Garden Tortoise.....?

Question

Im in the UK and i would really like a tortoise. Ive seen a few sites with 'garden tortoises' for sale, is this still alloud for tortoises of 4 years old? I dont really want the hastle of a vivarium things like that just a nice pet tortoise....

Any advise on how to buy would be very helpful, thank you xx

-Cameron

Iv herd you can keep 'hermans' and 'marginated' tortoises without being in tropical conditions.

Answer 1

I grew up having a tortoise in our back garden, he was already there when we moved to the house. He would hibernate in the winter in the bushes. We also provided a sleeping box for him, but he preferred the bushes.

I think there are stricter laws nowadays with keeping tortoises and I believe you now are required to have a license to keep one.

I am posting you a link to a site that I found with some very good information on keeping a tortoise in the U.K.. Good luck!

Answer 2

Hi

First of all i sell tortoises and a tortoise can live in a vivarium or tortoise table, as long as you have the right heating, lights, etc

All garden tortoises should be kept in a vivarium/tortoise table for the first five years before they can be hibernated. Your tortoise will most likely die if you try and hibernate it before this time. So if you want a tortooise that can be hibernated then they need to be over five years. They live up t 150 years

Hibernation is quite difficult and its not just a case of sticking them in a cardboard box in the winter and then getting them out in the spring. They have to be checked regularly and weighed. It would be best not to hibernate your tortoise at all, but to keep them in a heated tank in the winter and let them roam around in your garden in the summer.

I would suggest a hermans or horsefield tortoise. But dont bother getting one if you can't be bothered to give it the proper care and attention it needs, as it won't live very long and you'll be wasting in excess of over £100

As for people who tell you their tortoise lived in the garden for 50 years, well they were just lucky that they managed to survive and back when there were loads of tortoises in the country people were not told how to look after them properly and thats why they are rarer to find now because a load of them died.

You may remember when everyone had a tortoise, if you think you can get away with just chucking them in the garden, then ask yourselves where all those tortoises are now!!

Answer 3

Two good sites to review would be http://www.tortoisetrust.com.uk and http://www.austinsturtlepage.com (look for the Article called 'Choosing your first land turtle')

The problem with 'garden tortoises' is that most tortoises need specific conditions- different degrees of heat, humidity, etc. and if the UK had those conditions, they'd have their own tortoises.

Certainly, the various Mediterranian tortoises- Greek, Hermann's, Marginated, and even the Russian, would do OK in the summer, they might need some help in the cooler weather- possibly indoor cages, or at least a heated box in the garden.

Answer 4

Don`t know about buying one the`re pretty expensive, my local pet shop had one that was going for £350.

I had a tortoise for 25 years she lived in the garden all summer but we always brought her in as soon as the nights turned chilly, our garden is very private,terraced and has a solid brick wall around it if you don`t have a garden similar to this the tortoise will escape believe it or not they can climb a little and move quite fast when the weather is warm, people used to laugh when I told them Poppy (my tortoise's name) had been running round the garden eating my flowers,extreme cold can send tortoises blind and they just aren`t used to it, they originate from a warm climate.

I never let mine hibernate she just roamed round the house in winter nibbling on food now and then but mostly she just got herself comfy in a cool area where I could keep an eye on her and dozed.

Sadly she went to tortoise heaven earlier this year I don`t know exactly how old she was because someone gave her to me when they moved house but she was at the very least 50 years old so if you do buy one be prepared to spend the rest of your life caring for it,and they need more than just the odd lettuce leaf visit the sites mentioned in the above posts.

Answer 5

for starters tortoises dont go in a vivarium they need a tortoise table, they can be kept in the garden in the summer but not in the winter because it is to cold they take alot of lookin after and need to be hibernated take a look at this site

Answer 6

You can let them in the garden but they have to come in in the winter even if you are going to let them hibernate(which is only OK if they reach a certain weight by autumn).

The best you could hope for in a hot year is to have it outside from late April to mid September.

They are best as indoor pets in a Vivarium.

Answer 7

try askin the rspca they will know and may give you some tips you need a licence to keep tortoises legally

Answer 8

hi

Answer 9

Post a free ad on: http://www.my-petz.com They have pet classifieds.