What is he?

[Lindsey25]

Hi, My Grandmother owned a petshop in the 80s and was given this tortoise at some point while there so he is at least 40 years old. The person who handed him in said they had found him on a railway line and worried about him getting crushed.
My grandmother just left him to live in her garden (southeast UK) and he has hibernated every year. She fed him on a diet of lettuce and cucumber, fortunately had access to lawn weeds such as dandelions and clover.
My Grandmother has now passed away so I have become the proud owner.
I don't want to change his lifestyle too drastically as he seems very happy and healthy despite his lack of proper care. I've cut back on the lettuce and cucumber and increased on weeds and as we are not having the warmest summer here in the UK, I've bought a heat lamp which I've installed inside my conservatory which he has full time access too.
Anyway, that's all I know about him. So can anyone tell me anything else about him by his appearance? Like, species, age, health ect..? Literally know nothing about him so any info will be appreciated. It seems there's a lot of knowledgeable people on here. Xx

 

[EppsDynasty]

I am not the "Identification Expert" but there will be one I'm sure shortly. Welcome to the Coolest place for Tortoises and Turtles.

 

[Tom]

Hi, My Grandmother owned a petshop in the 80s and was given this tortoise at some point while there so he is at least 40 years old. The person who handed him in said they had found him on a railway line and worried about him getting crushed.
My grandmother just left him to live in her garden (southeast UK) and he has hibernated every year. She fed him on a diet of lettuce and cucumber, fortunately had access to lawn weeds such as dandelions and clover.
My Grandmother has now passed away so I have become the proud owner.
I don't want to change his lifestyle too drastically as he seems very happy and healthy despite his lack of proper care. I've cut back on the lettuce and cucumber and increased on weeds and as we are not having the warmest summer here in the UK, I've bought a heat lamp which I've installed inside my conservatory which he has full time access too.
Anyway, that's all I know about him. So can anyone tell me anything else about him by his appearance? Like, species, age, health ect..? Literally know nothing about him so any info will be appreciated. It seems there's a lot of knowledgeable people on here. Xx

View attachment 373392

Hello and welcome. Looks like a greek tortoise. Judging from the size and appearance, I would guess Iberia greek, but I'm no expert on the Testudo subspecies.

Here is all the right care info, and there is a temperate species care sheet near the bottom. Questions are welcome!

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[wellington]

I think it's a Greek also
However, @HermanniChris can give the positive ID.

 

[EppsDynasty]

I knew it......Didn't even take 1 minute and experts abound. @Lindsey25 this is REAL Tortoise people helping other Tortoise people in a flash. I just love this place, it has changed my life.

 

[Lindsey25]

I knew it......Didn't even take 1 minute and experts abound. @Lindsey25 this is REAL Tortoise people helping other Tortoise people in a flash. I just love this place, it has changed my life.

Yes, after reading other threads on here, I knew I'd eventually get the knowledge to look after him properly.

 

[S2G]

Looks greek. Going off the size & bullet proof-ness i think its an ibera.

Recognizing the Greek Tortoises

The SubspeciesAs already mentioned in other articles, there are more than ten recognizable Greek tortoise “types” in nature and in collections, even in the USA. Some, including myself, see the current taxonomic findings as insufficient. An up-to-date and in-depth research project concerning this...

www.gardenstatetortoise.com

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother! Despite not feeding him the best diet, there’s no doubt in my mind what a lovely kind person she must have been to take him in🥰

I’m SO glad you’ve made your way here to give him the best possible up to date care moving forward!❤️

You might find this link below useful to look through! Lots of plants in the wildflower section grow really well in our uk climate! Perhaps you could get some seeds online and plant them in your own organic soil, once they grow you can forage them😊be very wary picking from other places, you don’t know if there’s been pesticides or fertilisers sprayed, there’s also lots of toxic lookalikes, I’d personally stick to planting your own from seeds🙂

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

For a heat lamp, make sure it’s a incandescent floodlight(example attached)

Also I’d encourage to set a up a secure outdoor area for him and a indoor enclosure should the weather permit it, I know how rubbish our weather can be here🫤

There’s too many risks when it comes to free roaming unfortunately.
Being away from their heat source means they’re being exposed to temperatures that are too low quite often.
If you have smooth surfaces like laminate flooring, it will wreak havoc on their hip joints over time.
There’s are things to bare in mind, harmful floor cleaners, foreign objects being swallowed, getting stuck under things they shouldn’t like shelving or sofas, low temperatures, no uv, getting hit by doors, one member has mentioned they knew someone who’s tort got their head crushed in a door jam😣, flipping hazards.. all reasons close supervision is key and why a free roam indoors should be limited.
They feel most comfortable in a place that best mimics their environment🙂indoor free roams over time isn’t good for them.

