Information On Tortoise Health

 

Do Smaller Breed Tortoises Have To Hibernate?

   No, they don’t have to; however it is something that most of the smaller species will naturally want to do come September / October time. It does depend on the type of tortoise you have, where it originates in the world governs its behaviour. Here I am talking about the more common species ‘of garden tortoises’ in this country- the Spur thighed, Hermans, Horsefield and Marginated. Other popular tortoise breeds such as the Redfoots and Leopards, will remain awake all year.

 

   As winter approaches there is less food around for them to eat and the temperature drops, so it takes them longer to warm up during the day before they are able to go out foraging and with shorter daylight hours this can be a problem. They are using energy that is a struggle for them to replace. There is also less vegetation around for them to hide in making it easier for predators to take them.

 

   So, Mother Nature came up with the solution that they burrow down beneath the ground where they are away from harsh winter temperatures and it remains a constant level of about 5 degrees and go to sleep. The tortoises need the consistency so that they are not awoken every time it gets warmer thanks to a sunny day. The more that they wake up the more energy they use and the greater the risk that they will not make it successfully out of hibernation.

 

   The idea is that they are lulled into a sense of suspended animation and this means that their heart rate drops to minimal levels and they shut down any systems that are none vital so they use the least amount of energy possible. They sleep through the lean times and awaken when the spring temperatures begin to increase and food once more begins to grow.

However, if you can provide your tortoise with enough artificial sunshine, heat and food then they do not need to sleep through the winter but they will probably still be less active.

 

   Unfortunately, many tortoises are lost during hibernation because they are not chilled down enough to put them in this suspended hibernation. Putting them in the airing cupboard or under the bed will no longer suffice, as they did when we were children. Our houses tend to be too warm over winter, with the introduction of central heating and effective insulation. Even putting them out in the shed cannot guarantee a constant level of coolness and there is a greater risk of rats or mice finding them whilst they are defenceless.

 

  This is why some people have begun hibernating them in a fridge- that does not mean you want to put them in the salad drawer of the household fridge! Most people get a second fridge, and put it in the garage or somewhere similar. It does not have to be brand new but you will need a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Put the tortoise in a box with holes in it and straw and when you put it in the fridge don’t put it near the chiller unit as it can get too cold- you are not trying to freeze it!

 

   Pack the rest of the free space around it with some bottles of tap water; this will help keep temperature constant and make the fridge run more efficiently by not icing up. Don’t forget to check on it on a regular basis and open the door for a few moments, each time, to allow fresh air to circulate into the sealed fridge or the tortoise could die of asphyxiation.

 

   We now have too many ‘garden tortoises’ to fit in one fridge and rather than running multiple ones, when the cost of electricity is so high, we decided to build a hibernation pod for them out in the garden. We have a dark chilly section that never gets used except to stuff clutter and it was an ideal location. We used horizontally laid, sectional concrete garage panels to create the walls and put in a brick paver floor using old and broken bricks, so nothing could get in from underneath and the tortoises could not get out either. We put in a tonne of additive free soil and allowed it to settle for a while and dry out a little before the hibernation period, so that we did not get condensation forming on the roof. When the tortoises were put in, there was plenty of room for them to move and find a comfortable spot to dig down, so we left them to it for a few days before removing the insulated roof and peeking in, to make sure they were all settled. Gradually instinct took over and they snuggled down beneath their soil covering to sleep. The insulated roof is important because it keeps the temperature around them more constant. As with any other hibernation, you need to check them every so often, it will give them fresh air and you peace of mind that they are OK.

 

   One thing we would consider doing next year is sectioning a specific bit off for our Horsefields. All of the others went down to a couple of hand depth below the surface and were easily located, when it was time to get up. The Horse field went down a lot deeper and it actually took three days with us shifting the soil around for the male to finally pop to the surface.

 

   Admittedly, not many people would need to build a hibernation pod the size of ours but it does prove that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make sure your pet is safe for the long winter sleep. An old paving slab base, some bricks piled up to make the walls, whilst giving it enough room to fidget and find a comfortable spot that it likes to settle down in. With and a piece of insulation and another paver to go on the top, and hey presto you have your very own hibernation pod. You can easily build it to the size you require if you have more than one animal to get in there.

