Twin Indian Star tortoises

Due to their relatively small size, Indian star tortoises can do well in indoor enclosures. Indoor enclosures should have hide areas where a tortoise can feel secure, as well as adequate heat and UVB lights. Secure areas may be hide boxes or even live fountain grass planted in the enclosure. A hide box only needs to be slightly bigger than the size of the tortoise, and it may be stuffed with grass or hay to help the tortoise feel secure.

I generally don’t provide a water dish indoors. Instead, I soak the tortoise in slightly warm water about once a week, where it will drink and often defecate. If you do provide a shallow water dish, be sure to keep it clean and change the water as often as necessary. Exposure to natural sunlight or UVB light plays an important role in how Indian star tortoises absorb and utilize calcium. The substrate in an indoor Indian star tortoise enclosure may be slightly moist dirt or peat moss covered with grass clippings. The tortoise may burrow into the dirt under the grass clippings.