Hello from S. Wales, UK.

[Rachelynn]

I’m Rachel and my spur-thighed tortoise has been with me for 50 years. I’m currently worried about Magpies and have hung CDs around the garden, hoping to stop them coming in. We did this a few years ago and also put netting over the garden, which certainly stopped a troublesome Magpie (we’d seen it pecking around my tortoise’s head) BUT the netting was a problem for small birds, so we eventually abandoned it.
No Magpies in the garden last year but we saw one today and feel concerned.

My partner wonders if painting, or sticking eyes on my tortoise’s shell would be a further deterrent, although I’m no too happy about this and wonder which paint, or sticky tape would be non toxic. Any ideas please?


TIA

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome
I have no experience with Magpies. But I'm thinking that @Lyn W might

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome! Nice that you have a 50 year old tortoise. Can you post some pictures of the tortoise and his garden?

 

[Rachelynn]

Hi and welcome! Nice that you have a 50 year old tortoise. Can you post some pictures of the tortoise and his garden?

 

[Rachelynn]

Thanks Tammy and Zeropilot.

Will post pics when I’ve figured out how to do it

 

[Karen(pebbles)]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[Warren]

Hello and welcome, curious to see some pictures.

 

[zolasmum]

Hello and welcome from Devon. We have magpies in our garden quite often at this time of year- they go for our baby birds, I think. Personally, I think magpies would be fascinated by eyes on your tortoise's shell, and would be more likely to peck at him as a result. Maybe CDs again would be safer. Does your tortoise spend most of his time outside ?
We have a Hermanns, who is almost 22, and we always supervise him when he's outside,as we also have hawks sometimes - I wish I knew of a good way of protecting him. Good luck
Angie

 

[Rachelynn]

Hello and welcome from Devon. We have magpies in our garden quite often at this time of year- they go for our baby birds, I think. Personally, I think magpies would be fascinated by eyes on your tortoise's shell, and would be more likely to peck at him as a result. Maybe CDs again would be safer. Does your tortoise spend most of his time outside ?
We have a Hermanns, who is almost 22, and we always supervise him when he's outside,as we also have hawks sometimes - I wish I knew of a good way of protecting him. Good luck
Angie

 

[Rachelynn]

Thanks Angie ... good point about the Magpies going for fake eyes!

Yes, Renie’s in the garden all the time when she’s out of hibernation, unless the weather’s cold at night and then we bring her indoors.
I’ve hung CDs around the garden now and also on the washing line👍🏼

I wonder if it would be possible for you to put some kind of netting over part of your garden, or, maybe wires across with CDs suspended from them?
We may try wires (or string) across as well if this bird becomes a nuisance.

 

[Rachelynn]

 

[Rachelynn]

We used to have a very big Marginata male too but we lost him and their 2 offspring (aged 8 and 9 years) in the winter of 1986. It was a very cold winter.
So Renie has been alone ever since, with cats for company and one year, rabbits😃
She enjoyed the rabbits but they kept nicking her food ... lol

 

[Lyn W]

Welcome
I have no experience with Magpies. But I'm thinking that @Lyn W might

Hi and welcome.
Magpies rarely use my garden so I've not had to deal with them. I'm guessing your tort has the run of yours otherwise I would suggest making him a large enclosure and covering that with something like chicken wire.

What about dotting around some large kiddie windmills and putting them on bamboo taller canes to break up the space? They'd be high enough not to bother your tort but the movement and smaller air space may put the magpies off landing. The Range used to sell the large ones or maybe somewhere like Poundland or. BM Bargains

I don't think painting or sticking things on your torts back would be a good move because it would block the uvb.

I'm in S Wales so your title and location have me confused

 

[Lyn W]

We used to have a very big Marginata male too but we lost him and their 2 offspring (aged 8 and 9 years) in the winter of 1986. It was a very cold winter.
So Renie has been alone ever since, with cats for company and one year, rabbits😃
She enjoyed the rabbits but they kept nicking her food ... lol

Sad to hear your other torts died - were they hibernating outdoors? It's always risky in our unpredictable climate. She's probably happier alone though - they are naturally solitary and don't like company.
Probably best to keep the cats and rabbits away too so as not to pass on any disease e.g in faeces.

 

[Rachelynn]

Hi and welcome.
Magpies rarely use my garden so I've not had to deal with them. I'm guessing your tort has the run of yours otherwise I would suggest making him a large enclosure and covering that with something like chicken wire.

What about dotting around some large kiddie windmills and putting them on bamboo taller canes to break up the space? They'd be high enough not to bother your tort but the movement and smaller air space may put the magpies off landing. The Range used to sell the large ones or maybe somewhere like Poundland or. BM Bargains

I don't think painting or sticking things on your torts back would be a good move because it would block the uvb.

I'm in S Wales so your title and location have me confused

Hiya and thank you.
Windmills are a great idea😃

I’ve hung CDs around the garden and washing line for now and I’ll buy some windmills next time I’m out shopping
.
Yes, Renie has the run of the garden.

I have a house in Staines but spend most of my time at my partner’s house in S.Wales.

 

[Lyn W]

I have a house in Staines but spend most of my time at my partner’s house in S.Wales.

Mystery solved!!

 

[Rachelynn]

Sad to hear your other torts died - were they hibernating outdoors? It's always risky in our unpredictable climate. She's probably happier alone though - they are naturally solitary and don't like company.
Probably best to keep the cats and rabbits away too so as not to pass on any disease e.g in faeces.

They were hibernating in an outbuilding, as usual, but the weather was particularly bad that year.

The Marginata was huge and a bit ‘difficult’. Very active, territorial and wanting to mate, too often. We had to keep them separated most of the time.

If he’d got near any of the babies, he’d have killed them.

 

[Rachelynn]

Regarding he rabbits.

We were just looking after them for a few months and Renie really seened to enjoy their company.
The garden’s quite safe ... cat, tortoise and rabbit proof, but one evening, we couldn’t find Renie anywhere in the garden and she definitely wasn’t in her house🙀
We searched and searched and eventually discovered her in with the bunnywunnies😃

After that, she went to bed with them every night.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome, Rachel!