Changing Tort Behaviours: New Care Advice for Tortoises
Tortoises have been kept in the UK for centuries. In fact, the earliest documented record goes all the way back to 1625 when William Laud, Bishop of London kept a Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo gracea) at Lambeth Palace. Fast forward almost four centuries and our fascination with these charismatic reptiles is just as prominent as ever. As exotics keeping continues to develop into a professional hobby with animal welfare standards at the forefront, our relationship with tortoises is a perfect example of the leaps and bounds that exotic pet care has taken.
Eleanor Chubb is the European Lead for the Turtle Survival Alliance, Founder, Coordinator and Lecturer of Tortoise Welfare UK and committee member of the Norfolk Tortoise Club. Eleanor explained: “We need to look at the wild to look after tortoises in the best way we can. Tortoise keeping has become so much more exciting because there’s so much more you can do with the animal to not only make them more interesting to keep, but also to help them thrive in captivity.”
“We now know they don’t last just a few years. If you get it right, you should have a beautifully smooth tortoise who’s active and lives for many years. The most important thing is to keep up with research. Things do change and nothing is black and white and everyone does things differently, it’s about having a good broad over view.”
A wild Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
Coming out of your shell
Eleanor is keen to encourage keepers to join clubs, groups and social networks to keep up to date with the latest breakthroughs in tortoise welfare. As each keeper’s circumstances are different, there is a vast spectrum of successful tortoise keeping standards. Whilst outdoor enclosures are always considered the best, available space, south-facing gardens, varying budgets and number of tortoises will always mean there are multiple ways to do things.
“We now know that tortoises massively benefit from outdoor and indoor enclosures. There’s lots of resources online so really there’s no excuse. There is always a way to create an indoor and outdoor enclosure to your budget without it costing the earth. Plus, why waste money on extra lamps when the sun does a much better job? Just make sure you avoid using netting as tortoises can’t see this and will get trapped and never underestimate how good they are at escaping.”
Outdoor enclosures can vary in size and the different materials that are used to create them. From ceramic planters to state-of-the-art fencing, there are a whole myriad of ways to create an outdoor enclosure for an adult tortoise. Of course, the very best outdoor enclosures will also be attached to a shed or greenhouse that allows a warm area for the tortoise to bask as and when it needs to.
Eleanor continued: “One breakthrough that’s come to life in recent years is the benefit of providing a basking lamp. Not a spot lamp, not a radiator and not a heat mat. Tortoises need a lamp that will warm them to their core, and they need this to digest properly, to absorb vitamins and to ovulate properly. If you have one tortoise a flood all-in-one lamp is fine but if you have a group, there is also loads of T5’s with great UVB output over a larger area which is essential for D3.”
Even the most novice of keepers understands we should be keeping reptiles warm. While tortoises should be provided with a source of heat that warms their core rather than their environment, this can lead beginner keepers to have some animosity about putting their animals outside. In the UK our temperatures are much lower than the Mediterranean and West Asia where the popular Hermanns and Horsefield tortoises come from. After a putting a tortoise outside they can appear lethargic and this can be a scary prospect for a devoted pet owner.
Eleanor explains: “Beginners also don’t realise that tortoises should be warmed up before they go outside at a cooler temperature. Whether that’s under a lamp or in a warm bath. Tortoises should be kept at room temperature but provided with a basking area of 30°C and this should be from a white lamp, not a ceramic or a red light. Encouraging them to warm up for an hour before they go outside will keep them active at the lower temperatures.”
Walking on Eggshells
Keeping tortoises requires a deep understanding of how and why issues can occur. As with all exotic animals, if there’s a health defect arising from an otherwise quarantines and healthy animal, there is an extremely high chance it is our fault. Whether this is a result of poor nutrition, ill-informed husbandry or in some cases neglect, understanding the natural conditions an animal would be exposed to is a great way to counteract any potential issues.
Eleanor continued: “One big problem is vets being concerned about egg retention and spaying the animals. Just because a tortoise is pregnant doesn’t mean it’s sick. Just make sure vitamins are present and they will naturally lay eggs even if they don’t have access to a male. Just by providing deep substrate in a sunny area will give them the option to lay. Although they can technically absorb them, it’s really important to offer them that opportunity.”
“The one big mistake people make in indoor enclosures is they don’t provide enough substrate. The best substrates are the ones that are mixed. Using multiple bags of substrates, topsoil, coco coir and some sand is best because it holds moisture but provides enrichment. You want a good 3 inches of substrate which can be difficult to provide in a viv. You also need a hot end and a cool end, which can be a problem in vivs as they create an ambient temperature which can be a problem for beginners. It’s actually usually better for someone to use a tortoise table with a good amount of substrate and a proper basking lamp and try to maintain some humidity as there’s less room for error than with a viv. However, the real game changer is using greenhouse enclosures. Setting it up in a sunny location, ensuring it’s secure and the tortoise is far enough away from dogs or ponds etc, that’s perfect for them. A lot of people get their head around the indoor enclosure but get so scared by the outdoor enclosure that they just don’t do it and that’s really missing the best opportunities for the tortoise. It can actually be really exciting to create a well planted enclosure with lots of aggregate, enrichment, climbing opportunities etc. If you bring them in at night and do it slowly its easier than you think and there’s loads of supportive communities out there.”
