New Burmese Star
- Thread starter PrinceH4H4T4
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Congrats! They are a fantastic species! You will love it. The only thing better than having a Burmese star is having a group of them!
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
That is the plan!Congrats! They are a fantastic species! You will love it. The only thing better than having a Burmese star is having a group of them!
Well in that case, I've got about 80 eggs due to hatch in the next week or so...
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
Just did my monthly weigh in for all my animals and I’m a little worried about the Burmese star tortoise. Like I mentioned previously, weighed in at the breeder before shipping at 97g, I weight the tortoise in at 96g after arrival.
Today 4 weeks later I weighed it in at 94g.
To be fair, he has not eaten today at all. But I still would have thought there would be some growth.
He eats everyday, I always offer more than he will eat. I bathe him daily, and he poops once a dat. Temp/humidity seem to be solid, hot side of 95 cool side of 88 (night time of 80) with humidity always above 80%.
He is very shy still, hides whenever I’m near the cage. But with my spy camera I’ve gotta a good looks at himself and his habits. Tortoise wise he looks healthy, no discharge or swelling anywhere, moves well, bright and alert when I’m not peeping at him.
Very habitual, wakes up around 1-2pm. Wonders around the cage a bit, before settling on the hot side. He will usually poop some in the cage at this time.Then he might eat a bit and walk over to the cool side. When I get him at 5:30 I soak him in 95° water for 30minutes where he will poop some more, usually a more fibrous looking poop. Then he will eat after the bath until 7:30-8 or until he’s had his fill and turn in for the night.
Food wise, I have been off erring a variety. Endive, escarole, freshly cut grass mix, MAZURI (doesn’t seem to like), radicchio, dandelion greens, kale, spring mix, box choy, etc… He also frequently chews on the cuttle bone i leave in the cage.
I’ve attached some pictures of the tortoise, poop, and what the bath looks like after he/she is done with it.
So everything seems to be good, I just expected some weight gain.
Should I be worried?
Today 4 weeks later I weighed it in at 94g.
To be fair, he has not eaten today at all. But I still would have thought there would be some growth.
He eats everyday, I always offer more than he will eat. I bathe him daily, and he poops once a dat. Temp/humidity seem to be solid, hot side of 95 cool side of 88 (night time of 80) with humidity always above 80%.
He is very shy still, hides whenever I’m near the cage. But with my spy camera I’ve gotta a good looks at himself and his habits. Tortoise wise he looks healthy, no discharge or swelling anywhere, moves well, bright and alert when I’m not peeping at him.
Very habitual, wakes up around 1-2pm. Wonders around the cage a bit, before settling on the hot side. He will usually poop some in the cage at this time.Then he might eat a bit and walk over to the cool side. When I get him at 5:30 I soak him in 95° water for 30minutes where he will poop some more, usually a more fibrous looking poop. Then he will eat after the bath until 7:30-8 or until he’s had his fill and turn in for the night.
Food wise, I have been off erring a variety. Endive, escarole, freshly cut grass mix, MAZURI (doesn’t seem to like), radicchio, dandelion greens, kale, spring mix, box choy, etc… He also frequently chews on the cuttle bone i leave in the cage.
I’ve attached some pictures of the tortoise, poop, and what the bath looks like after he/she is done with it.
So everything seems to be good, I just expected some weight gain.
Should I be worried?
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Mine all grew very slowly at first. Like you, I was worried that something was wrong. Then, they all started sprouting at around 2.5-3 years old and I had babies from them in hand before they turned five years old.
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
Good to hear, thank you!
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
How much would you expect a tortoise of this age/size to eat?
From everything I’ve read, they should be little eating machines. Eating roughly an amount that would fill their shell.
I don’t feel like this little one eats nearly as much as that.
I never saw how much one would eat. Mine were always housed in groups. I would just give yours as much as he wants daily. Also, this species does most of their eating in the late afternoon or evening, so be sure there is fresh food out at that time. Sometimes they will ignore the food all day and then come by and eat it all at 6pm.
I'll second @Tom s "very much an evening species" Especially when exposed to outdoors lighting. My adults normally don't even come out in summer until about 5PM then out until 10 PM.
They also seem to like it hot. Probably for the same reason they are evening tortoises - they come from an area where it is too hot during the day, and evenings become bearable. Overnight is still well into the 80°s. So they evolved with heat and "learned" to avoid the extremes.
Check your enclosure heat. As babies and yearlings, mine are most active in the 90°s.
I also would suggest you try giving lots of plants to hide under. The more overgrown my enclosure, the "happier" my baby Burmese seem to be. Pothos, spider plant and boston fern are great enclosure plants for tortoise "well being"
Do you soak the tortoise every day? For at least 30 minutes? Is the soaking water in the mid 90°s? This ensures good core body temperatures, good hydration and activity levels. They always eat well after their soak.
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
Yes my temps are nice and hot.
Using the 45w incandescent flood bulb i was getting an ambient hot side of 96-97 and cool side of 89-90. And nowhere in the enclosure drops below 80° day or night.
Do you think I should incorporate a slight cooling off later in the day like they would experience in the wild? Or should I just hold the temperatures I have already?
There are a few plants in there, but I could definitely add some more clutter.
I do soak everyday for 30min. Start the water out around 95°. And I soak it in a tub in the enclosure to keep the water warm.
He does always seem to eat some after the bath.
The one odd behavior, which may not be odd is its obsession with cuttlebone. I put the cuttlebone in every other day for it to take as much as it likes. And it will eat quite a bit before turning towards food. Today it munched on the bone for 45minutes before eating real food.
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
Update on Pig, the Burmese Star. Will be 3 years old in March/25 and weighs in just shy of 500g. Eats like an absolute champ and still hates baths. Not sure of the sex, I’m leaning male from the tail length and flat plastron. But maybe someone more experienced can help with that.
I’m moving down to Florida (from Ohio) so I’ll be looking into making a summer time outdoor enclosure, tips a welcome.
Also the back feet nails are so much longer than the front, is that just because they don’t dig as much with the back?
I’m moving down to Florida (from Ohio) so I’ll be looking into making a summer time outdoor enclosure, tips a welcome.
Also the back feet nails are so much longer than the front, is that just because they don’t dig as much with the back?
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It's a boy! He looks quite happy and healthy, too.
That is definitely a male tail, and the size/age suggests male too.
Interesting about the back nails... That is usually a female trait. Females use those extra long back nails to dig out their nests. All my males have just "normal" back nails.
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
There’s a snap of the front and both back feet. They just look longer and both have a nail that is a little wonky.
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Yeah... Those back nails look like female back nails. Does the tortoise get outside or walk on anything abrasive ever?
PrinceH4H4T4
Member
There are some flat stones in the cage, the ceramic water/food dishes, and the substrate is all fir bark mulch.
Not much outside time, only occasional right now. After I get situated in my new house the plan is an outdoor summer time enclosure!
