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Welcome to startortoiseuk
Some of my current babies having their dinner. Available to buy now. Please e-mail me for my current price list.


To comply with current animal welfare legislation Marcus is licensed to sell the baby tortoises he breeds by Eastleigh Borough Council under licence number LC202111-3570



Welcome to my website. I am Marcus Langford, and I have kept and successfully bred many interesting animals over the years.

I was delighted to hatch my first baby Stars in July 2002 and have hatched healthy youngsters every single year since then, 18 years in a row now, and counting.

I am one of the very few people in the UK to breed Indian Star Tortoises regularly and perhaps the only person in the UK who can offer genuine captive-bred Indian Star youngsters for sale all year round. Every tortoise I sell has been bred by myself in Southern England and is the offspring of the adult tortoises with whom it has been a privilege to have shared my life for more than a decade.


4-year-old Star (above) next to a recently hatched baby (below), both bred by myself.  This photo demonstrates the difference between the baby pattern and the adult pattern which develops during the first 18 months or so of a Stars' life.


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4-year-old Star (above) next to a recently hatched baby (below), both bred by myself. This photo demonstrates the difference between the baby pattern and the adult pattern which develops during the first 18 months or so of a Stars' life.
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I have set up this website to make accurate information about Indian Stars more accessible to everyone, to dispel some of the myths that certain internet sites will have you believe apply to all Indian Stars, to encourage more people to keep Indian Star Tortoises, and to emphasise how important it is to obtain genuine captive-bred Stars.

My aim is to make you aware of the potential pitfalls of finding healthy genuine captive-bred youngsters, and, of course, to encourage you to buy your Indian Star youngsters from the only guaranteed source of healthy, genuine UK-captive-bred 'Stars' - namely myself!

As I have written my site it has evolved further into what I hope is the most comprehensive Indian Star Tortoise 'buyers guide' on the internet.

I have included a section on how to recognise a healthy Star Tortoise, highlighted some of the workings of the 'tortoise trade' and included a guide to some of the sharp practices employed by 'rogue traders'.

Clutch of beautiful Indian Star babies hatched by myself in 2007.
Clutch of beautiful Indian Star babies hatched by myself in 2007.
Clutch of my 2014 Indian Star babies hatching 15 August.









Clutch of my 2014 Indian Star babies hatching 15th August.
Baby Star feeding on fresh dandelion leaf, hatched 7th August 2014.  Photograph taken 25.9.2014.









Baby star feeding on fresh dandelion leaf, hatched 7th August 2014.
Photograph taken 25.9.2014
I am a Tortoise Breeder


Marcus holding an adult pair of Indian Star Tortoises
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MARCUS with an adult pair of his Indian Stars - "Vinnie" (male) on your left, and the larger "Aurora" (female) on your right. Both these tortoises have been owned by Marcus since 2001 and are now in excess of 20 years old. This photo demonstrates the small adult size of the Indian Star when compared to Leopard and Sulcata tortoises which are pretty babies but when adult would need several people to lift them!


I must make it clear that I am a 'breeder' of tortoises - I am one of a dedicated band of tortoise-keepers who work hard to look after their animals for 365 days of the year, who put the health and wellbeing of their tortoises first and foremost, and as a result regularly breed their tortoises and offer their offspring for sale.

I do not buy and sell tortoises and I do not accept other tortoises in part-exchange - the risks of cross-infection are too high (see my 'street-wise guide to the workings of the tortoise trade' section) all my baby Stars are therefore healthy (see my 'How to Recognise A Healthy Star Tortoise' page) and do not suffer the health issues caused by the harmful pathogens that may be present in tortoises sold by shops, 'traders' and dealers.

Every Star Tortoise that I sell has been bred by myself.

I always provide ongoing advice and support for every tortoise I sell by phone or e-mail for as long as you need it.