Mediterranean Tortoises
Testudo graeca & T. Hermanni
INTRODUCTION
Tortoises are living fossils
having survived since the dawn of the age of
reptiles, 200 million years ago. Collection
for exportation and habitat destruction have
dramatically reduced numbers in their native
countries around the Mediterranean and northern
Africa. In Britain, with wet summers and cold
damp winters, they are outside their distribution
range, but if basic guidelines are followed,
a captive tortoise can have a long and happy
life.
TORTOISES AND THE LAW
In 1984 it was decided
by the EEC Council to treat three species of
Mediterranean tortoise (the Spur-thighed, Hermann's
and Marginated Tortoise from Greece) according
to Appendix 1 of the Convention for International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The Egyptian
Tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) was added to Appendix
1 in 1994. This meant that these four species
were protected and commercial trade strictly
prohibited. For the sale, exchange or barter
of these protected tortoises by private breeders
and individuals a licence is required, this
is obtainable from the Department of the Environment
in Bristol. The licence applies to the selling
of eggs as well, but not to the giving away
of either tortoises or eggs.
The ban does not apply
to some tortoises from tropical and non-temperate
areas imported in to Britain after 1984. Three
American Box Turtles, (Terrapene carolina, T.
ornata and T nelsoni) are now included in Appendix
II in which trade is closely monitored.
SPECIES
The species of Mediterranean
tortoise most commonly imported into Britain
have been the Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo
graeca) and the Hermann's Tortoise (Testudo
hermanni).
A tortoise's body is surrounded
by a protective shell with an upper part (carapace)
and a lower part (plastron), which are made
up of individual bony plates and horny scutes.
The upper and lower parts of the shell are joined
by bridges between the fore and hindlimbs.
The backbones vertebrae
are fused to the carapace, as are the pelvis
and the scapulae (shoulder blades). The lungs
are located in the top third of the carapace
and below are the other body organs. The lungs
during breathing, are inflated and deflated
using the muscles of the front legs.
Tortoises, like most reptiles,
are ectothermic and rely on an external heat
source (the sun) to regulate body temperature,
they need to warm up before they can feed and
digest their food, and so they are inactive
in cold weather.
HOUSING
Tortoises like roaming
around, so if possible make the garden completely
escape proof. Walled gardens are ideal but if
you have to pen your tortoise in, allow at least
10 square metres per tortoise and make sure
that the animal can neither climb over nor burrow
under the surround. Wire or wooden pens should
be at least 40cm (16 ins) high, buried to a
depth of 10cm (4 ins), with wooden stakes as
support. Garden ponds should be adequately covered
to prevent risk of drowning.
A well ventilated greenhouse
with access to a lawn and a paved sunbathing
area is ideal for tortoises as in both spring
and autumn the animals will be able to heat
up sufficiently to feed well, thereby extending
their year and shortening their hibernation
period. A catflap may be fitted, allowing the
tortoises to escape to a shaded area and avoid
overheating on hot summer days.
Never tether a tortoise
by string round the leg which will cut off blood
circulation. Do not bore holes through the shell,
which may damage the live tissue beneath and
cause pain or infection.
A waterproof house in
a sunny position is essential to protect the
tortoise from extremes of cold, wet and heat.
It should be of a wooden construction, preferably
covered with roofing felt and be slightly raised
to prevent the floor from becoming damp. It
may be lined with newspaper, dried leaves or
another suitable substrate.
When housing several tortoises,
it is advisable to separate the males and females
as the males may be aggresive in their courtship.
Females constantly exposed to rough treatment
and unable to escape will feed less, produce
eggs less frequently and may suffer from shell
and leg damage from the males butting.
WATERING
Contrary to belief tortoises
do drink, especially on waking from hibernation,
when a warm bath is usually appreciated. A shallow
dish about 10 cm (4 ins) deep, should be sunk
into the ground to allow the animals to submerge
partially in the water. Be sure to allow easy
access into and out of the dish.
FEEDING
Tortoises need a diet
which is high in vitamins, minerals and dietary
fibre, but low in fat and proteins and so feed
them mainly green leaves. If your tortoise has
the run of your garden it will forage quite
successfully for itself on plants such as dandelion,
clover, groundsel & thistle, also bramble
& rose leaves.P>
Try offering a wide variety
of fruit and vegetables to your tortoise including,
kale, spring greens, Cabbage, cauliflower, green
beans, sprouts and fruit such as raspberries,
strawberries, plums, melons, etc... a proprietary
vitamin and mineral supplements such as Reptavite
should also be added to this food offered in
a shallow dish, or on the ground and grated
cuttlefish may be added as a good supply of
calcium.
BREEDING
A pair of adult tortoises
may mate if healthy. The gestation period is
from thirty days to three years. The female
may dig several trial nests in suitable areas
of loose soil and adventually should deposit
on average between 5-10 eggs. In the absence
of an acceptable site or temperature for laying,
the tortoise may become egg-bound, in which
case veterinary help will be needed. In this
country the eggs will need to be placed in an
incubator and kept at a temperature of (26-31°C)
80-85°F. Depending on temperature, the eggs
should hatch in about 8-12 weeks. As with most
reptiles the sex of the hatchlings will determined
by the incubation temperature. Higher temperatures
produce females and lower temperatures males;
average temperatures will produce mixed clutches.
