Caring for your Tortoise

The pages in this section of the website are taken from the book Tortoise husbandry, edited by B. T. Pursall, BSc ACGI, and the committee of the BATK, with veterinary aspects checked by R. Bone BVMS MRCVS.

A considerable amount has been learned about tortoise husbandry in the last few years. These notes are a compilation of our own research, advice from veterinary specialists and other sources.

If you follow these notes accurately your tortoise(s) will be active and healthy. This will help reduce the appalling death-rate brought about in the past by well-meaning but inadequate advice widely published in previous years.

The tortoise is one of the world's oldest survivors. It has, in fact, lived on earth since the dawn of the age of the reptiles, 200 million years ago. Unhappily their numbers are now dwindling due both to the pet trade and to the destruction of its natural habitat. Britain used to import hundreds of thousands annually, but in spite of a life-span that should be over 100 years,  there are few left, most (95%) dying within five years of import. Both Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni are now classified as endangered, and are covered by the CITES agreement.

Your animal is important! - Look after him properly