Meet my new "True" Sri Lankan Star Tortoises

[TommyTheV]

Say Hi to Crush, Shelly and Squirt



Picked these beauties up directly from a local breeder that is 2 hours from San Diego on May 23rd but just been so busy enjoying them forgot to update. I am told these are temp sexed so hence the names already and was told the breeder does have a 80% success rate so far. I did my research and appears data is still lacking to know for sure other than the males do tend to be more "outgoing" and seems like that is the case so far so just keeping my fingers crossed. I've seen photos of the parents but until they grow to close to Burmese sizes and with star patterns under the plastron I will assume they are "TRUE" Sri Lankans for now

They are on the smaller side as "hatchlings" but seems like the breeder's FB page has enough positive reviews so I gave it a go as an ideal weight should be around 50 grams.

TSM (Crush) hatched on March 9th, 2023
TSF (Shelly and Squirt) hatched on March 21st, 2023

Current weight as of June 1st, 2023:

Crush (32 grams)
Shelly (27 grams)
Squirt (30 grams)



They have been in a enclose enclosure 24/7 since I've taken them home. Temp and humidity sits around 85F and 80% respectively throughout the day.
At night the humidity does go into the high 80's as the temp drops in the low 80's.

I've try to sit around the magic number of "80 per all the articles and posts I've read.

So far they have been pooping every morning when I soak them and they eat after. Sometimes a little to moderate amount and go into their humid hide the remainder of the day. They come out here and there so I have the UVB bulb set on a timer from 8AM - 6PM daily so whenever they come out they'll get the light they need.

I don't see them much but I have seen an improvement on the amount of times they crawl in and out of their hide throughout the day

QUESTION: Normally for hatchlings this young they sleep 20+ hours a day right?

 

[G-stars]

Hello. Congratulations on getting these 3. I also keep/breed Sri Lankan stars. They are one of my favorite species. As they get older they will become much more active. The Sri Lankan stars are as active as my Burmese stars, my Indian stars on the other hand are a lot more shy.

Yes it’s normal for hatchings to sleep a lot. As they get older that will change.

 

[TommyTheV]

Hello. Congratulations on getting these 3. I also keep/breed Sri Lankan stars. They are one of my favorite species. As they get older they will become much more active. The Sri Lankan stars are as active as my Burmese stars, my Indian stars on the other hand are a lot more shy.

Yes it’s normal for hatchings to sleep a lot. As they get older that will change.

Hi Gus,

Thanks. I saw your adult breeders and they are absolutely beautiful. I remember reading something like that so I settled on Sri Lankans instead because Indian Stars are too shy for me. The fact that they can be as big as Burmese as well seals the deal. I like how friendly my Sulcatas are so only like breeds that you can pet and see strolling around rather than an ornamental piece.

I really hope they do well for me because I am on the waiting-list for Radiated

 

[wellington]

So cute, congrats. I seen your other thread about the sulcata eggs, good luck with that too. Just want to be sure you know this, I believe you do, but worth repeating. You know not to mix species right? I see you have these and sulcata and getting Rads eventually. As long as you never mix them.

 

[Krista S]

Say Hi to Crush, Shelly and Squirt

View attachment 357497

Picked these beauties up directly from a local breeder that is 2 hours from San Diego on May 23rd but just been so busy enjoying them forgot to update. I am told these are temp sexed so hence the names already and was told the breeder does have a 80% success rate so far. I did my research and appears data is still lacking to know for sure other than the males do tend to be more "outgoing" and seems like that is the case so far so just keeping my fingers crossed. I've seen photos of the parents but until they grow to close to Burmese sizes and with star patterns under the plastron I will assume they are "TRUE" Sri Lankans for now

They are on the smaller side as "hatchlings" but seems like the breeder's FB page has enough positive reviews so I gave it a go as an ideal weight should be around 50 grams.

TSM (Crush) hatched on March 9th, 2023
TSF (Shelly and Squirt) hatched on March 21st, 2023

Current weight as of June 1st, 2023:

Crush (32 grams)
Shelly (27 grams)
Squirt (30 grams)

View attachment 357496

They have been in a enclose enclosure 24/7 since I've taken them home. Temp and humidity sits around 85F and 80% respectively throughout the day.
At night the humidity does go into the high 80's as the temp drops in the low 80's.

I've try to sit around the magic number of "80 per all the articles and posts I've read.

