Indian Star Tortoise Care Sheet
Temperature
Day 24 - 28 º C
Basking area 30 -32º C
Night 22º C (essential temperatures never dip below 20º C)
Substrate
50:50 organic/unfertilised top soil and play-pit sand, (soil depth: approx. height of the shell, e.g 1-3” deep for hatchlings, 6”+ deep for adults).
Lightly mist substrate daily to prevent it becoming dusty, help with humidity and thermoregulation. Change substrate every 4-6 weeks
Recommend having a hide/half log with damp sphagnum moss inside to create a humid hide area
Food
50% of diet to be made up of:
Grasses (free from chemicals/weed killer etc) e.g. orchard, meadow, timothy, lawn
Hay e.g. orchard, meadow, timothy (2nd cut of hay is softer, has less spiky heads, more fibre than other cuts – go to horse feed suppliers as cheaper & farmer will know hay mix)
30% of diet to be made up of tortoise-safe weeds/flowers (free from chemicals/weed killer etc) e.g.:
weeds: dandelion, plantain, hawksbeard, mallow, sowthistle
flowers: pansy, campanula, forget-me-knot, african violet, hibiscus
salad mixes (when weeds unavailable in frosty spells): Lambs leaf, florette crispy salad mix (green or pink label).(see ‘useful websites’ section for more info on what is safe to feed)
NOTE: offer the equivalent of 3⁄4 the size of the actual tortoise in food, once a day (per tortoise); in warmer months they won’t need as much as they will be grazing on grasses, weeds
Food supplements
1⁄4 teaspoon of limestone/calcium supplement on food every other day (e.g. Mon/Wed/Fri) 1⁄4 teaspoon of Nutrobal on food alternate days to limestone/calcium (e.g. Tue/Thu/Sat) Leave one day free (e.g. Sun)
Leave Cuttlefish (whole) in the enclosure for tortoise to nibble on for extra calcium
Water
Provide fresh water daily (in a shallow water dish that they can easily step in/out of)
Bathing
Frequency:
0-1 year: Every other day for 10 minutes; 1-2 years: twice per week for 20 minutes; 2+ years: once a week for 30 minutes;
Shallow bath (1⁄4 height of tortoise) in lukewarm water (30-32°C). Ideally in the morning, before food.
Basking and UVB
UVB is vital for the health of your tortoise
Use a combined UVA + UVB bulb for the basking area.
Turn on basking bulb for 12 hours per day (summer); 8 hours per day (winter).
Make sure the tortoise is unable to touch the bulb to prevent burning/overheating (bulb should be
approx 30cm away from top of the shell, depending on manufacturer’s instructions).
Replace bulbs every 6-12 months as UVB degrades and no longer beneficial to your tortoise
Weighing
Weigh weekly before their bath and keep a record of the weight. Weight should gradually increase each week (0-2g for 0-2 years).
Disinfectant/cleaning
Clean all feeding / drinking trays daily and enclosure weekly with hot water and tortoise-safe disinfectant (e.g. “F10 disinfectant”).
Housing/habitat
Hatchlings/ Juveniles can be housed indoors in open-topped tub with correct heating (never in a vivarium as they can overheat and have poor air quality/limited air circulation). Access to sunshine is important for their health and for growing strong bones and shell, so they should also have a suitable predator-proof outdoor enclosure BUT only when temperatures permit.
Sub-adult/Adults can be housed in a heated shed or greenhouse with access to secure grassy area to encourage natural grazing and give them the all-important sunshine to keep them healthy and bones/shell strong.
Note: tortoises need lots of space, so allow at least 10x the length of your tortoise to calculate the length and width of the enclosure. E.g. a tortoise that’s 10” long would need an enclosure that’s 100” x 100” (minimum)
Worming
Worm your tortoise yearly (using a tortoise worming powder) or as directed by a vet
Vets
Make sure your vet is a reptile specialist
HibernationIndian Star tortoises DO NOT hibernate
Daily checklist
Below is an example of my daily routine checklist for hatchlings (excludes bathing, weighing, worming, changing substrate)
Example of hatchling indoor area using builders mixing tubs joined together (items in tub should be away from edges to prevent climbing and injury)
Example of hatchling outdoor area with plenty of grass & tortoise safe weeds/flowers. Indian star tortoises should only go outdoors when temperatures are above 20°C
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