Rescued Adult Burmese Star and I Need Care Information Please

[Cowgirl]

This is such a fabulous forum. I have six Burmese Star young ones and I am following the care sheet prepared by Tom. I am fortunate to have an enclosed chamber for them made by Mark. I feel pretty confident that I am taking good care of them. My questions right now are about caring for an adult Burmese. I rescued Berkeley (named after the town I found her in) from a pet store about a month ago. I have no idea how old she is. She weighs just over 1000 grams. She was being housed in a small glass acquarium that was disgustingly dirty. I need advice on how to create a healthy habitat for her. I am in Northern California.

Does she need humidity like the young ones? I have been soaking her every day when I soak my youngsters. She seems to like it and she definitely poops in the water.

What heating and light requirements does she have? We are going into winter and it will be too cold to leave her outside. Also, we are in a rural area and I would not want to take the chance of wildlife or rats getting her at night.

How would you house an adult inside? I am on a waiting list for an enclosed chamber…but in the mean time..what could I keep her in, inside the house? During the warm days (over 60 degrees) I have been putting her outside in a 3’x8’ watering trough with a hide and water and micro bark substrate.

Thank you so much for your experience and advice.
Claudia

 

[Tom]

This tortoise is ready to live outside full time. Use a heated night box to keep it safe and warm at night. Use a basking lamp mounted on the ceiling of the box for days that aren't sunny or don't make it in the the 70s. You can use a large chicken coop for the enclosure and attach the night box to the outside.

Seal the inside of the box with Pond Shield and then you can use substrate and keep it humid. My star boxes are 4x8 feet, but you can see the heat lamps and Pond Shield. You'd need a 4x4 box for a single tort.





Here is the chicken coop style cage we are using at my Mom's house. This is currently being used as a day time sunning cage, so no night box attached yet:

 

[Cowgirl]

Tom, Thank you for this information. Your pictures are very helpful. I guess I am being a helicopter mom thinking she needs to come inside. So…just to be sure I understand..she could be outside even when it is storming and rainy and possible down to low 30 degrees in the winter, as long as she has a warm house to go into?

 

[Cowgirl]

This tortoise is ready to live outside full time. Use a heated night box to keep it safe and warm at night. Use a basking lamp mounted on the ceiling of the box for days that aren't sunny or don't make it in the the 70s. You can use a large chicken coop for the enclosure and attach the night box to the outside.

Seal the inside of the box with Pond Shield and then you can use substrate and keep it humid. My star boxes are 4x8 feet, but you can see the heat lamps and Pond Shield. You'd need a 4x4 box for a single tort.
View attachment 350914

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Here is the chicken coop style cage we are using at my Mom's house. This is currently being used as a day time sunning cage, so no night box attached yet:
View attachment 350917

Tom, What are the small white containers on the top of the inside of the night box?

 

[Tom]

Tom, Thank you for this information. Your pictures are very helpful. I guess I am being a helicopter mom thinking she needs to come inside. So…just to be sure I understand..she could be outside even when it is storming and rainy and possible down to low 30 degrees in the winter, as long as she has a warm house to go into?

Correct. Mine all live outside in the boxes in the pics, and our climates are similar. We occasionally drop into the 20s at night, and we have occasional winter cold spells where the day time high barely reaches 50. The mini oil heater keeps the whole box above 80 day and night, and the basking bulbs warm it even more during the day time hours. This system has worked great for me. I don't use the basking bulbs in warmer weather, only in winter when daytime highs are below the 70s.

The containers are water tubs on shelves to keep humidity up in our super dry climate. The shelves also add structural strength to the box.

 

[Cowgirl]

Correct. Mine all live outside in the boxes in the pics, and our climates are similar. We occasionally drop into the 20s at night, and we have occasional winter cold spells where the day time high barely reaches 50. The mini oil heater keeps the whole box above 80 day and night, and the basking bulbs warm it even more during the day time hours. This system has worked great for me. I don't use the basking bulbs in warmer weather, only in winter when daytime highs are below the 70s.

The containers are water tubs on shelves to keep humidity up in our super dry climate. The shelves also add structural strength to the box.

Thanks so much!

 

[Markw84]

@Cowgirl Claudia; I keep my Burmese outdoors year-round once they are about 800g or so. If you may recall when you were here, I have several in the 800g - 1500g size range in the outdoor enclosure with the adults.

I would certainly work towards getting a good night box built ASAP for yours and a nice outdoor enclosure. You are a bit colder than me in the winter up the hill a bit, so a good night box is needed for sure. You will find housing it outdoors is much, much easier once set up properly. The night house you saw at my place for my Burmese Stars is 36" x 72" with double doors. That has worked well for the group of 6 I have had in there until a year ago when I added the younger ones. I am now building a full 8ft box for them at my new place.

 

[Cowgirl]

@Cowgirl Claudia; I keep my Burmese outdoors year-round once they are about 800g or so. If you may recall when you were here, I have several in the 800g - 1500g size range in the outdoor enclosure with the adults.

I would certainly work towards getting a good night box built ASAP for yours and a nice outdoor enclosure. You are a bit colder than me in the winter up the hill a bit, so a good night box is needed for sure. You will find housing it outdoors is much, much easier once set up properly. The night house you saw at my place for my Burmese Stars is 36" x 72" with double doors. That has worked well for the group of 6 I have had in there until a year ago when I added the younger ones. I am now building a full 8ft box for them at my new place.

Thanks so much for this information. I can’t wait to see what you do at your new place.

 

[pacific chelonians]

Do you have photos of the tail and how sure are you that she is a she

 

[Cowgirl]

Do you have photos of the tail and how sure are you that she is a she

What do you think? Male or female?

 

[Warren]

What do you think? Male or female?

I'm guessing Female, tail looks short.

 

[Cowgirl]

I'm guessing Female, tail looks short.

I'm guessing Female, tail looks short.

Yes her tail is short. I am calling her a female. Thanks for looking.