Mediterranean Tortoise Care Sheet.

Care of the Mediterranean Tortoise.

Please note this care sheet is suitable only for those tortoises originating from the Mediterranean under the genus Testudo which includes both sub species of Hemanns Tortoise and the Horsfields Tortoise (amongst others). It is therefore NOT SUITABLE for Leopard Tortoises.

In the old days I had a tortoise which I kept out in the garden all year round, can I do that with my new tortoise?

NO!! British weather is not suitable for a tortoise to live outside, our summers are too short, and the days are neither hot or long enough! On hot, sunny days your tortoise will enjoy a trip out into the garden, but you must have a tortoise run for them to prevent him/her from wandering off and also to provide protection from predators or playful dogs. Ideally the run should have some tortoise safe plants for him to graze on, it should have a place to sunbathe or bask and also somewhere to hide and cool down, and of course water should always be available. A few flat rocks should be provided for him to climb on and this will also keep his claws down.

What type and size of indoor enclosure should I have?

Ideally the bigger the better. In the wild tortoises will roam and graze, in captivity the lack of exercise and readily available food makes for a lazy and possibly overweight tortoise. This of course is detrimental to their health.

The size of the enclosure would depend on the size the animal is currently and the maximum adult size they will hopefully reach. We usually recommend a 4ftx2ftx2ft vivarium, it may seem excessive for small tortoises but they can always be blocked off. A glass fish tank will not be sufficient as the heating equipment is likely to crack the glass and also it is more difficult to keep a glass enclosure up to temperature.

What about heating, temperatures and UV?

All tortoises require a full spectrum UV light (a 5.0% one) and they will need a basking light. We prefer to use the PowerSun bulbs, they are expensive but they provide heat, light and higher amounts of UV than the strips, they also last for 2 years, but when they are turned off the heat source is also off, so in the winter additional heating may be required. The UV strip will need replacing every 6 months. UV and lights should be on for around 12 hours a day.

Your tortoise will require a hot end and a cool end, they will also need a temperature drop at night. For Hermanns and Horsfield tortoises the temperature guidelines are as follows:

• The day time low should be around 80?F (26?C)
• The daytime high should be around 90?F (32?C)
• The night time temperatures should be between 60-65?F (15-18?C)

What sort of bedding should I use?

Some people use towels, some people use newpaper, or there’s tortoise life substrate or hemp bedding or Repti turf. Which ever you would prefer to use, which looks best and is easy to clean and what suits your needs but is harmless to your tortoise.

Whatever you decide to use, you should provide somewhere they can go and hide, some flat rocks suitable for climbing on and keeping claws down, and a piece of cuttlefish with the sharp edges removed so they can help themselves to extra calcium if they feel they need to. And of course a shallow bowl of clean water should be available at all times.

Can I feed them just lettuce?

You can, but they won’t stay healthy for long! A varied diet that is high in fibre and calcium and low in protein and phosphorus is required. You can grow your own tortoise food to cut down on costs, foods such as dandelion leaves, clover, sow thistle and watercress, all the things you’ve been striving to get rid of!!! They should make up much of the diet. Other items which should be used secondary to the above include, leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, mixed lettuce bags (from supermarket) , rocket and romaine lettuce.

Tortoises shouldn’t be given fruit except for a treat or for administering any medication.

Tortoises should not be given under any circumstances, dairy products, chocolate, iceberg lettuce, meat or banana (very high in phosphorus).

A calcium supplement and a vitamin and mineral supplement should be given daily.

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This is a very basic guide, we do strongly advise further research and reading to ensure your pet is kept ar optimum health.