So far they have been pooping every morning when I soak them and they eat after. Sometimes a little to moderate amount and go into their humid hide the remainder of the day. They come out here and there so I have the UVB bulb set on a timer from 8AM - 6PM daily so whenever they come out they'll get the light they need.

I don't see them much but I have seen an improvement on the amount of times they crawl in and out of their hide throughout the day

QUESTION: Normally for hatchlings this young they sleep 20+ hours a day right?

Congratulations. They’re absolutely gorgeous!! 🥰

 

[Rooseveltthetortoise]

So adorable! I hope you have a great time!

 

[TommyTheV]

A little concerned but all their weighs have dropped some...

Weight as of June 12th, 2023:

Crush (30 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/1
Shelly (20 grams) - Loss of 7 grams since 6/1
Squirt (26 grams) - Loss of 4 grams since 6/1

They are eating still but not as much. Daytime temp is high 88-90F and night time temp with CHE is 79-81F

Humidity is always between 78 - 90%. Humidity drops during the day with the basking light on and it creeps up when the temp drops

 

[G-stars]

A little concerned but all their weighs have dropped some...

Weight as of June 12th, 2023:

Crush (30 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/1
Shelly (20 grams) - Loss of 7 grams since 6/1
Squirt (26 grams) - Loss of 4 grams since 6/1

They are eating still but not as much. Daytime temp is high 88-90F and night time temp with CHE is 79-81F

Humidity is always between 78 - 90%. Humidity drops during the day with the basking light on and it creeps up when the temp drops

Are they getting daily soaks? I aim for 15-30 minutes daily to make sure they are hydrated.

Temperatures and humidity seem good.
Have you tried giving them soaked mazuri? That usually helps then gain weight quicker.

They were still a bit on the smaller side when you got them. Every breeder is different as to when they decide to let the babies go to new homes. I personally wait until they are at least double their hatch weight. Most times I wait until they are 50 grams though.

 

[TommyTheV]

Thanks for your quick input @G-stars

Yes I soak them daily for 10 minutes only. If that is too short I can try longer next.

I've tried feeding the little ones Mazuri but seems like they ignore it most of the time so I stopped feeding them it. Will try again with tomorrow's feeding as well as a longer soak.

I am afraid to soak for too long because sometimes they don't stand up, just tucked in with their head underwater so made me afraid that they are suffocating.

Yeah I wished they were bigger when sold but there weren't a whole lot left to choose from who is relatively local and don't need to be shipped out.

 

[TommyTheV]

On another note:

I did just add 2 slightly larger True Sri Lankan that I purchased from Jimmy Chu who is a NorCal breeder on this forum. We drove down from SF with the 2 young TSF for me. Nice guy.

They are so active and eating a lot; barely approaching 6 months old. Don't know how my trio will get to these sizes in only 3 months time from their current weight.

New additions (Temp Sexed Females). Have yet to settle on a name for them other than 1 has a small spot near the rear so calling her Spot for now to easily distinguish.

Spot: 70 grams as of June 12th
Unnamed #5: 75 grams as of June 12th

 

[TammyJ]

They are so beautiful. Are you keeping them all together in one enclosure? I just had the thought that maybe it would not be good for the smaller ones to be with the recently added larger ones, for a number of reasons including when it comes to feeding/eating, the larger ones may "hog" the food?

 

[TommyTheV]

Thank you.

Yes. I have observed them very carefully for the last 6 days. The enclosure is big enough for them to share as well as their feeding dish. They all getting along so far so fingers crossed.

After voicing my concerns, I thought about it and realized this:

When I initially got the trio, I put them in a 68 gallon Target plastic bin that was 36"x14" because I saw online that is the only way to really have a micro environment. Felt small so a week later I upgraded them to a ReptiZoo that was 48"x18".

Had to hang the lights externally because it's too shallow to have them inside. Another week past by from then I just upgraded them to their final enclosure that I have now that is a 48"x24"x24" fully enclosed (PVC) with everything inside. Conditions are much more stable since.

Could just be the constant changing of their environment as I came to think of it since I got them.

Per advice of Gus, I soaked them for 20 minutes this morning and mixed Muzuri in their diet this morning. Gave them a hefty amount and all 5 chowed it down like cows

 

[TommyTheV]

Weight as of June 22nd, 2023:

Crush (32 grams) - Gain of 2 grams since 6/12
Shelly (27 grams) - Gain of 7 grams since 6/12
Squirt (27 grams) - Gain of 1 grams since 6/12
===========
Spot (68 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/12
#5 (77 grams) - Gain of 2 grams since 6/12

Since I bumped up the overall temp, enclosure left unchanged for over a week they have gotten more active and soak time is now 30 minutes a day so things looks like they are improving.

