Joey the tortoise is awake!

I love them too and would love another one although I thought mine was lonely so I think I would prefer to have two. I remember mine squeezing between the bars on the garden gate to escape although our garden was fairly big. Once you get to know them they are real characters.

Chocolatelovinggran, it's perfectly possible to buy a tortoise, but it has to be from a reputable breeder in this country that will provide a CITES certificate. Times have moved on from when I bought mine for my 5th birthday from a fruit and veg stall in the local market for half a crown! It has been illegal to import certain species of tortoise for quite some time and I fully support that, as so many tortoises were plundered from the wild in years gone by and are now endangered as a result. Mine was probably one of those, but we know better now. The most suitable ones for out climate to buy from UK breeders are Hermanns, Mediterranean Spur-Thighed (which is what I have) and Horsefields (although they are notorious diggers!) They are also not cheap to buy any more!

Baby tortoises need a lot of care (as do older ones, but different care needs). If your grandson is keen to own a tortoise I would encourage him to do his research as any baby tortoise would need an indoor tortoise table with special heat lamps and careful temperature monitoring. This takes up quite a bit of space. Plus tortoises don't just eat greens and lettuce, as most people believe. The best diet is natural weeds/flowers but this again needs careful research. They are not "easy" pets, and once they get to hibernation age that again needs careful management. Oh, and just to dispel the myth, tortoise DO drink and do need water available at all times.

Having said all that, they are the most fascinating creatures and well worth the effort!

AskAlice what a lovely post, thank you for putting a beaming smile on my face! Hello Joey, hope you have a lovely 2024.

That's lovely AskAlice to have your tortoise for such a long time, she sounds a real character.

Skydancer, that's OK, I didn't know "he" was a "she" until I'd had her for about 10 years, hence the name!

Once the weather warms up, she's very fast on her legs! And she can climb like a mountaineer when the mood takes her. My veg patch and borders have to be very carefully guarded. She also has a particular liking for bare toes and will give a hard nip to the unwary!

She's very fond of cuttlefish which I believe is a good source of calcium for her shell, so I think you are right that your tortoise found chalk to eat in the garden soil.

I just love tortoises!

How lovely. I had some tortoises as a child and remember so well the year that one,Roberta, didn’t survive hibernation. After I married they were taken by a friend of my Mum. Back in the 50s they were sold on a market stall. Absolutely awful by today’s standards. I still remember all their names and wonder if any are still alive.

So special, thank you for sharing

Oh AskAlice I was interested in your account. My eleven year old grandson is desperate to become a tortoise owner. Would this work, do you think?

Sorry, AskAlice Joey is a she not a he.

Oh that's lovely. As a child I had a tortoise who unfortunately escaped and I did not get him back. I like to think someone is taking care of him. They are lovely animals and not as slow as is believed. I remember my poor Gran once planted some lettuces and my tortoise took a bite from almost every one! He also used to eat something white from the soil which I can only think was chalk. Good luck with Joey. He could easily live another 62 years.