 

   Fill to about half to three quarters full with loose top soil so it is able to dig through, Wickes do a good one (in a blue bag). It can be a good idea to get a block of coconut coir and mix it into the soil, you can get a block on the internet or garden centre type places, it isn’t very expensive. It makes the soil consistency a little lighter and both easier for the tortoise to dig through and it does not press down quite as hard as the soil goes over them. However, if you do use this you will need to use water to ‘activate it’ so make sure you allow enough time for it to have dried out, almost fully before you put the tortoise in there or it will be like you sitting around in wet socks for weeks at a time, they risk getting something similar to trench foot.

 

   There are many recycling sites on the internet and there always people in your local areas giving away odd bits of building materials and once it is built you hibernation pod can be used year after year. Just air it out for a bit before you want to use it next time. It is not really safe to just complacently allow your tortoise to hibernate in the garden. Weather and predators are two big risks to its health and survival. Just because it has ‘always done that’ does not mean this year its luck wont run out!

 

   Tortoises have been hibernating for man,y many generations and burying down, even when it is not hibernation time is natural behaviour for them, they instinctively know how to create a safe place underground so that they do not suffocate.

 

   Usually the tortoise will dig down at a 45 degree angle for as far as it can, then they will move a dirt wall in front of the hole, behind them, so that no one knows they are there. The dirt and soil around your tortoise will remain loose enough for enough oxygen to get inside to them. They may move around a little in their little nest, to get comfortable or change position, which is normal, after all you turn over in bed! You should never disturb the soil just to check if it is OK, as it can significantly reduce the oxygen flow in their carefully dug tunnel.

 

Do Aldabra Tortoises Hibernate?

   No, this is a species that doesn't hibernate for the winter - just imagine the size of the box you would need to put them in if they did!!

 

   The Aldabra Atoll, in the Seychelles, where they originate from is close to the equator (9 deg South, 46 deg East) – so they experience a wet and a dry season, not summer and winter like the UK. Hence they never needed to sleep for several months of the year to escape to cooler temperatures.

 

   They can sleep 18 out of 24 hours but it varies on the individual tortoise, however, they are deceptively quick when they get up to temperature and start moving around. They are Diurnal species and so are active during the day.

 

   A small breed tortoise will hibernate because the weather gets cooler and food gets more scarce over winter, so they need to slow their metabolism down to a minimum to get through it and the best way they have found to do this is to go into a sleep so deep it is just short of death.

 

   However, if there is a shortage of food for the large species, then the Aldabra and Sulcata are big enough to fast for several weeks or even months until a new supply of food grows through. Please do not try to make them hibernate, do not put them in the fridge to chill them into a stasis. You will kill them- it has been tried by others and the animals perished.

 

Can A Tortoise Go Outside Before It Is 3 Years Old?

   A lot of people have been told that tortoises absolutely cannot go outside before they are 3 years old and they should be kept solely in a vivarium during this time. This is not true. Out in the wild they do not have a vivarium to live in.

 

   Obviously they require high levels of UVB light to help them convert their food to calcium and make their bones grow strong and healthy during their formative years. However, natural sunshine is always the best option for them, it is much better than artificial light we provide in a vivarium set up. So if it is a nice sunny day then get them out in a secure outdoor run and let them stretch their legs and explore. You would not like to be cooped up in the house for three years and neither would they- your tortoise will appreciate a change of scenery.

 

   This does not mean that they should live permanently outside, if it is a cold or overcast day then they will be better off under their heat lamps in their indoor accommodation. Use your common sense about what would be most appropriate for each day. If you are going to be late back from work them leave them inside. Use of indoor and outdoor accommodation gives them the best of both worlds and leads to a healthier tortoise.

 

   Likewise, if it is going to be  a very hot day, smaller tortoises should not be out all day. Their small bodies will dehydrate quicker so it is important that they have size appropriate water available and PLENTY OF SHADE for them to hide under. Also be aware that if they are hiding to cool down then they are reducing the number of hours they can eat. So let them have some time outside and then return them to their indoor pen where they can feed at a comfortable temperature.

 

   It is important to make sure you pay attention to securing the bottom of the pen, as well as the height to make it escape proof, as tortoises are good diggers. If not then the little one will be off for an extended walk and you will be wondering if next doors dog is really playing with just a ball!! A mesh top is also advisable to prevent anything from taking the tortoise out. Also put plenty of hides in there, a smaller tortoise will warm up quicker in the sunshine. If you don’t want it overheating it will need somewhere shady to hole up, so it can cool down.