Fingers crossed still since the 3 little guys are on the smaller side being 3 months old

 

[TommyTheV]

Will expect some sort of variation due to a bunch of poo during the soak in the afternoon

Weight as of June 26th, 2023:

Crush (30 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/22
Shelly (29 grams) - Gain of 2 grams since 6/22
Squirt (25 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/22
===========
Spot (67 grams) - Loss of 1 gram since 6/22
Speedy (73 grams) - Loss of 4 grams since 6/22

 

[zovick]

Will expect some sort of variation due to a bunch of poo during the soak in the afternoon

Weight as of June 26th, 2023:

Crush (30 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/22
Shelly (29 grams) - Gain of 2 grams since 6/22
Squirt (25 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/22
===========
Spot (67 grams) - Loss of 1 gram since 6/22
Speedy (73 grams) - Loss of 4 grams since 6/22

If you weigh your tortoises every few days, you will drive yourself crazy with the weight fluctuations. Take my advice and weigh them once a month. Doing that will give you a much better picture of what is really happening.

 

[TommyTheV]

Noted.

Yeah I usually weight them on Mondays but I skipped the last so today's weigh in is only a few days since.

After this one I'll weigh the little ones every 2 weeks just because I want to monitor them since they are so little and once they all reach 50 grams I'll do it once a month

 

[Markw84]

I will add my 2 cents worth if interested:

I always soak for AT LEAST 30 minutes. I want to give them time to become more active in the soak scrambling around for exercise and activity. Many times they can just sit there for the first 10 minutes or so especially when new to the environment. Its that activity that is also soooo beneficial.

I find putting lots of plants for cover in their enclosure is one of the biggest differences in growth rate, overall health and minimizing pyramiding. Young tortoises instictively seek out and hide in dense plant cover. There they are most protected from the elements (and predators) so feel the least stress. I provide a nice hide plus lots of plants in my star enclosures and find 90% of my stars choose to hide in the plants over using a hide. Its natural for a baby tortoise. I use pothos in pots and let the plant grow and take over the enclosure. As the tortoises get older they will start nibbling on the plant and eventually trim it back to the pot. But as babies their first 6 months or so, they are in a forest of pothos and do great.

All stars also like it hot. Daily temps up to the mid 90°s is great for them with nighttime in low 80°s. I keep humidity at 90%+.

 

[TommyTheV]

Bit of a sad update but I may lose 2 of 3 of the little guys

Squirt haven't eaten for a week now and Crush haven't opened his eyes for the last 2 days but still walks around :/

No sign of anything just very lethargic for no reason so I am super confused.

Guess they are both just slowly dying. I've tried all I could but doesn't seem to work. The sheer size I got them at based off of being 3 months old and only 30 grams, I shouldn't have bothered without enough experience.

My other 2 (Spot and Speedy) that I acquired after are just fine, eating daily and active enough to not be of any concern.

Weight as of July 12th, 2023:

Crush (25 grams) - Loss of 5 grams since 6/26
Shelly (27 grams) - Loss of 2 grams since 6/26
Squirt (22 grams) - Loss of 3 grams since 6/26
============
Spot (61 grams) - Loss of 6 gram since 6/26 <--- She did poo a ton before weighing
Speedy (76 grams) - Gain of 3 grams since 6/26

I reached out to the breeder to take them out - don't need a refund as I don't want them dying on me and am told if they die, it happens and I'll get a replacement once another batch hatches. I guess I don't have a choice now but to take his word for it and pray for the best?

So bummed...

 

[TommyTheV]

Hi guys,

Sadly my babies are dying. Here is a thread about them. Is there nothing I can do?

Meet my new "True" Sri Lankan Star Tortoises

Say Hi to Crush, Shelly and Squirt Picked these beauties up directly from a local breeder that is 2 hours from San Diego on May 23rd but just been so busy enjoying them forgot to update. I am told these are temp sexed so hence the names already and was told the breeder does have a 80%...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TammyJ]

Sorry to see this. I had posted concerns earlier about keeping the small ones with the bigger ones and causing them to be stressed. There was no response. I also noticed a seeming lack of correct and consistent temperature and humidity levels. Just an observation of things that I personally would have done or not done, regardless.