Oops!

[spud's_mum]

I said I wasn't going to do it.
My parents said it wouldn't happen again.

It happened again.

I walked into the pet shop to buy some toys for the gerbils and decided to look around the reptile bit. I looked around and stopped at a vivarium. My jaw dropped. My dream species sitting there right infront of me. An Indian star hatchling.
I know I know... Never buy from pet shops but he was being kept ok. He was on coco choir (a little dry tho) but had a nice humid hide stuffed with moss.

Long story short, I somehow convinced my parents and they bought it for me (I will pay them back as soon as I have the money). The shop says that they were a one off.

Taking this baby home tomorrow:

He has the slightest bit of pyramiding but the new growth seems smooth.

 

[Anyfoot]

I said I wasn't going to do it.
My parents said it wouldn't happen again.

It happened again.

I walked into the pet shop to buy some toys for the gerbils and decided to look around the reptile bit. I looked around and stopped at a vivarium. My jaw dropped. My dream species sitting there right infront of me. An Indian star hatchling.
I know I know... Never buy from pet shops but he was being kept ok. He was on coco choir (a little dry tho) but had a nice humid hide stuffed with moss.

Long story short, I somehow convinced my parents and they bought it for me (I will pay them back as soon as I have the money). The shop says that they were a one off.

Taking this baby home tomorrow:
View attachment 178149
He has the slightest bit of pyramiding but the new growth seems smooth.

Haha. You got the tort bug.

He looks cool, very nice species.
Do you know where he came from originally. Theres a guy down in Plymouth thats been breeding these for years. Wonder if it's one of his that someone gave up to the shop.
Now you need to get to work on another enclosure.

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

Ohhh nooo ! Hes too cute! In so jealous! Lucky you!! Cant wait for more pictures

 

[Maro2Bear]

Yes, very cute, congrats!

 

[spud's_mum]

Haha. You got the tort bug.

He looks cool, very nice species.
Do you know where he came from originally. Theres a guy down in Plymouth thats been breeding these for years. Wonder if it's one of his that someone gave up to the shop.
Now you need to get to work on another enclosure.

We have an aquarium that isn't being used so that will be his home for now. Do you think I should leave him in the aquarium or buy another viv? I know humidity is great but how is he going to get any air in a fully enclosed tank. They must be OK as people do use them. I'm not sure where he came from but I wanted to save him before something goes wrong as in all the tortoises bowls, there was only kale

 

[Anyfoot]

We have an aquarium that isn't being used so that will be his home for now. Do you think I should leave him in the aquarium or buy another viv? I know humidity is great but how is he going to get any air in a fully enclosed tank. They must be OK as people do use them. I'm not sure where he came from but I wanted to save him before something goes wrong as in all the tortoises bowls, there was only kale

I'm not sure on care for these guys(humitiy levels etc). I use vivs and going off the idea. Humidity kills em. (especially with hingebacks and redfoots) I'm looking into making acrylic vivs.
I personally don't see anything wrong with an aquarium. I would cover the ends and back on the outside with some sort of scenery paper though to make him feel more secure.
Not sure but I think @Tom knows quite a bit about these guys.

 

[spud's_mum]

I'm not sure on care for these guys(humitiy levels etc). I use vivs and going off the idea. Humidity kills em. (especially with hingebacks and redfoots) I'm looking into making acrylic vivs.
I personally don't see anything wrong with an aquarium. I would cover the ends and back on the outside with some sort of scenery paper though to make him feel more secure.
Not sure but I think @Tom knows quite a bit about these guys.

Thanks.
I don't know too much about them either but when I was there I fell in love and they said it was a one off. Also there were people asking about the tortoises that didn't even know that they were herbivores and the staff were giving them wrong information so I felt that I needed to help him so that's why I rushed

 

[spud's_mum]

@Yvonne G
Do you happen to know anything about Indian stars?

 

[Markw84]

@Yvonne G
Do you happen to know anything about Indian stars?

I would set him up exactly as you would a leopard or sulcata . That's how I keep my stars. They are all what I've come to call "monsoon tortoises". They thrive and grow in the monsoon season and " survive" through the dry season.

 

[spud's_mum]

I would set him up exactly as you would a leopard or sulcata . That's how I keep my stars. They are all what I've come to call "monsoon tortoises". They thrive and grow in the monsoon season and " survive" through the dry season.

