doubts regarding my indian star tortoise

Question
QUESTION: hi Jeannie
         i live in India n more precise in Mumbai the temperature here ranges from 27-35 degrees Celsius. got pair of indian star tortoise a week back so have some doubts in my mind
         they are maintained exclusively indoor but i make a point to expose them to natural sunlight without any barrier in between for minimum 30 mins is it sufficient or i need to expose them more. other thing i have noticed is that when i expose them to sunlight in their pen they always run for shade but on ther hand when i take them to a lawn they donot mind sunlight n keep on grazing what ever they like on is it normal. And last thing i would like to know is they are pretty small around 2 n half to 3 inches long do i need to provide them with supplements like calcium or vitamin D3..
         thank you
         Sneha

ANSWER: Hi Sneha,

I would try to get them outdoors for at least two hours a day, but if you have access to a garden, the ideal would be for them to be housed outside exclusively, or at least during the day, weather permitting.  If predators are a concern, a pen could be covered with wire cloth for safety.  If they have a planted pen, they can graze and bask normally, and it would be much healthier for them.  

If they have adequate access to natural sunlight, they don't need any D3 supplements, but you can put a cuttlebone in their enclosure for them to nibble on for extra calcium if they need it.  If they're provided with a good, varied diet they may not need extra calcium and may leave the cuttlebone alone for months, but leave it in there just in case.  

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QUESTION: thank you so much. it has helped me a lot. n please tell me how many times should i feed my tortoises in a day.

ANSWER: Hi Sneha,

If they are able to be outside grazing on grass and weeds for two hours or more a day, I wouldn't feed them at all on those days.  Otherwise, don't feed more than once a day, and once they're about a year old (or a little bigger), you can skip feeding them one or two days a week.  It's important not to overfeed tortoises, and you don't want them to grow too quickly.  Ideally, grazing on their own outside is the best way to feed them, provided there is enough for them to eat.

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QUESTION: hi there, your advice have helped me a lot to know my indian star tortoise.since some days me noticing one of my indian star tortoise is giving out orange urine it wasnt the case before me really worried for it. what could be the possible reason and how can it be treated kindly help.
thank you
sneha

Answer
Hi Sneha,

Tortoises can excrete both liquid waste (urine) and urates, which are usually white and can range from creamy/liquidy to gritty or even stone-like.  You want to see the creamy urates; if you're seeing gritty urates, the tortoise is dehydrated and needs increased moisture/soaking.  I'm not sure if you mean the urates are orange or if the urine itself is orange.  Urates can be discolored depending on what the tortoise eats, so if this is the case I wouldn't worry.  If the urine itself is orange, something is going on.  It could be as simple as dehydration, but could also be quite serious--kidney or liver failure.  

If the tortoise appears to be healthy--is eating well and active--I would start with increased soaks.  Try a 15 minute soak every other day for a week to see if the problem improves.  If not, you need to find a reptile vet as soon as possible.  You also need to find a vet if the tortoise is already showing signs of being ill (lack of appetite and lethargy).  If the problem is with the kidneys or liver there is nothing you can do to treat at home, unfortunately.  Good luck, and let me know how the tortoise is doing.