 

Why Do They Need To Spend Time Under Special Lamps?

   Although Aldabra tortoises will quickly become too large to live in a vivarium they will need access to heat lamps and UVB Lights all their life, as the UK is not their natural habitat and we need to give them the same natural facilities they would find in the wild, if their health is not to suffer.

 

   These modern husbandry techniques are relevant for all species of tortoises no matter their size, and if you decide to adopt a tortoise, from a rescue centre, then you will need to be prepared to adhere to these techniques. It is no longer suitable just to put the tortoise out in the garden and let it fend for itself.

 

   The suns natural rays provide vitamins in their bodies, which work with the plants that they eat to produce calcium and give them strong bones. So, here in the UK, owners need to artificially provide this, especially during the winter time, when they don’t get outside as much.

 

   It is said that an hour of natural day light is better for a tortoise than eight hours spent under UVB lamps, so if it is a bright day get your tortoise out into a secure pen in the sunshine- they are like children they should not be cooped up indoors all day, it is not what mother nature intended!

 

Do You Worm Your Tortoises?

   Some people think that pumpkin is a good natural wormer although it has not definitely been proven to be true. We do give our animals pumpkin, they seem to enjoy it and we have not had any cases of worms with them so far. If you save them from after Halloween, then please make sure you have scraped any candle wax out before you give the pumpkin to the tortoise.

 

   We try not to give our animals unnecessary medicines, so preventative medical worming control is avoided, as it can upset the tortoises natural gut bacteria and make matters worse. If one of the tortoises actually came down with a case of worms then we would review the situation as necessary and take expert, exotic, veterinary advice on a case by case basis.

 

Do They Like Hot Weather?

   Being reptiles they need heat and sunshine to get up to temperature and their shell acts like a solar panel allowing them to do this in the most efficient manor possible. Just like our heart does, a tortoises' heart pumps blood around the body and this includes a large amount of blood which is effectively sent underneath the carapace to warm up before continuing to circulate around their body- a bit like how a solar thermal hot water system works.

   An external basking temperature, which ranges between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, is needed to allow the tortoise to regulate their body temperature to thirty degrees, which is their optimum metabolic efficiency.

    However, once they get warm they then need to find shade or water to regulate their body heat, as they cannot sweat like humans can. So contrarily they spend the morning basking to get warm and then early afternoon hiding in shade, to cool down, once the temperatures get into the high twenties and above. Overheating could kill them.

 

   It is just as important to give them plenty of shade on a hot day, as it is to give them extra heat on a cold day!

 

 

 

 

Can A Tortoise Drink Through Its Bottom?

   Tortoises, like many other animals can absorb water and moisture through many aspects of their body when immersed in water. This can be via the pores in the skin to other orifices, including their bottom. It is the same for humans, if you were sat in the bath, with your head above the water level, then you would still be rehydrating your body even though you are not drinking the bathwater with your mouth.

 

   So, the answer is yes. However, they would still prefer to put their head in the water bowl to drink, if thirsty, as they can take in fluids much faster that way.

 

How Can You Tell If A Tortoise Is Dehydrated? 

   A dehydrated tortoise will be lethargic and underweight, have dry, loose skin, and may show a loss of appetite. They may exhibit thick, ropey mucus secretions from the mouth and have dry faeces, they may also have trouble passive faeces.

 

   If you look inside their mouth it will be pale and anaemic looking, rather than a pleasing pink colour. Tortoises should be routinely given access to water bowls big enough for them to bathe in, if they wish to.

 

 

Why Does My Aldabra Dance Around With Its Back Legs And Refuse To Walk Forwards, Is There Something Wrong With It?

   Yes, it wants to go to the toilet. Our big females are notorious for doing this, it can look like they are trying to dig with their back feet. You might as well go get yourself a cup of tea until they have sorted themselves out because they will not go anywhere until they have been, unless you can pick them up and carry them.

 

  It is usually happens after they have spent several days feeding heartily, so maybe the poo is a little impacted inside them and harder to pass, which is why they are straining. If possible try to get them into a warm bath, extra rehydration will help them to pass the poo easier, or feed them more fruit to help loosen the stool. If this actively goes on for more than a couple of days you will need to arrange to see a vet.

 

 

Why Do The Tortoises Stand Up When You Tickle Their Neck?

