Welcome to our new website, we are :-

 

ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISES UK

 

   We have been tortoise keepers for over 40 years and have had giants for over 15 years, giving us a lot of practical experience in their husbandry, however, we are not claiming to be tortoise experts. There are likely to many more people out there who know way more than we do, and we are always eager to learn from others, so feel free to get in touch.

 

   The main purpose of the website is to offer a bit of information on the realities of keeping a tortoise, mainly from the experiences that we have learnt over the years, in relation to both the smaller and the larger animals.

 

   We do not come from a scientific background and we try to reflect that in some of the topics covered. Some of the information available on tortoise keeping can be a little overwhelming, to a novice or someone just a little curious about learning more. If you are told Dipsochelys dussurriieri is a diurnal, ectothermic being- your interest ‘dips’ from the start. But if you find out that your Aldabra is going to sit in the sunshine during the day basking, it makes a little more sense.

 

   This is not aimed to be a blog and will not be updated daily. After all we have tortoises to look after! All of the tortoises pictured on the website are our animals, unless it says otherwise.

 

   If you are looking at this site then we assume you have at least a passing interest in tortoises and you may have even seen some of our Aldabras, ‘in the shell’, at one of the outdoor shows they sometimes attend during the summer months, in various parts of the country. If you do stumble across us in a field somewhere unexpected, then feel free to stop by and 'chat tortoises' with Adrian.

 

   However, if you do not have an Aldabra of your own do not worry, there is some information about some of the other tortoise species too, it is catagorised into areas you might want to know about and there is an index with a list of the questions covered. This is obviously an on going project and more sections will be added over time, so if there is anything that you would like to see included or you want help answering, please get in touch.

 

   Part of the aim of this website is to help other Aldabra keepers and try to answer questions we would have liked to have answered when we first began. We hope that you find a small measure of information on the following pages proves useful and interesting. If you are looking at this on your phone and not a computer then click on the white horizontal lines, in the top right hand corner of your screen, to lead you to further pages of interest.

 

   We are not trying to preach to you, or intimidate you, saying  ‘you will do it this way or you will be a terrible tortoise owner’ the fact is there is no set way, every animal is different, just like people, all you can do is your best. However, if try you follow these suggestions it will set you on the right path and keep you in good stead for having a happy healthy pet.

 

   No one is a true expert, on what the tortoises need, except the animals themselves and they can’t tell us. So it is mainly down to trial and observation, however, no one should be afraid to keep learning. There is always something new to find out about them, no matter how experienced you are.

 

   As UK Aldabra owners we are all approaching this situation from slightly different angles- areas of the country, finances, regimes for the animals themselves, to the actual personalities of the individual tortoises. If there is something you see that differs with your observations, or you would like to add something, please let us know. Only by sharing knowledge will we be able to improve UK Aldabra husbandry. 

 

   Aldabra Giant Tortoises come from the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean. For the people of Mauritius the tortoises breeding is normal and commonplace. They are in their natural environment, with everything that they need to be successful, so it is nothing special. The breeding parks on Mauritius don’t have to try and overcome problems to succeed.

 

   Thanks to the pet trade and ancient sailing ships relocating them, they are found in many different parts of the world. Florida in the USA is a popular place for owners and they are fortunate to have similar conditions to what the animals would experience in the wild environment, and they are able to breed them. 

 

   Unfortunately, here in the UK we have very different weather and so we have to try and simulate their home environment to the best of our ability, which means trials , meagre successes and numerous failures.

 

    Our Aldabras are first and foremost our family pets. However, we have said for many years that we would like them to play a part in protecting their wild relatives and their species as a whole.

 

   So, one of our future plans is that we would like to invite fellow Aldabra Keepers to join us in setting up a UK Aldabra Giant Tortoise Army, where we can share experiences with other keepers, in the British Isles, that way we can improve captive conditions for all of our animals.  If you would like to join either click on the link below or check out the 'Join The Aldabra Army' page in the RU An Aldabra Keeper Section. There is a downloadable form for you to fill in. 

 

 

 

   We are not a site to sell your animal. We would sometimes re home animals into our own collection- if they were compatible with species we already have. However, we do not have everlasting space, so please do not be offended if we cannot take all animals that are offered to us, our collection does have a male bias of animals amongst the smaller species.

 

   All of the animals that come to us are with us for life,- either ours or theirs! So we would not rehome our private collection, with other people, and we are not interested in selling our Aldabras. In case of our unexpected death there is a trust in place so that we know all of our animals will be taken care of by experienced tortoise keepers.

 

   If you do need our help, please get in touch and we will try our best to assist you or point you in the direction of someone who may be able to help you better. But if it is medical and urgent please start by contacting your vet, as you will get a faster response.

 

   Unfortunately, we cannot offer advice on Turtles and Terrapins, we have no experience of keeping them. The only thing I know about turtles is that they were 'heros in a half shell!'

 

   If you have any suggestions about what you would like to see on the website please drop us a line. aldabragianttortoisesuk@gmail.com

 

We would like to wish you happy reading and browsing,

 

From everyone involved in Aldabra Giant Tortoises UK

 

(both shelled and otherwise!)