anyone please tell me everything I need to know and do for it - food, baths, sunlight - anything you know . thanks

 

[Jacob]

You need a better varied diet, as well as a hot humid living condition for a smooth shell, and healthy tortoise.
You can feed dark leafy greens, kale, collard greens, spring mix, cactus- prickly pear optuina, weeds, grasses
Mazuri, Hibsucus, rose of sharon, they sell seed mixtures with a variety of grass and stuff online.
I would spray the whole enclosure with a squirt bottle or get a mister foger to maintain humidity, and give soaks 2-3 times weekly
in lukewarm water not too deep. Calcium and cuddle bone helps if you give it 2-3 times weekly as well.

Just go through our star tortoise threads and see if you can gather any info.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi shellos:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Here's a good care sheet that should help you find some answers to your questions:

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-startortoise.htm

What would you like us to call you?

 

[wellington]

Hello and WELCOME . Keep us posted on how she's doing

 

[BigFire]

Do you keep it inside or out? What part of India are you in? Please google Indian Star diet, care, etc.

 

[CLMoss]

Welcome!

 

[shellos]

I keep it inside but take it outside sometimes , I live in gujarat.

 

[CLMoss]

Please send us photos!

 

[tortadise]

So being in western India is the weather eater hot and dry? Most of the northern or southern stars are typically found on the east coast more of the tropical locations. However your weather should be very fine for outside enclosure at all times. Let these guys eat grass native to their lots of flowers, and primary diet for them is cactus and grasses. They need a lot of humidity for partial times of year and then the monsoon season should establish enough humidity that you wont need to indrease or play with.

Lots of hiding spots and access to sun is imperative. Too much sun kill cause a heat stroke of he doesn't have numerous places to hide throughout the heat of te day. I suggest put up a wall partial in trees and partial in open and place him inside it with a large water bowl deep enough to soak but not too deep to swim or drown.