   This is called ‘Finching’ and it is natural behaviour for them. On their home Atoll there are lots of small birds and they will come down and peck at the tortoise removing dead skin and parasites. So if the tortoise stands up the birds can get in all of the nooks and crannies- it’s a bit like the tortoises going for a spa day!

 

   This proccess can take a couple of minutes, however this cleaning response is only seen in the island tortoises from, Galapagos and Aldabra. Other large species like the Sulcata or the Leopard do not exhibit this behaviour. It is thought that standing still for so long, in such a vulnerable position, would leave them too exposed to predator attack for continental animals, whereas island life is much more chilled.

 

   It also has a more sinister reason because when there is a shortage of food and times become more desperate, the tortoise will stand up creating a nice, welcome, shady spot underneath it and other animals will come down and seek shelter from the sun, beneath them. The tortoise then drops back down to the floor squashing them. It will then writhe on top of its victim, grinding it down, before eating it!

 

   Tortoises are Cryptodidian, which means it pulls its head directly back into its shell, rather than folding it sideways and tucking it under the Marginal Scutes, like animals such as the Eastern Long Necked Turtle.

 

 

Do You Put Anything On The Skin?

   As a general rule no, we try to treat them as they would live in the wild, if it is a hot day they will get a shower with the hosepipe. Or perhaps if the skin on the back of their long necks is peeling, like sun burn does for us, then we night put something neutral such as Aloe Vera on them but we try not to put unnecessary potions onto them or in them.

 

   Naturally available shade in their pen is important, so that they are able to take care of their own needs, as they would in the wild. We are also redesigning their pen at home to include a mud wallow for them to submerge in, during the heat of midday, as mud is an ideal natural sunscreen for them. It also dries and naturally flakes off to remove parasites and dead skin cells.

 

Why Do These Look A Different Colour To Pictures You See From The Wild?

   The Aldabra tortoise is naturally a grey/ black colour to assist with absorbing maximum amounts of sunshine and heat that they need to function as reptiles. In general the lighter the colour of the tortoise's shell means the warmer the country of origin for that breed.

 

Aldabra tortoises, in the wild live in a different environment to the UK, which on the whole is green and lush. Instead their home atoll is more sandy and they spend a lot of time in mud wallows to protect their skin from the much harsher sunshine of the region, over the years mud builds up on the shell and they begin to look brown.

 

   Foliage will also stick to this mud and soil so sometimes the tortoises are roaming around with actual plants and foliage growing on their backs, like a soldiers camouflage. These plants will get brushed off as the tortoises makes its way through the Atolls environment and thus the plants are relocated and this is one of the ways the floral species spread across the Island.

 

Do You Clip Beaks And Toe Nails?

   Natural wear is best; we try to give the tortoise access to natural rough substrate, such as paving slabs, where they walk frequently to keep the nails under control. This has the added benefit of being a good basking area surface so they will naturally want to go there.

 

  Tougher foods like carrots and parsnips help with natural beak wear, whilst still keeping it sharp enough to cut through their food. Having to take them to a vet can be costly, as well as inconvenient and intrusive for the animal. Prevention is definitely better than cure.

 

   For our big tortoises clipping beaks and feet involves power tools, and hoists, so if we can find a way of avoiding such potentially stressful activities it is always the first choice. Once the growth is under control natural wear should keep it that way.

 

 

Do They Bite?

   Not intentionally, they aren't aggressive in that way but if you are hand feeding them and accidentally get nipped, they can make a wound down to the bone! That said you are far more likely to get an injury from one of them standing on your foot -the big guys are heavy!

 

Can You Sit On Them?

   The smaller ones no, their shell is still growing and hardening and any unnecessary weight on them can cause damage, which would have life long effects.

 

   The large, older, tortoises are able to bear the weight of an average human. After all the females have to take a lot of the weight of a larger, potentially 250kg, male on their back when mating. However, we do not encourage sitting on them- they aren't very comfy for one thing!

 

How Fast Can They Walk?

   Typically, our Aldabras will get up in the morning and bask to warm up and then shuffle off in small increments, eating on the way, to begin their day. When they are walking back to bed, at night, they have usually had enough to eat and just want to get home to find a comfortable safe spot to sleep. So, they constantly stroll at a slow human walk (with stops for the occasional piece of grass on the way!) but when you consider how big the stride in on some of the larger animals they make faster progress than you expect. Galapagos Tortoises have been monitored at walking 0.2 miles an hour, given their similar sizes, Aldabras are likely to be walking the same pace but we have never actually measured it

 

Are They Reptiles?