Closely supervised free roams outdoors is definitely better, which I assume is mainly the case here😊there are still some risks there though safety wise if left to do so at all times.

Ultimately a safe, large enough enclosure will be the goal, hopefully we can all help with any queries setting that up and follow your progress🥰

Welcome to the forum family🥰

 

[Lindsey25]

I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother! Despite not feeding him the best diet, there’s no doubt in my mind what a lovely kind person she must have been to take him in🥰

I’m SO glad you’ve made your way here to give him the best possible up to date care moving forward!❤️

You might find this link below useful to look through! Lots of plants in the wildflower section grow really well in our uk climate! Perhaps you could get some seeds online and plant them in your own organic soil, once they grow you can forage them😊be very wary picking from other places, you don’t know if there’s been pesticides or fertilisers sprayed, there’s also lots of toxic lookalikes, I’d personally stick to planting your own from seeds🙂

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

For a heat lamp, make sure it’s a incandescent floodlight(example attached)

Also I’d encourage to set a up a secure outdoor area for him and a indoor enclosure should the weather permit it, I know how rubbish our weather can be here🫤

There’s too many risks when it comes to free roaming unfortunately.
Being away from their heat source means they’re being exposed to temperatures that are too low quite often.
If you have smooth surfaces like laminate flooring, it will wreak havoc on their hip joints over time.
There’s are things to bare in mind, harmful floor cleaners, foreign objects being swallowed, getting stuck under things they shouldn’t like shelving or sofas, low temperatures, no uv, getting hit by doors, one member has mentioned they knew someone who’s tort got their head crushed in a door jam😣, flipping hazards.. all reasons close supervision is key and why a free roam indoors should be limited.
They feel most comfortable in a place that best mimics their environment🙂indoor free roams over time isn’t good for them.

Closely supervised free roams outdoors is definitely better, which I assume is mainly the case here😊there are still some risks there though safety wise if left to do so at all times.

Ultimately a safe, large enough enclosure will be the goal, hopefully we can all help with any queries setting that up and follow your progress🥰

Welcome to the forum family🥰

Thank you for the tips. My garden is quite small compared to what he is used to so I don't want to restrict his boundaries too much. I already lock him away in a rabbit hutch at night as I'm paranoid he will get attacked by an owl or something. The hutch is the same one he has had for a few years so knows that's where to go when he's ready for bed. My garden is fully secure with walls all round.
My lawn is nothing to be proud of so will get a pack of seeds and sprinkle them everywhere for him to forage. I have no heating in the conservatory and it gets very cold in there in the winter so was thinking about bringing the hutch in in the winter for him to hibernate in? I thought, that way I will know if he wakes up I can bring him into the warmth if needed and think about an indoor set up for him. I'm hoping he will hibernate as that's what he's used to but worried he may not wake up 😖

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you for the tips. My garden is quite small compared to what he is used to so I don't want to restrict his boundaries too much. I already lock him away in a rabbit hutch at night as I'm paranoid he will get attacked by an owl or something. The hutch is the same one he has had for a few years so knows that's where to go when he's ready for bed. My garden is fully secure with walls all round.
My lawn is nothing to be proud of so will get a pack of seeds and sprinkle them everywhere for him to forage. I have no heating in the conservatory and it gets very cold in there in the winter so was thinking about bringing the hutch in in the winter for him to hibernate in? I thought, that way I will know if he wakes up I can bring him into the warmth if needed and think about an indoor set up for him. I'm hoping he will hibernate as that's what he's used to but worried he may not wake up 😖

I completely understand that, by the sounds of it, with a nice secure garden, that is essentially his entire outdoor enclosure, as long as it’s all been made safe and secure with the previous points in mind, that’s should work for him🙂

I think because we’re generally quite a cold climate outside of our summer months, for night time it might be worth thinking about making some sort of heated night box, or maybe bring him in once it starts to get colder here and he’s not ready to hibernate yet.

