This is the current and updated version of the classic booklet of which well over 100,000 copies were distributed free of charge in pre-internet days, saving countless lives. This text uses the term 'hibernation', though these days we prefer the more biologically accurate term 'brumation'. In order to survive hibernation in good condition, tortoises need to have built up sufficient reserves of body fat; this in turn stores energy and water. Without fat and water tortoises d

Please note: The freezer section shown in this example had been disconnected and was not in use. Andy C. Highfield Refrigerators have been used successfully to artificially hibernate (brumate, in the case of reptiles) many animals. Snakes, lizards and even bats have been hibernated in domestic refrigerators. Many tortoise and turtle keepers have also discovered the benefits of this system. See another article on this topic. The orignal article dates from 2002, and has subseq

Kate Bradley This is a very useful and important article that we first published on our old website. As it still remains highly relevant...

One of the early experimental 'mini-greenhouse' units from 1999-2000 in a sloped, well-drained outdoor pen planted with an edible...

We know that many species of tortoises do aestivate (summer dormancy) over the heat of summer, but there has long been uncertainly as to...

Massively accelerated captive growth in a young Testudo horsfieldii (Russian tortoise). Metabolic bone disease (MBD) occurs if a...

Extreme heat. No water. No food. How do they do it?

With natural UV-B and Infra-Red Super-effective outdoor housing for tortoises in colder climates Lumisol UV-B transmitting sheet on...

The Horsfield's tortoise: Testudo horsfieldii (GRAY) 1844 - History in the pet trade, ecology and biology, captive breeding,frequently...

A wild Testudo hermanni hermanni grazes on low-lying vegetation. By A. C. Highfield (author of The Tortoise and Turtle Feedng Manual) Updated Tortoise Trust guidelines for: Feeding Leopard tortoises - Feeding Mediterranean tortoises - Feeding Redfoot and Yellowfoot tortoises - Feeding American Box turtles - Feeding Russian tortoises - Feeding Hingeback tortoises - Feeding Desert tortoises Almost no topic is as confused and difficult for a beginner to understand than feeding t

Measuring Relative Humidity and Temperature Temperature, lighting and humidity are critical environmental factors that profoundly affect every aspect of a tortoise’s life. If we get any of these wrong it is likely to lead to serious consequences for health and survival. In a recent ‘Myth-Busters’ series we showed how popular conceptions of ‘humid’ microclimates in semi-arid and arid-habitat zones are seriously flawed. From many comments received, however, it is clear that the

Fruit for Arid Habitat Tortoises - 'Treat' or Tragedy? A Centrochelys sulcata gorges on ripe water melons... what are the risks in this?...

Faecal pellet from wild Testudo graeca graeca revealing incredibly high long-fibre content. It has long been recognised that dietary...

Do semi-arid habitat tortoises use 'Humid hides' in the wild? Are they necessary in captivity? Does the 'closed chamber' method have any rational basis? Recording internal and external (ambient) temperatures and relative humidity within a Centrochelys sulcata (African Spurred tortoise) burrow in Senegal. A wild Testudo graeca graeca @ 10 weeks after hatching. Is it true that these spend most of their time in 'humid' microclimates? A. C. Highfield This is a rather long article

A very common question among keepers... answered. Captive Testudo hermanni boettgeri (Eastern Hermann's tortoise) with a typically overgrown beak. This question is often asked on tortoise groups, and the usual (correct) answer is that wild tortoises experience a lot more wear than most captive examples. Some keepers attempt to increase wear by feeding on flat stones or slate, and that can help, somewhat. We have not seen a detailed explanation of exactly what kind of 'wear' o

A brief introduction to some field measurements in mid-March, taken in Almeria, Southern Spain. In this video, we also briefly discuss...

Why avoiding growth deformity is so very important A typical example of not only raised scute growth (commonly known as 'pyramiding') but...

A Testudo graeca graeca lays her eggs. Failure to provide adequate nesting sites in captivity can have serious consequences for heath,...

Post-Hibernation Anorexia (PHA) All-too-often a 'diagnosis' of PHA is arrived at without sufficient understanding of what this actually...

For many years now, a continuous period of 14 years, we have carefully collected temperature data from literally right next to...