   Yes, and as an Ectothermic being, which means it is cold blooded, they require sunlight or outside influences such as heat lamps to regulate body temperature for them and this is why they spend many hours basking.

 

   Tortoises and crocodiles are two of the most ancient reptiles on the planet, they have been around for millions of years. There was a type of giant tortoise even when the dinosaurs were roaming around.

 

Do They Have Personalities?

   Yes, they are like people, some of them are happier to interact with people and other tortoises, whilst others prefer to keep to themselves more. A number of them will actively come for a tickle whereas others will flounce off in a huff. A couple of them can be very stubborn, particularly at bedtime, if it is a nice night and they are actively eating then they do not see why they need to stop, just to go back to the house, so it can take a while to get them all rounded up and safely inside- they are too big to just pick up.

 

   They can be set in their ways, some of ours have certain areas of their pen that they like to graze or certain places in the house that they always try to claim at night. Our second biggest male Trojan is definitely a water baby he adores to be submerged in the wallow on a hot day and often on a not so hot day and then gets stubborn about coming back out again, so we have to drag on the waders and get in there with him to get him moving!

 

   A number of them are very curious, they will take notice of your presence in their pen and come over to investigate, so you need to be alert to your surroundings. If you are hand feeding one of the animals, it is quite likely that more of them will soon arrive on the scene to see what is going on and you can soon find yourself swamped in Aldabra, all wanting a bit of Banana as a treat!

 

 

  (left) This is a picture taken in spring, when the wallow naturally fills with ground water, by the time summers warm weather comes around it will have shrunk by 3/4 and be much more muddy, (right ,taken in June, with a different tortoise) so the tortoises get the stimulation of the different natural environments during the different seasons.  At the start of the year the water is deep enough, in places, for him to submerge down to just his top two Vertebral scutes above the water line, if he chooses- which he does quite often!

 

 

Why Do They Hiss?

   The hissing is not a form of aggression, it is something that they do when they are startled and need to pull their head in quickly, although it is a sound that could make something think twice about attacking as well.

 

   The inside of the tortoise is densely packed with organs, lungs etc. and in order to get their head inside their shell the have to make room, so they release air from their lungs to create space for their head, neck and legs. Normally, when they pull in, they do so quite slowly and you don't hear the release of air however if they are startled then things happen quicker and the air is heard to hiss out of the nose.

 

   Due to their large size Aldabra's do not have the natural predators that smaller tortoises have, so they do not have the same flight or fight instinct, so it is not often that they pull themselves all of the way into their shell. Some of ours are so chubby, with fat pads, that we are not even sure that they could manage it!

 

   Tortoises can hold their breath for a long time, up to 30 minutes! This makes them extremely tolerant to carbon dioxide, which builds up in their blood, and so they are a high anaesthetic risk if they need operations at the vets.

 

Do They Travel Well? How Do You Transport Them?

   A small juvenile Aldabra can be popped into a box with some straw or other substrate to stop it sliding as you go around a corner, and then carried out to the car easily enough. You don’t want them to get too warm before or during the journey or they will begin to fidget and try to climb out. It is best to put them somewhere darker or cover their crate over so they think it is night time but on the whole they do not mind travelling in a vehicle.

 

   A larger juvenile animal would be more suited to being in the boot of the car where there would be more space, but keep them away from the exhaust side, you don’t want them breathing in toxic fumes- you would not like it. We also highly recommend that you put a tarpaulin or something down to line the boot cavity first. It is an almost certainty that your tortoise will go to the toilet during the journey and you don’t want it soaking into the carpet or the car will stink for ages.

 

   Never mind the food treats and water for them, the first thing packed should be some rubbish bags, a roll or two of kitchen roll, some wet wipes and rubber gloves, if necessary, - you will always need them.

