Nearly 300 species of turtle exist around the world, which shows that this group — wrongly described as primitive — has developed a great wealth of forms in order to adapt as well as possible to the various ecological constraints. Two thirds of the species are now under threat. This steady disappearance of tortoise populations is undoubtedly linked to a poor understanding of their biology.
Keeping land tortoises
In captivity, the available space alone does not determine the animals’ welfare. They should therefore be given a minimum space that respects a few parameters:
-One enclosure, one species at a time; avoid overcrowding.
-The enclosure is always placed in the sunniest corner of the garden
-A water source: a water tray is not the best solution, as tortoises tend to defecate in it. Spraying the enclosure daily gives the tortoises the moisture they need
-Shelters, of three possible kinds:
-The hibernaculum is used by tortoises both during the active season and in winter.
-In summer, tortoises like to hide under piles of leaves, straw or bark.
-Small garden greenhouses as shelter. Always make sure the tortoise can leave the greenhouse whenever it wishes.
Feeding the land tortoise
In captivity, Mediterranean and tropical land tortoises are given the same basic diet. Some tortoises of tropical or subtropical origin need a specific diet. In every case they should have cuttlebone available.
They are mainly herbivorous and, in the wild, feed every day on a large quantity of plants. The plants they eat most belong to the daisy (Compositae), grass (Gramineae), herbaceous and pea (Papilionaceae) families. They also occasionally add all sorts of foods to their menu: fruit, mushrooms, dry leaves, fragments of bark, and sometimes even insects, snails, slugs, earthworms, and the carcasses of lizards, rodents and other mammals. They also take in animal droppings, bone fragments, eggshell debris and soil, which provide them with the calcium and mineral salts they need. They also swallow small stones, which probably play a part in digesting plant matter.
In captivity, a feeding area must be set up in the enclosure — that is, a marked-off space in which many plant species are sown and maintained, such as dandelion, watercress, clover, plantain, alfalfa, white goosefoot, sow thistle, evening primrose and gallant soldier. In addition to these plants, it is advisable to offer others: endives, parsley, radish leaves, cabbage leaves, spinach, celery stalks, dried figs, oranges, prickly pears, leek, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, apples, pears, carrots, squash, cucumber, melon, grapes, and so on.
Food can be placed on the ground, and never in the same spot, so that the animals keep a natural instinct to search for food.
Foods that must absolutely be avoided: pasta, rice, milk, yoghurt, cheese, melted chocolate, cakes, meat, fish, seafood, dog food and cat food. Repeatedly giving unsuitable foods considerably shortens their life expectancy.
Reproduction
Breeding Mediterranean land tortoises poses no particular difficulty, provided certain rules are followed: the enclosure must have enough space and hiding places, the tortoises’ biological rhythm must be respected (hibernation, feeding, rest), and the diet must be balanced and provided in sufficient quantity.
During the mating season, males tend to harass females, and the injuries and stress can even cause the females’ death. They can be kept apart for species whose male is too aggressive (such as the Levantine tortoise of Turkey, for example). In any case, the breeding group always consists of a single male to 2 females.
A few weeks after the spring matings, the female looks for a laying site suitable for the proper incubation of her eggs, and she will produce one to three clutches at intervals of 2 to 3 weeks. Incubation of the eggs generally lasts between 2 and 3 months.
Hibernation
Tortoises spend the whole winter deeply torpid, from late October to March.
Outdoor hibernation: the tortoises must have a shelter in a corner of the enclosure, preferably a solid one (wood rots quickly in damp conditions). Inside it, place a layer at least 15 cm deep of loose, light soil that will let the tortoises bury themselves easily. To fill all the empty space in the shelter, add plenty of straw, hay, grass and dry leaves on top of the layer of soil.
Indoor hibernation: this is done in regions where the winter is particularly harsh. In October, the tortoise buries itself in the garden. It is then placed in a crate filled with loose soil and dry leaves, where it will bury itself. All that remains is to fill the crate with straw or hay and to cover it with sturdy wire mesh against rodents. The crate is then placed somewhere where the temperature is between 5 and 10°C. The garage, the attic or the cellar are entirely suitable places. Regular monitoring (without excessive handling) makes it possible to ensure that hibernation is proceeding well.