CARE SHEET

Mediterranean Tortoises : Understanding Tortoises

Tortoises are reptiles.  This means that their needs are different to that of mammals.  The critical difference is that mammals keep their bodies at the correct temperature by burning food (internally) to provide heat.  This can be achieved without any conscious thought on the part of the animal.  Tortoises, however, cannot do this; they need to bask in the sun in order to raise their bodies to the correct temperature and they need both shade and sun in order to be able to regulate their temperature.  The tortoise does this consciously in the same way that we are conscious of the need to eat and drink.

Many tortoises suffer either from malnutrition or kidney disease, although attacks by dogs are becoming increasingly common.

Let’s begin with malnutrition.  This does not necessarily mean that the tortoise has been deliberately starved of food; it usually means that the tortoise has not had sufficient heat to enable its body to reach the correct temperature to allow it to have a healthy appetite.  The UK climate is just not suitable for tortoises and that is why we do not have any native tortoises in this country; they just could not thrive.  Vast numbers of Mediterranean tortoises were imported into this country in the 50's and 60's and, sadly, only a very small percentage of them are still alive today.  The remainder are generally in poor health.

So what can be done?  We need only to look at the climate in the countries where the tortoises originate to know what is lacking; sunshine - and lots of it.  Of course we have sunshine here but our winters are long and our springs (when the tortoises are emerging from hibernation) are cold, wet and miserable.

Well, we can treat them to a basking lamp.  These lamps (usually called pig lamps) can be obtained from agricultural merchants and cost approx £25, complete with bulb, plug and safety chain.  Basking lamps should he housed in either a garden shed or greenhouse, ideally with access to a secure garden or outdoor pen.

Let us look at a tortoise's reaction to rain.  In the wild, after a rainstorm, tortoises can be seen soaking and drinking quite large amounts of water.  This is not solely to quench their thirst; it also enables them to flush out their kidneys.  In captivity tortoises should always have access to clean drinking water in a sturdy shallow dish set into the ground so that it cannot he knocked over and so that the tortoise can lower its head into it rather than reaching up.  It should also be given the opportunity to soak in tepid water, just up to its chin, every few weeks, to give it the opportunity to drink and hence flush out any unwanted substances in the kidneys. This can prevent an awful lot of problems becoming serious threats to their health.

People often say, "Oh he's been living quite happily in the garden for 20 years or more, no shelter, no heat lamp.”  Unfortunately, that poor tortoise has been unhappily dying in their garden all those years.  Most of them, if they reach that age, die soon afterwards and, again, their owners will say, "Oh well, I've had him years; he was very old."  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  At that age the tortoise should be in its prime; it will have almost certainly died of malnutrition and, yes, it can take all those years to kill a tortoise.

Let us look at some of the odd things that people have been known to feed to their tortoises.  Cat or dog food, jam sandwiches, porridge, bananas, mashed potatoes, cheese, chocolate, to name but a few.  So what happens when these unsuitable foods are consumed?  Eventually the tortoise's kidneys are affected and, if its diet is not changed, it will die of renal failure.  Mediterranean tortoises are herbivores.  They do not require protein, meat or dairy products in their diets.  If we were to keep a cat or dog in a totally wrong environment and feed it a completely alien diet, it would be dead in days (or at the most, a week or two).  This is not true with tortoises.  They can, and do, suffer for a long time before dying.

Tortoises in this country are also deprived of the calcium and minerals which are found naturally in the soil in their native countries.  Once again, we can quite easily and cheaply compensate for this with a supplement added to their food.

Another point to remember is that tortoises do not appreciate being petted and cuddled.  This is worth remembering when choosing a tortoise as a pet for a child.  They are fascinating creatures but, having created the best environment and diet we possibly can, we should leave them to enjoy it.

With help and understanding we can make a real difference to the lives of these fascinating and very rewarding creatures.