 

   If you are going to be regularly transporting the animal, then you may want to consider investing in an appropriately sized trailer, to put them in. Everything can be contained in one place and you wont need to deep clean your car afterwards! Our animals do like to travel with a friend but if you only have one Aldabra then you don’t have that option. Pack some straw around them and make them feel secure and comfortable so they are less likely to move around. You don’t want an animal the size of Samson moving around back there, he can upset the balance of the vehicle by shifting his weight. So, make sure you load the trailer properly, put the weight over the axel and not behind it, pack out the trailer with extra hay bales or something in necessary, again it all helps to keep the centre of gravity in the right place and minimises the chance of causing an issue during travel.

 

   You don’t physically need to restrain the animal during transport but make sure the floor of the trailer is lined with something like rubber matting, so that the tortoise doses not slide back and forth when you break and accelerate.

 

   We do recommend the walls of the trailer are lined so that the tortoise does not cause any damage to the metal skin. Ideally, get a trailer with a ramp on it so you don’t have to physically lift the tortoise in and out, it is an investment for the future too when the animal is too big to easily lift. If necessary you could make you own ramp out of wood, just don’t make the angle too sharp or they wont want to use it.

 

   Like with any animal it is always advisable to try getting it in and out of a trailer before you actually need them to use it. Allow them chance to familiarise themselves with something new but above all allow yourself plenty of time, on the day, to get them loaded before you need to set off. It cuts down on everyone’s stress levels!

 

   It will depend on the time of year and the length of the journey as to whether you need to put heating in the trailer. If it is just a short trip- something like to the local vets and back, they should be fine, you can always put bottles of warm water around them and cover with a duvet, if you are overly concerned. If you are going to be a lot longer or travelling further and the animal will be in the trailer overnight, then you will need a back up plan. If it is the height of summer they will probably be OK. You don’t need a tortoise rampaging around your trailer in the middle of the night because it is too warm. However you could encounter an unexpected cold snap so we would recommend you invest in a leisure battery and a panel heater. That way you are all set up, if you need it, takes the worry out of the journey.

 

   Its not just the cold you need to worry about though, if it is a hot day, make sure you stop regularly on a long journey just to get some fresh cooler air into the trailer and make sure your passenger is OK.

 

   If you are going somewhere like the vets and you have never been to that practice before it is always advisable that you contact them to see if you can get your trailer on their car park. Some of these places can be tight on spaces, or have height restrictions. You don’t want to have to park on the street and walk the animal in- you may miss your appointment! Also check if there are steps into the building, it is not usual but they would cause you issues. Some vets will find it easier to actually come outside for the consultation and look at the animal in situ.

 

   It may be an idea to invest in something like a piano trolley so that the animal can be wheeled around easily, if going inside the building. These can be quite high off the ground though, so you will need to take manpower with you to load the animal onto it. When considering a trolley you need to remember one very important thing- tortoises have legs, boxes don’t! You need a trolley strong enough to take their heavy weight but if the tortoises feet can reach the floor they can just walk right off the trolley. You may need to put a board over the top for the tortoise to sit on, if that is an issue for you but don’t make the board too wide or you wont get it through a doorway.

 

   As some of you may know, during the summer months, several of our animals get taken out to places like County shows, where the public get chance to meet and interact with them. There are usually 8 of them involved in such an outing and more often than not they are the larger animals, so you cant tuck them in a box and carry them out to the car and be on your merry way in minutes. an outing like that needs a lot of planning and forethought and suitable equipment.

 

   Out of necessity we have a ramp on the back of the trailer and they are encouraged to walk up and down it to get in and out, rather then us trying to lift them into it. The smaller animals can be carried if necessary, especially as they occupy an upper level during transportation. However, the larger ones are too heavy, so they have to walk - it can be very time consuming, depending on how cooperative they are feeling. The amount of cooperation does tend greatly on the time of day you are endeavouring to carry this out.

 

   If we are loading first thing in a morning, then you have to get up extra early to crank up their heating to warm them up quicker. Then you have to shuffle them around until you can get to the animal that you want. Inevitably it will be in the centre of the group and the most inaccessible.

 

   From there the selected animals are loaded onto a steel transport cage and tractored to the back of the trailer and loaded inside by being encouraged to walk off the transport box and up the ramp. However, this loading takes numerous trips so if they are awake and it is already developing into a nice day, then the ones already loaded don’t want to settle back down to sleep, they want to get up and go out and eat. This means that as you are trying to get one animal inside, one or more are trying to get back out. You can end up physically moving the same tortoise a dozen times or more.

