how to train...

Question
QUESTION: hey i have one star tortoise...1.1/2 year old..he just eat tomato...how much he should eat?? i try to feed him different food but he dont eat anything else then tomato..what to do?

ANSWER: Hemali,    What a beauty you have. This is not a novice turtle. They like to train you. Don't let him. These thing with tortoise is that you don't want them to get over weight. This can cause irreparable liver damage and organ failure. The tomato is fine as a treat but, not as a diet it is high in sugar and can cause a bloating or weight problem. Like children when they get hungry they will eat. If he goes off feed for awhile don't worry too much. If its more than a week or two worry. This  particular tortoise is better on wild grasses then store bought greens. Prickly pear cactus and all your flowers in your yard if he is anything like my red footed.....lol He may be staying on the tomato because it is easy to digest. Make sure his basking area is at least 95 degrees to aid in his digestion. No late night feedings. I am going to send you a care sheet I find great for these guys. I normally don't do that but, this is full of great info on feeding these incredible reptiles.    http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-startortoise.htm   If you have anymore problems let me know. Good Luck, Tina

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QUESTION: hey tina as u know i have star tortoise...i just wana know that is he ever recognize his name...i mean if i want him to learn some line as "come here" or "go there" or "eat this" does he understand all this....?? how do i train him....and could you tell me the sign like now he want to eat,now he want to sleep or he is not feeling well etc....can he hear me properly??

ANSWER: Hemali,   Time will tell. He is still young. Oh, yes he can hear you. Whether he listens or not is something else....lol They can be stubborn. The biggest thing is they grow slowly and learn more in a routine style. If you feed him in the same place he will learn that, if you say outside and he goes outside he can learn that. Its learned behavior. Every animal has its own personality. In my opinion. Repetition is the best thing for him. Eventually when you have him outside he may or may not come when you call. Depends on if he is preoccupied eating your grass...lol I have had turtles for years and I find that some stay independent and some just love you to death. My red foot follows me everywhere. He knows when he hears the fridge and I say are you hungry Big Boy he goes to the corner of his pen and waits. I babied him. I think everything has the ability to love. He is almost like a puppy. So my best advice is give him lots of attention and love him. Hopefully yours will be like mine. It just takes time. My baby is almost 20 years old but, it took him awhile to get the routine down. Patience and persistence is the key. Good Luck, Tina

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QUESTION: hey tina how are you?? i so glad that you met me..i just wanna ask you that he eat only cucumber and hibiscus that's it??? is it OK...i put it him on grass but he don't like to eat grass...and other question is in day how much time i have to put him under the sun because he don't like to stay under the sun...i just hope i am not bothering you much...but you are the only option with whom i can talk about him.... thanks a lot once again... :D

Answer
Hemali,    Sorry so long to get back to you. Since you can only seem to get him to eat the soft seedy veggies. Try some blanched till softened squashes. He needs his protein and he only gets it from his veggies. He only needs a limited amount so do not try to compensate with fish or meat. I am not sure if your shops have a tortoise supplement but, if they do you might want to keep some around or order some online. Mainly, if you can keep broadening his diet like you have he will be fine. You are doing great. Make sure to try to keep cuttlebone preferably for calcium and to keep his beak down. Eggshells are also a good source of calcium. Anytime Hemali, Tina