Hello friends!
I’m asking for your advice on looking after a Indian star tortoise. The tortoise belongs currently to my old work manager, who has had the tortoise roughly 2 years.
I last saw this tort roughly a year ago and it seemed to weigh no more that 100g - appearing small and sluggish.
My friend has recently been in touch with me and is asking if I will take the tortoise as she’s now petrified she can not look after it properly as its situation appears to have gotten worse over time, with its limited eating and soft under shell, whilst still very small in size, with an over growing beak and long nails (this was told by a vet - also I’m not yet exactly sure on the torts current weight).
The current living conditions of this small Indian star are a viv approx 4ft (this I feel is to big for the size of the tort?) coconut coir substrate, uv bulb and a heat lamp set at the far right side of the viv. I would highly doubt that the uv bulb had ever been replaced, and I’m aware the owner is currently likely to feed the tort a lot more fruit than it should have.
I have previously owned a Sulcata tortoise which eventually grew so large I re-homed him with a zoo for disabled children (he was the size of a washing machine, and in my previous living situation I couldn’t care for him)
I’ve been an active member on this site before, and I’ve taken on board a lot of advice and learnt a lot of things from everyone here, so I’m asking again, what is the best set up for me to give this tortoise the best chance at survival?
From my understanding looking after a Indian star is very similar to a sulcata. With my sulcata I used coconut coir (although I now hear orchid bark is better?) the humidity was constantly high (I might need reminding of temperatures of the vic during day and night, it’s been 5 years since I had a tort and I’m a little hazy with details).
I had timers to switch off the uv bulb and dim the light but maintain a slightly lower heat than in the day. My sulcata diet was mainly dried and fresh flowers and grass, which some dried brought tort mix and mainly kale.
I’m thinking the Indian star will need a smaller viv?.
So anyway what I’m needing to know is how can I bring this Indian back to its best, what heat bulb (60v?-100v?) will I need (forgot small details) what temperature should the viv be at to give best humidity, what substrate should be used.
Also how can I ween a tort away from a bad fruit diet, back around to veggies.
Any advice here would be great!
(I will add a picture when I can, I’m going to see the tort hopefully on Tuesday, so I will be able to get an exact weight of the tort, it’s environment and it’s diet)
I’m asking for your advice on looking after a Indian star tortoise. The tortoise belongs currently to my old work manager, who has had the tortoise roughly 2 years.
I last saw this tort roughly a year ago and it seemed to weigh no more that 100g - appearing small and sluggish.
My friend has recently been in touch with me and is asking if I will take the tortoise as she’s now petrified she can not look after it properly as its situation appears to have gotten worse over time, with its limited eating and soft under shell, whilst still very small in size, with an over growing beak and long nails (this was told by a vet - also I’m not yet exactly sure on the torts current weight).
The current living conditions of this small Indian star are a viv approx 4ft (this I feel is to big for the size of the tort?) coconut coir substrate, uv bulb and a heat lamp set at the far right side of the viv. I would highly doubt that the uv bulb had ever been replaced, and I’m aware the owner is currently likely to feed the tort a lot more fruit than it should have.
I have previously owned a Sulcata tortoise which eventually grew so large I re-homed him with a zoo for disabled children (he was the size of a washing machine, and in my previous living situation I couldn’t care for him)
I’ve been an active member on this site before, and I’ve taken on board a lot of advice and learnt a lot of things from everyone here, so I’m asking again, what is the best set up for me to give this tortoise the best chance at survival?
From my understanding looking after a Indian star is very similar to a sulcata. With my sulcata I used coconut coir (although I now hear orchid bark is better?) the humidity was constantly high (I might need reminding of temperatures of the vic during day and night, it’s been 5 years since I had a tort and I’m a little hazy with details).
I had timers to switch off the uv bulb and dim the light but maintain a slightly lower heat than in the day. My sulcata diet was mainly dried and fresh flowers and grass, which some dried brought tort mix and mainly kale.
I’m thinking the Indian star will need a smaller viv?.
So anyway what I’m needing to know is how can I bring this Indian back to its best, what heat bulb (60v?-100v?) will I need (forgot small details) what temperature should the viv be at to give best humidity, what substrate should be used.
Also how can I ween a tort away from a bad fruit diet, back around to veggies.
Any advice here would be great!
(I will add a picture when I can, I’m going to see the tort hopefully on Tuesday, so I will be able to get an exact weight of the tort, it’s environment and it’s diet)