So Many Star Questions!

mikeylazer

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Mar 3, 2015
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So there is not really a "care sheet" in the star tortoises thread, and I think I have a grasp on what there requirements are but please correct me if I am wrong and make adjustments to my presumptions.

Humidity:
-High 80% minimum (obvious)

Diet:
-Grasses and weeds mainly, greens and mazuri accordingly.

Temp:
80-85 cool side
90-95 warm side
100-105 basking
(I am quite unsure about temps)

Housing:
Indoor- 4x8 per specimen.

Outdoor- As much space as possible with shade and grass and weeds/plants for grazing.

QUESTIONS:
-can more than one animal be housed together (i understand the general rule of thumb with housing tortoises together).

-was i anywhere close on their temperatures? I based it off of african species temperatures because I know how hot slme regions can be over there.

-what is the difference between indian/sri lankan, burmese, and radiated? Is it just there markings and region they inhabit.

Thank you for the help in advance. This is truly a species I kneo very little about.
 

Jodie

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Spokane Valley WA
I don't have stars, but want them, so have done some research. They are similar to leopards. I believe your temps are right on. They like hot. Humidity too. I think they might not eat a lot of grass. Like leopards sometimes they will eat some.
From what I understand they usually do ok in groups. I think they are one of the less aggressive tortoises.
I can't answer the last question even kind of.
Hopefully someone with real experience will be a long shortly.
@Neal ?
 

mikeylazer

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2015
Messages
310
I don't have stars, but want them, so have done some research. They are similar to leopards. I believe your temps are right on. They like hot. Humidity too. I think they might not eat a lot of grass. Like leopards sometimes they will eat some.
From what I understand they usually do ok in groups. I think they are one of the less aggressive tortoises.
I can't answer the last question even kind of.
Hopefully someone with real experience will be a long shortly.
@Neal ?
Okay great thanks! I think having a care sheet would really help, but at the same time they usually arent a beginner tortoise so it may not seem necessary to most. I was just lost on the temperatures, but I am glad I was right in assuming they are similar to a leopard tortoises requirements.
 

Star-of-India

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They are often fine in groups, but do watch out for females getting harassed by even fairly young males. A few months ago I had to separate a young female from some young males. She had been the dominant tortoise in the group, but she is not mature and suddenly all the males were mounting her repeatedly. She couldn't even eat and started hiding all the time. She's fine on her own now.
 

Neal

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So there is not really a "care sheet" in the star tortoises thread, and I think I have a grasp on what there requirements are but please correct me if I am wrong and make adjustments to my presumptions.

Humidity:
-High 80% minimum (obvious)

Diet:
-Grasses and weeds mainly, greens and mazuri accordingly.

Temp:
80-85 cool side
90-95 warm side
100-105 basking
(I am quite unsure about temps)

Housing:
Indoor- 4x8 per specimen.

Outdoor- As much space as possible with shade and grass and weeds/plants for grazing.

QUESTIONS:
-can more than one animal be housed together (i understand the general rule of thumb with housing tortoises together).

-was i anywhere close on their temperatures? I based it off of african species temperatures because I know how hot slme regions can be over there.

-what is the difference between indian/sri lankan, burmese, and radiated? Is it just there markings and region they inhabit.

Thank you for the help in advance. This is truly a species I kneo very little about.

Sorry for responding so late. To answer your questions

1 - I'm not a proponent of the idea that two tortoises housed together is inherently a bad idea. We each have our own experiences to formulate our opinions on, and mine happens to be that any group size can work successfully within reason (20 tortoises in a 10*10 for example would not be my idea of reasonable housing). That being said, my suggestion is to be prepared to house tortoises individually, no matter how many are in a group.

2 - Those temperature and humidity ranges will work out well for a star tortoise. I go a little lower in ambient humidity and let the temperatures drop slightly, but it's not anything different with the stars, it's just how I do things.

3 - Markings and region they inhabit are the main differences, along with general size of adults. Temperaments appear to be similar to me. I have no direct experience with radiated, but I would house them the same as I would Burmese and Indian/Sri Lanka stars.

As far as diet goes, anything you can find on sulcatas or leopards would be ideal for stars as well. I find that stars favor more flowers and colors in their diet. As an example, if given the choice my indian stars would eat hibiscus flowers before the leaves, whereas my leopards would probably be the opposite.
 

Jeff9241170

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Dec 18, 2014
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Philippines
Mine prefer lower temps. I have a basking spot of 35-37c and instead of going directly under the spot, theyd prefer soaking on their water dish which is situated just a little bit near the basking spot.

After observing that, Ive lowered the basking temps to 34-36c, ambient is at 32-34 and the cool side on 30-31c

:)
 

Jeff9241170

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Joined
Dec 18, 2014
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Philippines
btw, mine are 2 adults, a 9yo male roughly 5.5" and a younger female at 5" :)

when temps where higher, they'd spend most of their time inside hides, or soaking in said water dish

They also have a 5.0 13w UVB which is on for roughly 12 hours a day, but I let them soak under natural sunlight as much as I can
 

Kachhap

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May 30, 2015
Messages
8
I wanted to know if a Indian Star is 9 inches long, how old that be?
 

Tom

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Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
So there is not really a "care sheet" in the star tortoises thread, and I think I have a grasp on what there requirements are but please correct me if I am wrong and make adjustments to my presumptions.

Humidity:
-High 80% minimum (obvious)

Diet:
-Grasses and weeds mainly, greens and mazuri accordingly.

Temp:
80-85 cool side
90-95 warm side
100-105 basking
(I am quite unsure about temps)

Housing:
Indoor- 4x8 per specimen.

Outdoor- As much space as possible with shade and grass and weeds/plants for grazing.

QUESTIONS:
-can more than one animal be housed together (i understand the general rule of thumb with housing tortoises together).

-was i anywhere close on their temperatures? I based it off of african species temperatures because I know how hot slme regions can be over there.

-what is the difference between indian/sri lankan, burmese, and radiated? Is it just there markings and region they inhabit.

Thank you for the help in advance. This is truly a species I kneo very little about.


All of this looks good to me. I house my stars the same as my sulcatas and leopards.

Unlike Jeff in the Philippines, I have found that stars of all types seems to prefer the hotter temperatures. My Burms get up and active and start eating when temps are in the 90's while the sulcatas and leopards seem to want to wait out the heat of the day at those temps. I find my stars are most active at the higher end of the "acceptable" temperature spectrum. You will just have to experiment and see what works for you, but don't be afraid to let ambient climb into the 90's.

Which type are you getting? How many?
 

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