The plunge?

[tangale]

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and getting a sri lankan star. I'm aware of a local seller here who personally breeds them, so fairly certain it would be CBB.

I currently have a red foot, often refered as a good beginner tortoise.

I did some thorough research on the star breeds (I hope) and don't see why not =) What do you guys/gals think?

Assuming that everyone thinks stars are one of the most awesome looking torts, can you explain what has deterred you from getting one in the case that you don't have one already?

Thanks,
Alex

 

[egyptiandan]

I would think for most people it would be price and they can be trickier than most tortoises available for sale.

Danny

 

[Yvonne G]

I almost bought a couple of hatchling stars at a large reptile show in southern Calif. about 8 or 9 years ago. The thing that stopped me was the asking price of $500 per baby. I just couldn't see spending that kind of money on a baby that might not live (I had heard that they were pretty hard to care for).

Now that the price has come down, I already have quite a few different kinds of tortoises and I don't want to diversify any more. Also, all my outdoor space is already taken up with tortoise pens and I don't want to make any of them smaller in order to include a new pen for a different specie.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Well, I'm new to Stars, so take what I say with a grain of salt. While I'm enjoying mine, they are shy torts, especially compared to my little Hermann hatchlings. They don't seem to have as much personality. That doesn't mean I won't keep mine, I love them to death, but they certainly aren't as much fun as my other tortoises.

 

[Yvonne G]

But they sure are purdy!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

They are beautiful - probably the most beautiful I have. I really do love them, and I hope that as time goes on they will be less shy. (My Hermann's freak out every time I come in the room - climbing all over the place hoping I have food for them! What a bunch of cut ups!)

 

[tangale]

Hmmm...I'm definitely not a seasoned tort keeper, so when ppl who have more expertise than I say it's hard...perhaps I should really rethink this =(

Price is an issue also, but well worth it if I am successful with it =)

kimber_lee_314, may I ask how long you've had the star and how long you've been keeping tortoises prior to getting the star? also, where are you from? I'm from NYC, so the weather is hit or miss here.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I have been keeping turtles/tortoises over 20 years. I've only had the Star for a couple months, so I'm definitely still learning about them. I live in So Cal. Don't make a decision yet based on my opinions - wait until some seasoned Star keepers can chime in.

 

[Starry night]

Keeping Sri Lankans is not hard, if you have experience with other tortoises that is. They are very prone to runny noses, which is hell to get rid of and can kill then if not taken care of. Get the star tortoise book by Jerry Fife before you get one and read it cover to cover before you spend that kind of money on one. I've also had my share of dealing with parasites in some tortoises before and trust me, it's not easy to get rid of nor cheap vet bills. Piece of personal advice. Stay away from buying Sri Lankans from JWI. A very well known radiated breeder should be putting some Sri Lankan babies on the market soon. Email me if you have any more questions as these are my favorite tortoises and I plan to build up a colony and begin studying these animals very detailed. [email protected]

 

[gummybearpoop]

If you have a little more money than I would spring for a radiated tortoise (Cbw permit needed) or burmese star tortoise. More personality and super hardy

My young radiated tortoises are by far, easier to care for than redfoots, sri lankan stars, and leopard tortoises....for me in Arizona.

Sri lankan stars are kinda shy, but more outgoing than mainland Indian Stars. They suuuure are beautiful though

Tangale, if you get a sri lankan star.....get one from Larry Gaugler in NY (PM me if you need his email). If you are looking to diversify bloodlines after getting your first sri lankan, talk to Doug Beard and Janie Malsin in Florida. Dr. Zovickian should be producing some again in the future

Good luck with your decision and post pics of whatever you get!

 

[tangale]

gummybearpoop...yep, Larry would be my guy. It's even better that he's just a train ride away =)

 

[gummybearpoop]

gummybearpoop...yep, Larry would be my guy. It's even better that he's just a train ride away =)

Cool, tell him Norman said hi if you get any from him.

He does have the best prices on sri lankans. It is always good to live close to a good breeder or have access to one.

I think I purchased about 10 sri lankan stars from Larry the past few years. They were all great eaters and hardy animals. Very cute babies too. I think I bought some that were only a week or two old from Larry and they did great. I don't have any anymore....my dog ate my original group of 6 sri lankans and the other sri lankans I sold to fund my radiated tortoises.

---

By the way, I am NOT a seasoned keeper. I have been keeping tortoises since 2006, but I have been into reptiles since the 80s. I was always afraid to keep tortoises, since they seemed like a lot of work compared to throwing in a mouse/rat for a snake. Now, I would rather work with tortoises than snakes....I hate dealing with rodents. haha. Times are a changin.

 

[tjm1302]

I love my two stars. They are definitely more work to look after... and yes they are not as exciting as others.... but beautiful and wonderful all the same!!

 

[tangale]

Norman, same here. Have kept snakes (balls and emerald tree) prior to tortoises, and way less work. The defrosting of mice kind was gross, but good thing was it was only done every other week. I would go back, but the wife said no way =)

I have kept fish (both freshwater and marine) for almost 15 years.

Sorry to hear about the dog situation.
---------

Any one had any opinions about humidity? What % do you keep the enclosure at? I read various contradicting things about this topic. I would think from where they originate, the climate would be pretty warm and humid.

 

[Starry night]

I wonder why everyone always says this. My two Sri Lankans are very friendly and come out of their shells and let me pet them and I even lay down at times and let them walk around on my chest. I don't think they are as shy as most say but are a little more shy than some other species. One rule I have learned the "very hard way" is to get fecals done as soon as you get the animals. Dealing with parasites and RNS is a ***** and can be a quick killer.

 

[Homerist]

i have my indian star for coming 9weeks. so far so good. eating, pooing, soaking, basking, exploring alot, responsive and charming! =)
not shy at all. maybe due to the fact its still a hatchling, it does sleep alot around 10hrs.

im not an expert in torts keeping but i guess the torts active levels have every much to do with the weather and temperature.
my country is summer all year round and outdoor temp is around mid 30s celcius and indoor is not too cooling also ahaha higher 20s perhaps?
maybe this contributes to ease of taking care of torts or most reptiles.

 

[gummybearpoop]

I wonder why everyone always says this. My two Sri Lankans are very friendly and come out of their shells and let me pet them and I even lay down at times and let them walk around on my chest. I don't think they are as shy as most say but are a little more shy than some other species. One rule I have learned the "very hard way" is to get fecals done as soon as you get the animals. Dealing with parasites and RNS is a **** and can be a quick killer.

Jeremy

I am stating star tortoise shyness compared to other tortoise species that I have worked with: Desert tortoises, Sulcatas, Russian tortoises, Redfoot tortoises, and Radiated tortoises.

When I had sri lankans, they were active and I can pet them on the head, but they had no where near the personality as the tortoises I just stated above.