As I’m writing this, the sun is gloriously warm, the roses are out, bees are making the most of the nectar and the cold spring and early summer are beginning to warm up.
The best view I have though, is of my tortoise charging down the garden after his morning sunbathe and grasping in his open mouth the yellow head of a dandelion and devouring his prey.
There’s no need to visit the open savannah to watch the lions when this predator is after his food.
For many of us keeping and looking after tortoises is a great joy. Each has a very different personality, they live so long through our lives and I’m sure they also have a great sense of humour. I have a Mediterranean Spur thigh tortoise and it is these and their Mediterranean cousins I’d like to write about today.
A warm spring, summer and autumn is perfect for tortoise owners. Getting tortoises out into sunshine, absorbing the warmth and vitamin D through their dark shells is the healthiest way for tortoises to be kept.
Last summer was perfect as there were long periods of hot sun but the year before was dreadful for tortoises as the days were overcast and cool and it was a very short natural season for them.
Always provide a covered, light, warm, dry area with a UVB heat lamp for dark and dismal days. Tortoises can walk surprisingly quickly –about three miles per hour – so the outdoor area needs to be secured from escape and any pond cordoned off.
It is better to use solid partitions to mark out an area of ground as, if a tortoise can see through a gap, it will dig and force its way through. The grass is always greener on the other side of a fence.
Of course, some tortoises do graze on grass but for the Mediterranean ones a bowling lawn will never do.
Dandelions are their favourite weed but they can be addictive so a variety of plants is best.
The list is long but includes wild and cultivated plants such as dead nettle, plantains, rose petals, honeysuckle, chicory, wild rocket, bindweed and comfrey. Just like children it can take time for a tortoise to get used to new foods, so keep adding a little more variety to its normal mix. Why not section off part of your garden just to grow wild flowers and weeds for a tortoise smorgasbord.
Tortoises should also get a calcium supplement sprinkled onto their food and a vitamin supplement such as Nutribol.
Avoid too much lettuce, cucumber and fruits as they lack the fibre that tortoises need and also avoid spinach, the cabbage family and beetroot leaves as they can be toxic.
So why discuss tortoises now as they should be well out of hibernation and are not about to go into hibernation – the most problematic times for tortoise owners?
Well, hibernation is recommended for tortoises young and old as long as they are in good condition and healthy. The weight/length ratio for judging if a tortoise is ready to hibernate is outmoded now and it is better to assess on the bone density ratio.
Now is the time to start getting your tortoise in tip top condition with good nutrition, plenty of access to sunshine and UVB lighting and exercise in the garden so that hibernation should be problem free and the joys of watching a tortoise hunting in its own space will be experienced for a long time to come.
An excellent source of information is a wonderful charity www.tortoiseclub.org.
It is based in Norfolk and has trustworthy sources of information and advice for all types of tortoise. I thoroughly recommend it.
Alder Veterinary Practice, 58 Bourne Road, Spalding, PE11 1JW. Call 01775 766646. Opening hours 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 10am alternate Saturdays. 24 hour emergency cover.