With the seeds, some of them can be toxic but the plant themselves fine🥲so just double check before sprinkling on the lawn. I think for the seeds to take maybe dig at the earth a bit to plant them. Always make sure you aren’t using and kind of chemicals in your garden now you’ve got this guy🥰be that weedkillers or fertilisers👍

I’ll admit I can’t advise a whole lot on the hibernation side of things, I lack hands on experience there, our red foot isn’t a species that hibernates, but perhaps you’ll find this useful to read through🙂

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Lindsey25]

I completely understand that, by the sounds of it, with a nice secure garden, that is essentially his entire outdoor enclosure, as long as it’s all been made safe and secure with the previous points in mind, that’s should work for him🙂

I think because we’re generally quite a cold climate outside of our summer months, for night time it might be worth thinking about making some sort of heated night box, or maybe bring him in once it starts to get colder here and he’s not ready to hibernate yet.

With the seeds, some of them can be toxic but the plant themselves fine🥲so just double check before sprinkling on the lawn. I think for the seeds to take maybe dig at the earth a bit to plant them. Always make sure you aren’t using and kind of chemicals in your garden now you’ve got this guy🥰be that weedkillers or fertilisers👍

I’ll admit I can’t advise a whole lot on the hibernation side of things, I lack hands on experience there, our red foot isn’t a species that hibernates, but perhaps you’ll find this useful to read through🙂

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much. Will have a good read tonight. Xx

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you so much. Will have a good read tonight. Xx

No problem at all! Any further questions on anything, they’ll always be someone to come along and answer for you😊 all the best x

 

[HermanniChris]

It is in fact a Testudo graeca and appears to be an Algerian animal, which was once dubbed Testudo graeca whitei.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!

I am so sorry for your grandma. My tortoise also outlived his previous owner and ended up living in a shelter before I got him. I am glad your grandma had someone to take the tortoise after her!

I recommend that you set up a secure enclosure for him in the conservatory or indoors, in case the weather gets bad, or he gets sick and has to be kept warm temporarily. Also, sometimes it is not possible to hibernate, so a back up indoor enclosure is a good idea.

Do you have any details on how the tortoise used to hibernate? Like how long, where and what measures were taken?

 

[Lindsey25]

Welcome to the forum!

I am so sorry for your grandma. My tortoise also outlived his previous owner and ended up living in a shelter before I got him. I am glad your grandma had someone to take the tortoise after her!

I recommend that you set up a secure enclosure for him in the conservatory or indoors, in case the weather gets bad, or he gets sick and has to be kept warm temporarily. Also, sometimes it is not possible to hibernate, so a back up indoor enclosure is a good idea.

Do you have any details on how the tortoise used to hibernate? Like how long, where and what measures were taken?

Hello, thanks for your reply.
My Grandmother would wait for the tortoise to go into his hutch and when he stopped reappearing she would get my dad to put the hutch into her garage. His sleeping area would be packed with hay and newspaper. He would then be checked on daily incase he woke up, as British winters can be quite mild sometimes. In an average year he would go down late October and wake up anytime in March.
Soon after waking he would have a soak in warm water. I'm sure I remember her saying years ago she used to oil his shell too?? My Dad doesn't know anything about that so maybe I dreamt that.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome, thanks for carrying on the care for your grandmother's tort. Did your grandmother ever name  him/her?
I would try to keep everything the same as possible during brumation.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Hello, thanks for your reply.
My Grandmother would wait for the tortoise to go into his hutch and when he stopped reappearing she would get my dad to put the hutch into her garage. His sleeping area would be packed with hay and newspaper. He would then be checked on daily incase he woke up, as British winters can be quite mild sometimes. In an average year he would go down late October and wake up anytime in March.
Soon after waking he would have a soak in warm water. I'm sure I remember her saying years ago she used to oil his shell too?? My Dad doesn't know anything about that so maybe I dreamt that.

Extra virgin coco nut oil is the only oil recommended. You can use the search function on this forum to look for more information on it.

I would keep the brumation routine the same, just trying to make sure that the temperatures are stable and safe. Your garage might not be built the same so I would read on it and do some temperature tests before hand.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome to you and your beautiful tortoise!

 

[Lindsey25]

Welcome, thanks for carrying on the care for your grandmother's tort. Did your grandmother ever name  him/her?
I would try to keep everything the same as possible during brumation.

His name is Oscar