 

   To make life easier they are sometimes loaded the night before, if it will be an early start. This means they are actively looking for somewhere to settle down for the night and go to bed. So, once they get inside the trailer they are much less likely to want to come back out again, immediately. The trailer is heated for them, so we plug them in and they are comfortable and secure. Often they wont realise that they have done a road trip, they just get up and march out onto a grass plot when the doors are opened and are quite happy, it doesn’t usually register that it is not their usual grass plot.

 

   At home 90% of them will put themselves back to bed in the evening, but when they are at a show they are not always sure where the back of the trailer is, as they display pen does not always face the same direction, so they need a little help steering them in the right way.

 

   Some of the tortoises will walk for food, Big Bonnie loves a Banana but if they have had a good day munching grass, a treat will not always work, so having tried the carrot it is time for the stick.

 

   Our tortoises are part of a training program, we have. To encourage them to walk with us to go to bed. To do this we use a ‘tickling stick’ aka an old broom handle. The idea is that if you tickle or tap the tortoise on the white lines on their shells, then it makes them move. These white rings are new growth rings and are a little more sensitive than the rest of the shell. Tickling them there is a bit like is being tickled on the shoulder blades- it makes you wriggle and squirm. So as they wriggle and move, you steer them where you want them to go by walking beside them. The more we do it the more they get the idea of what we are trying to achieve, and the more ready they are to cooperate. Usually it does not take much to get them moving, once they see the stick appear, and then they only require the occasional tap, when they have stopped to rest too long. It is quite a skill keeping a herd of Aldabra moving back to bed whilst several of them will inevitably try to make a bid for freedom and get a last bite of grass, they missed earlier.

 

   However, if the tortoise does not want to go to bed they can be very stubborn and on occasion it has been quicker to move the trailer to the tortoise rather than the other way around!

 

   This is the only time of the day that we use this method so they know that when feet arrive beside them and they feel a tapping on their shell they know that it is bed time, even though the sun is still shining, as shows often finish a lot earlier than they would normally go to bed, at home. This means that it can take a while to get them safely back aboard their trailer and unfortunately, until that happens we cant really dismantle the fencing of the stand or you would have tortoise running amok around the show ground. Their reluctance to stop basking in the evening sunshine is often why the Giant Tortoises are the last to leave a show ground, and we are still packing up by torchlight!

 

How Do I Know When My Tortoise Is Not Feeling Well?

   It is advisable for you to get to know your tortoises moods and activity levels. Their feeding habits are usually fairly constant so if any of this alters you can investigate for any potential health or environmental problems.

 

   If you do need to take the animal to the vet it may be worth while taking pictures of the issue with the tortoise, in its home environment, or a short video so that the vet can see how it usually is. It may give them a better indication of the problem, rather than just relying on a consultation examination. You can almost guarantee that when you get the poorly tortoise to the surgery it will have pulled in its shell and be refusing to cooperate and come back out, in this strange environment.

 

   If possible try to take uncontaminated poo and urine samples with you. These will probably tell them more about the tortoises health than just looking at it and it could save you money if you don’t have to make another appointment to take them in at a later date.

 

   As a general rule, you can tell an excited tortoise from the speed and surety of their movements and a determined tortoise is not easily distracted. Whether that is one who is looking for a fight or a mate, so you may need to separate them.

 

   A curious tortoise will stand up tall, lifting its body up as high as it can and stretching its neck out for a better look. Whereas an unhappy tortoise will be pulled in and lethargic almost mopey and feeling sorry for itself. They wont want to move, their head will be tucked in their shell and it will be wearing its ‘scarves’ or neck skin around its withdrawn neck. Or they may only move a short distance and remain in the shadows. It is unlikely they will be eating or interacting with others (think man flu!) You need to get them in a warm bath and under a heat lamp to bring their temperature up and stimulate them. Offer them their favourite foods but don’t over fuss them, it will stress them out. Warm baths can be given several times a day, it is a good way of rehydrating them. If there is no improvement after a couple of days then you need to be taking them to a vet for further investigation of the cause of their unhappiness.

 

   A happy, healthy, tortoise should have bright eyes, be interested in their surroundings, feel heavy and have strong limbs and regular toilet habits. It will steadily gain weight, or at least hold their weight and have a good appetite. If they loose a few grams between weighs it is nothing to be alarmed about, they could have just been to the toilet. Like people, weights will go up and down it is natural but if they are steadily loosing weight then further investigation is needed.