Fact Sheets

On this page you will find useful factsheets on many subjects ranging from basic care of your pet, through to information on specific conditions your pet may be suffering from.

For ease of finding information the sheets are arranged according to species and may be downloaded and printed for future reference.

No part of the sheets may be copied, or distributed for any other purposes.

Although we take the utmost care to ensure these factsheets are correct, no responsibility can be assumed for any inaccuracies contained herein.

Tortoise Care

This leaflet refers to Tortoises commonly known as Garden Tortoises. These include the Mediterranean spur thighed, North African spur thighed, Hermann's, and Marginated Tortoises.

These tortoises have been kept in a relatively simple manner for many hundreds of years since their introduction from the Mediterranean region. Despite some of these specimens showing great determination in refusing to succumb to the change in environment, the climatic conditions in this country are slightly less than ideal for these fascinating creatures. Our winters are too cold and long (hibernation in the wild usually lasts for 2-3 months at most) and our summers rarely long and hot enough. This change in climate confuses the tortoises body clock so that rather than being ready to breed in the early summer and winding down for the winter, they struggle to reach breeding condition before late summer or even early autumn, when they should be looking to prepare for hibernation! As a result these tortoises, which should live for a hundred years, often survive for as little as twenty, or less.

Feeding your tortoise

Tortoises are herbivorous creatures which in the wild eat grass and green leaves and, on an occasional basis, small amounts of fruit. In captivity we should try to mimic this diet quite closely, feeding grasses, dandelion, spinach, parsley, hibiscus, naturally occurring non-toxic weeds and other dark greens, limiting the amount of fruit, and offering a small amount of pelleted tortoise food. Obviously on a hot summer's day, grazing your garden is ideal, ensuring protection from dogs and cats etc.

Although it is commonly stated in older texts that these tortoises need meat, especially in the run up to hibernation, this is in fact incorrect. These tortoises should never be given meat as even a small amount can cause fatal biochemical imbalances.

Regular worming

Tortoises can pick up and carry a great number of worms. For this reason, twice-yearly health checks are recommended, with worming to be carried out at each of these. These are best timed in the spring after hibernation to ensure a healthy gut to put on the weight lost over winter, and in the late summer before the onset of hibernation, at which time the decision as to whether to hibernate or not can be made. Your vet will also advise checking a faecal sample for the presence of worm eggs if there is any worry over the health of your tortoise at other times as a worm burden can lower your tortoise's immune system.

Regular weighing

This should be done on a weekly basis and the weight of your tortoise plotted on a graph. This will show quickly and clearly any sharp rise or fall in the weight (often the first sign of illness) and if these are kept as annual records they are of great value in showing the annual pattern of weight gain and loss for your tortoise, so any change can be detected earlier. It is important to continue this weighing during hibernation

Should these tortoises be hibernated?

This is currently of great debate among reptile veterinarians. One certainty is that they should be of full health before hibernation in order to survive it. Most vets also feel that it is unnecessary to hibernate them each and every year - winters in the Med are milder and hibernation is not a certainty here. However, in order to keep a tortoise active during the winter period requires more than to simply bring him/her indoors. They require a vivarium, with heat and ultra-violet light, so the temperature and day-length can be maintained. Vivaria do not come particularly cheap, however before writing the idea off and opting for the cheaper, traditional method, consider that the winters here are too long, the spring too mild. and summer too short, and that even a tortoise which has been hibernated should come out of hibernation into a vivarium in order to get going properly to be ready to breed in the early summer. Remember also that any subtle health problems will be greatly exacerbated by hibernation, no matter how well controlled, and having a proper vivarium at your disposal could greatly assist in the care of your tortoise should he or she suffer any illness.

For more advice on this matter, ask for a handout giving basic advice on hibernating tortoises, or call the practice and speak to me or one of my colleagues.

David Holah BVSc., MRCVS