Important things to remember:

Do NOT feed the same food every day, give a bit of variety where possible.

Do NOT drop the tortoise, it can kill it.

Do NOT let it near garden ponds, tortoises drown.

Do NOT let them get caught out by frost, it can cause serious damage.

Do NOT mow your lawn until you know where tortoise is.

Remember they can climb netting.

If it can see through a hole in the fence, it will try and get through the fence.

When you put small tortoises out in the summer protect them from predators.( crows / magpies cats / dogs / foxes ).

Things they need:

A UVB lamp when indoors.

Calcium on their food daily

Bath babies daily in warm water, no deeper than join between plastron & carapace, 5 to 10 min.

Vitamin supplement,: Nutrobal / Vionate. Can be obtained from Vetark & can be fed weekly but if you feed fresh wild greens it is not necessary

A place to bask at 30C during day.

Somewhere to hide & feel safe.

Small water dish in their pen.

Worming twice a year, spring / autumn. ( panacur 2.5% 3ml per Kg body weight )

Useful Books:

Tortoise Trust Guide To Tortoises & Turtles by A. C. Highfield.

Mediterranean Tortoises by Brian Pursall.

A Guide To Rearing Mediterranean Tortoises by Linda E. King.(downloadable from www.tlady.clara.net/).

Good Websites:

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/

http://www.tortoise.org.archives/herman.htm

www.tlady.clara.net/

http://www.cheloniauk.com/

www.slowcoach.org.uk/sloother.html

Tiny Tortoises

Tortoise Vet:

Rob Reynolds ( Seers Croft Veterinary Surgery ) 01293 851122