Please get a bigger Star.... you will regret getting those cheap ones.... 2 inch stars are highly sensitive and something wrong, say bacterial infection or a slight cold can cause death.... I have gone through that before, that is why I dare say out.

Well.... around the head is normal. Means shedding.... you can soak your ST once a day for 10 minutes to soften the skin and shed easily. But of course make sure once soaked in water, must place in tank with a basking light or some place warm so it won't catch a cold.

Really? Wahhh.... sorry to hear bout all your loses. RIP to the 5 stars.... bought from ikano rite? Mine was from ikano....

Mine died after 1 year.... it didn't eat but I made it drink babyfood soup and isotonic water to live along with calcium supplements. Also died from soft shell...

If you get 3 inches.... can survive... I got 1 which is now 5 years old already because I got it around 2.5 inches.... still it was risky to keep such a young star. Also, it is natural for tortoises to be solitary unless breeding, so save your money, get a 3 inch one and be happy about it.

well, if can afford only 1 first then get 1 first. I do wish to keep another but space for 2 stars is gonna be hard... I don't want my current star to have less space. Also I think my mom would freak if I get another star hahaahh.

It's about 5.5inches now... that was the last time I measured lah....

Hahaha.... she likes my Star but she said 1 is enough.... tried before... she feeds my star every morning

Both the flower and leaf can be given.

Do lessen the long beans.... give only like once or twice a month. Long beans are very high in protein and can cause pyramiding on their shell.... sawi is ok.

Please go do research on Red Eared Slider....

Your turtle would need some fiber in the diet. Give some vegie like kang kung or sawi. Sometimes a few feeder fish is good. Pellets, you must be careful coz some have too much protein. It is always good to provide some fresh food... like human lah, if we eat canned sardines everyday not nice rite? You would also like to eat freshly cooked fish once a while.... so get some fresh vegies or feeder fish for a change. You can still continue feeding the pellets.

You can scrub your turtle's shell with an old toothbrush. Gently scrub off... do not use soap and apply little pressure.

Yes, that is ok. It needs to have a rock above the water so when it wants dry land, it can be on the rock.

Yes, you have to sunbath your turtle. Good to have 10 to 20 minutes of natural sun light everyday. Since they are cold blooded, they do need heat so a normal basking lamp is good to give some heat. The sunbath will provide the ample amount of UV rays and produce Vit D3 but a basking lamp will only give heat.

Better not cut. Males have longer nails than females, it's natural.

No no.... don't feed kacang panjang.... it has high protein, junkfood to then.... sigh, never do research on feeding Star Tortoise? They cannot eat a lot of vegetables....

Stars should have a diet of sawi, prickly pear(opuntia), hibiscus leaf and flower, dandelion(if got), Romaine lettuce(not normal lettuce).... Ladies Fingers and carrot can be given once or twice a week, french beans and kacang panjang once awhile.... they can take a bit of tomato once a week.... Kangkung can be fed a few times.....

When he is hungry, he will eat.... if you only feed kangkung, the shell will grow wrongly, have alot of pyramiding and if too high in protein and low in calcium, it can become stunted and deform.

Forest bark? Better change... look for Breeder's Celect... it is a cat litter that is made of recycled newspaper.... of Back 2 Nature.... same company... Forest bark got trap moisture, which is not healthy for a star tortoise if you do not on a basking light for it everyday....

Hamster bedding? That is worst.... my goodness.... you seems like never read or do research on how to take care of star tortoise at all....

Go to Pet Safari, you can find Breeder's Celect there.

Sigh, petshops don't know much but just sell stuff.... getting information is so easy... just google and get. If you wanna get more info, READ this whole thread and the old one.... everyone has given all their knowledge here. Don't wait to be spoon fed. I got my Star tortoise 5 years ago, nobody told me how to care for it, I did my own research before buying and make sure I can supply the right food..... also, a star tortoise less than 2.5 inches has a high risk of catching infection and dying too if the care is not given correctly... Please do more research....

People these days are seeing snakes as cool animals to keep..... well, there was once a star tortoise trend... then the hermit crab phase... soon snakes will become less as well and something new will pop up.

Aquatic snails, wow.... so what species of snails? The large ones? How long have you kept the snail eating turtles?

How can they eat back the eggs? Do you give it substrate to bury the eggs?

Ohh... man, I think I was blur last night and thought ekiddie posted saying his turtles ate their own eggs hahah... my bad my bad.

I also have aquatic snails.... erm, dunno what species but they do not grow very big, just the size of 10 cent coins. 1 snail produced 20 snails.... realise it will only lay eggs and hatch if it has plants around.

Pics of the snails?

If it was bitten off, it won't grow back. They are not like geckos.