The hatchlings, although soft-shelled at first,
are fully developed and should not require any
special care, other than a vivarium during cold
and damp spells. This should be heated and U.V.
lighting provided to help the tortoise with
the assimulation of D3.
HEALTH
Tortoises may be susceptible
to various illnesses which will need the advice
of a veterinary surgeon. Runny nose, mouth rot
and parasite infestation are infectious and
will require total isolation.
1. Discharge from the
nostrils and watery eyes may be due to rhinitis,
sinusitis or runny nose syndrome. The symptoms
could progress from an upper respiratory problem
to pneumonia in the lungs.
2. Diarrhoea is a sign
of ill-health, husbandry problems, a dietary
imbalance or parasites. Check for undigested
food, mucus or worms in faeces.
3. Stomatitis (mouthrot)
may be seen post-hibernation. In the mouth it
appears as a general caseous (cheesy) material.
4. Osteodystrophy (soft
shell) may result from a combination of calcium
deficiency, lack of correct U.V. lighting or
from too much protein being fed to your tortoise.
5. Your tortoise may refuse
to eat in the month before hibernation, this
is normal. It may also relate to stress and
disease such as stomatitis (mouth rot), severe
systemic disease (liver or kidney) or worms.
6. Blindness or
disorientation after hibernation can be caused
by frost damage. The tortoise may move in circles
and refuse food.
HIBERNATION
In August and September,
as the days begin to grow shorter and the daylight
hours decrease, together with the fall in temperature
will trigger the tortoises to prepare for hibernation.
Feeding declines: it can take 4-6 weeks for
the tortoises gut to empty properly for winter,
and before they start this process in early
September the tortoises should be given a health
check.
Make sure there are no
wounds, abscesses, infections internally or
externally, also that the mouth is clean and
pink with no sign of mouthrot, and the eyes
should be alert and bright. Ensure their weights
and measurements correspond with the Jackson
ratio.
OVERWINTERING
Any tortoise which is
not deemed fit or is underweight should not
be hibernated, but overwintered in a vivarium
providing heat and full spectrum U.V. lighting
for 12-14 hours daily. Food and water should
be provided as normal. Do not allow the temperature
to drop below 15°C (60°F).
HIBERNATION QUARTERS
Use a large, wooden box
or tea chest with small airholes in the sides.
Both the top and the holes should be covered
in wiremesh to prevent vermin entering.
Line the base and the
sides of the box with thick pads of polystyrene
or newspaper. Place the tortoise in an inner
box with airholes and filled for one to threequarters
with polystyrene chips, dry leaves or shredded
newspaper. Avoid using hay or straw which may
become contaminated and begin to rot during
the tortoises hibernation. Place the smaller
box inside the larger one, making sure you can
open it easily to make regular checks on your
tortoise.
The tortoise should be
weighed on a weekly or twice monthly basis.
This may be done by removing the tortoise carefully
or by weighing complete with the inner box .
An adult tortoise loses
about 1% of its pre-hibernation weight. So a
1kg tortoise may lose 10g monthly. A drastic
weight loss indicates something is wrong: the
animal should be brought out of hibernation
immediately and checked.
Make sure the tortoise
is hibernated In a frost-free environment, at
temperatures of 4-10°C (36-50°F). Tortoises
kept below freezing point may lose their eyesight.
For every drop of 10°C the heart rate drops
50%. At 4°C the respiratory movements are
negligible. If the tortoise is kept too warm
and becomes too active it will use up its fat
and reserve of glycogen or animal starch stored
in the liver, the latter is needed on emergence
from hibernation.
EMERGENCE FROM HIBERNATION
You should start checking
your tortoise from the end of January onwards.
As soon as the animal starts to move around
take it out of its hibernation quarters.
1. Bring it out of hibernation gradually, checking
for discharges from the eyes, nose and rear
end.
2. Inspect it carefully, bath the face, eyes
and mouth with cotton wool soaked in warm water.
3. Next give the tortoise a warm bath for a
good half an hour. It is important that the
tortoise empties its bladder to get rid of the
toxic waste accumulated during hibernation and
that it replenishes its water supply by drinking.
4. Keep your tortoise warm during the day and
indoors at night until the outside temperatures
get warmer.
5. Once out of hibernation and eating well,
keep the tortoise active. If the temperature
outside drops dramatically put your animal back
in its vivarium.
6. If your tortoise is not feeding or appears
ill it should be taken to a veterinary surgeon
without delay.
The following are just a few
of the Reptile Care Sheets we have available.
For the full list please contact
us.
Burmese
Python
Blue-tongued
Skink
Chameleon
(Chamaeleo Calyptratus)
Corn
Snakes
Argentinian
Horned Frog
Tree
Frogs
Leopard
Gecko
Red-eared
Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Royal
Python (Python regius)
Chinese
Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
Bearded
Dragon
Uromastyx
Reptile
Care Advice Sheet (General Advice)
Cat
Care Advice Sheet
Dog
Care Advice Sheet
View
All Our Pet Care Advice Sheets