Hermann’s tortoises in an outdoor enclosure with mixed substrate
No Good, Dry Again
Whether indoors or outdoors, providing some level of humidity is key to keeping a healthy tortoise. Without that humidity, an issue known as ‘pyramidding’ can occur. This causes the shell to grow bumpy and can lead to serious health defects.
Eleanor explains: “Hydration is SO important. In indoor enclosures it’s so common to see tortoises with bladder stones, impacted gut, dry skin and bumpy shells and that’s all down to the fact that people think you keep tortoises tinder dry. You don’t. Make sure you mix spaghnum moss and actually pour pints of water into the substrate, spraying usually isn’t enough! If your substrate is dusty or a bit clayey, buy a coco brick to actually make it a little more fluffy and help it retain the moisture. Tortoises can’t cough as they have solid chests, so it’s really important we don’t keep them in dry enclosures.”
People also often bathe their tortoise. In the wild tortoises would get the majority of their water from their diet, but sometimes encounter puddles to drink from. As they come from arid environments, this prompts them to pass the water they are retaining immediately. “Bathing a tortoise is something you can do which costs nothing but helps keep them healthy. This flushes things out and helps their kidneys keep healthy” explained Eleanor. Of course, this process should be done in moderation to ensure that the tortoise is not flushing out their system more often than they would in the wild.
What’s up-llements?
Vitamin and calcium supplements have been commonplace in the reptile keeping industry since the early days. Although these have developed over the years to encompass other elements, natural ingredients and in some cases become more palatable they are often entirely necessary for the conventional means of reptile care in the UK.
Eleanor continued: “You can’t overdose calcium but you can overdose vitamin D3. But, people are so worried about overdosing their tortoise that they don’t give it at all. The first that happens then, is their back legs will go, because they haven’t absorbed enough D3 for healthy bones. In the UK, even with the best natural diet, you will not be able to give them enough vitamins, calcium, trace elements and D3 without using a supplement. Nutribol is my favourite but they don’t like the taste of it so you will need to hide it. Applying it to a small piece of cucumber as a treat is the lesser of the evils that they actually really enjoy the taste of. Tortoises are like children they are really fussy.”
“There are lots of junk food out there too. Cucumber, rocket, baby gem lettuce, they’re all just basically water so they should be avoided unless they’re used as a means to give vitamins. However things like fruit and vegetables should be avoided full stop. Even though they love it, it can bind to the urea and create awful bladder stones. Because tortoises are so dependent on their natural environment, they don’t like change. So, if you need to provide a healthy diet, don’t give up. Always try to chop up dried flowers and healthier foods and mix it in with things they actually like. This can take a whole summer! But I guarantee if you persevere, they will come around.”
Providing a shell-thy diet
One of the wonderful things about keeping Mediterranean tortoises is their simple diet. Pellets are great and can be used to supplement wild weeds and plant matter but providing a varied diet is absolutely essential to keeping a tortoise healthy. As we slowly move away from the pristine, sterile environments we used to think were so important to reptiles in the 90s, it can be very difficult to have faith in collecting wild plant matter. Feeding wild foods can be off putting for many keepers, but Eleanor suggests that generally, people worry too much when it comes to sourcing a wild diet.
“The general rule is if it’s highly dangerous to a child then of course your tortoise won’t do well” explained Eleanor. “Also, if it comes from a bulb or has waxy leaves it is probably toxic too, but people need to stop worrying so much about whether plants are toxic. The majority are absolutely fine. The main things are to avoid kale, beans, fruits and veg because they can create horrible bladder stones. They manage to hide being ill so well that it’s difficult to pick up on their illness.”
In the wild, tortoises are very much in tune with the seasons. They will wake from hibernation in Spring before feeding on the earliest shoots of the year. These smaller shoots are chocked full of protein and fats which help the tortoise regain its energy early in the year. If the tortoise were to feed on these high-protein plants all year it would be extremely unhealthy, but as the seasons change so do the plants and the tortoise will naturally revert to a healthier diet.
Eleanor continued: “Even our weeds can be a bit rich so counteract this with dry flowers and pellets. Try to avoid young shoots as they will carry too much protein but also avoid picking flowers that have gone dry, woody or strawy. Not only will the tortoise not like this, but there can be a build up of toxins in these. Pick healthy adult plants.”
A new horizon
It is no secret that the way we used to keep tortoises in the UK was often terrible. At just 50p, they were treated as commodities, left to fend entirely for themselves in our gardens rarely growing to adulthood. Now, with the help of organisations equipped with in-situ research, open discussion and veterinarian know-how we can share a wealth of knowledge almost instantly. Therefore, our much-loved tortoises are finally receiving the care and respect that they deserve. Eleanor concluded “there’s loads of great communities out there. Norfolk Tortoise Club is a very supportive community we’re not going to be ‘judgy’ at all. It’s about sharing that message and getting the best information out there.”
