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star tortoise diet loss

22 16:01:28

Question
QUESTION: hi i live in india,mumbai where temperature is approx 35degree cel
my star tortoise is almost 7 8 months now and has been good.suddenly he has stopped eating from 2 days.when i checked with vet she told its ok..no problem if they dont eat for 3 months but i m bit scared.from a day after visit to vet he has ate only few small pieces of french beans.
i have also noticed that my tortoise sleeps almost 20 hrs per day so is it normal??.i am worried please help me
Aman Ajmera

ANSWER: Hi Aman,

Healthy tortoises are active and eat well.  You need to make sure you have your tortoise set up correctly.  You need a large enclosure (NOT a glass tank) with a basking/UVB light (you need a special reptile bulb for the UVB) so there's a warm area of about 90-95 F and a cooler area of about 75 F.  You can use soil or a mix of coir/playsand for the substrate.  There should be a warm, moist area for the tortoise to use, a shallow dish of water at all times, and you should also soak him twice a week for about 15 minutes in shallow lukewarm water.

Beans are not a good food.  Star tortoises should be fed grasses, hay, leafy greens and weeds, and cactuses.  No vegetables and no fruit.  Vary the diet as much as possible.

Star tortoises do not hibernate, and it is a big problem if they don't eat for three months because a healthy tortoise should eat!  Your tortoise may be too cool, too hot, too dry, etc.  The best thing to do is to make sure everything is set up properly and see if he improves.

When your tortoise is bigger, it would be best to have an outdoor pen for him at least part of the time.  That way, you can plant it and he can graze naturally, plus get real sunlight and fresh air.  Just make sure there is plenty of shade areas in the pen.

Here is some care information that may also help.  Please read it over carefully!

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-startortoise.htm
http://www.chelonia.org/articles/Geleganscare.htm
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/celegans.html

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi,
i have tried feeding him grasses but he is least interested in tasting it.
his favorite food is french beans and few more things.he just passes away even if i give him leafy greens.still i will try it out again.

i inquired about UVB bulbs but pet shops hardly keep it so i think its difficult to find it ..is there any other alternative??
keeping him more time in direct sunlight would help ??
is there any other powder or medicine required to feed him??
thanks a ton for your help.

Answer
He needs to eat healthy food, so keep offering grasses, hay, cactus, etc.  If you have to, mix the good food with what he will eat now, and then gradually give less of the unhealthy food (beans).  Eventually he should start eating what is best for him.

UVB is very important.  Tortoises need it to metabolize calcium, and without it your tortoise won't grow properly and will become deformed.  The best way for him to get UVB is from natural sunlight outdoors.  Sunlight coming through a window does not contain UVB (the glass filters it out).  If you can get your tortoise outside for a few hours daily, that will be enough UVB for him.  

You should put a cuttlebone (pet shops sell them for birds) in his enclosure so he can nibble it for more calcium.  Other than that, your tortoise doesn't need powders or medicines if he's eating a good diet and his enclosure is set up right.