Thank you! I will pick up some moss tomorrow when I pick him up.

As for food... do I feed like a leopard and sulcata? Weeds and grasses

 

[Gillian M]

Congrats! He's so sweet!! GOD bless.

Have you given him a name yet?

 

[Markw84]

Thank you! I will pick up some moss tomorrow when I pick him up.

As for food... do I feed like a leopard and sulcata? Weeds and grasses

Yes. Just follow @Tom 's feeding guide to raising a healthy leopard or sulcata. I think the stars even go a little more for the grasses than leopards but not quite as much as sulcatas, from what I see. Just keep the variety up. I also use the Mazuri regular diet to ensure vitamins and calcium, etc 2-3 times per week on top of some greens. Also keep a cuttle bone available all the time.

 

[cmacusa3]

That's awesome!! Congrats!!

 

[spud's_mum]

Congrats! He's so sweet!! GOD bless.

Have you given him a name yet?

Hehe thanks
He hasn't got a name yet but I was thinking either:
Cooper (cooper trooper in mario)
Bowser or
Squirt.

 

[Tom]

Everything that Markw84 said. Just re-read his posts and that's exactly what I was going to say.

Just to make it easy on you, here is all the info in one place:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Sulcatas and South African leopards eat a large percentage of grass. Regular leopards usually not as much. Stars are in between these two, in my opinion as far as grass percentage consumption.

About the closed chamber and vivs: None of them are air tight. Your tortoise will get plenty of oxygen through all the cracks and every time you open the doors for food, water, soaking, outside time, etc… They idea is to greatly reduce the airflow that carries your heat and humidity away. The idea is not to make a hermetically sealed air-tight container. Also remember that reptiles have much lower oxygen requirements than endothermic mammals like us. A little oxygen lasts a long time for a reptile.

Last thing: That baby looks gorgeous, well cared for, and healthy. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

 

[spud's_mum]

Everything that Markw84 said. Just re-read his posts and that's exactly what I was going to say.

Just to make it easy on you, here is all the info in one place:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Sulcatas and South African leopards eat a large percentage of grass. Regular leopards usually not as much. Stars are in between these two, in my opinion as far as grass percentage consumption.

About the closed chamber and vivs: None of them are air tight. Your tortoise will get plenty of oxygen through all the cracks and every time you open the doors for food, water, soaking, outside time, etc… They idea is to greatly reduce the airflow that carries your heat and humidity away. The idea is not to make a hermetically sealed air-tight container. Also remember that reptiles have much lower oxygen requirements than endothermic mammals like us. A little oxygen lasts a long time for a reptile.

Last thing: That baby looks gorgeous, well cared for, and healthy. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Thank you for the help.
Like I said, I didn't plan on buying or I would have done my research. I was just in the right place at the right time. The worker was telling people how to care for tortoises and I was cringing at most of the things he said. By the looks of it, they only feed them kale. can't wait to bring the baby home and give him a nice moist and humid home.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for the help.
Like I said, I didn't plan on buying or I would have done my research. I was just in the right place at the right time. The worker was telling people how to care for tortoises and I was cringing at most of the things he said. By the looks of it, they only feed them kale. can't wait to bring the baby home and give him a nice moist and humid home.

If you went there every day and saw nothing but kale for a week, then it might be an issue. If kale is what they were feeding today, and it was something else yesterday and something else tomorrow, it should be okay.

 

[spud's_mum]

If you went there every day and saw nothing but kale for a week, then it might be an issue. If kale is what they were feeding today, and it was something else yesterday and something else tomorrow, it should be okay.

I don't live in the area, I was just here for the weekend so I don't know but the hermanns next door really weren't in a good shape. Kept dry and I even saw one eating the substrate. They were pyramided and one looked like it has MBD

 

[Markw84]

I'm with Tom - this one looks great now, and was well taken care of previously - at least until now. Save him!

 

[spud's_mum]

I'm with Tom - this one looks great now, and was well taken care of previously - at least until now. Save him!

This is how he is being kept at the shop. not the best but it's much better than the others. He even has a humid hide in there. The poor hermans are being kept so dry

Can't wait to pick him up tomorrow. I will keep you all updated