Large terrestrial chelonian
PRE-OWNERSHIP ASSESSMENT and GUIDANCE
This comprehensive guide aims to provide prospective owners and businesses with essential information regarding the responsible ownership of large terrestrial chelonian species. Our commitment to promoting responsible reptile ownership is reflected in the thorough education and preparation of potential owners.
This large species policy has been created to align REPTA and member businesses with government expectations for companion animal sectors as a means of self-regulation. Through self-regulation REPTA can show that the reptile industry is proactively addressing the potential issues, thereby limiting the undue influence of radical animal-rights campaigns.
What is a large terrestrial chelonian?
A chelonian is a type of turtle or tortoise. Terrestrial chelonian is another name for tortoise, used to separate them from aquatic chelonians (turtles). Aquatic chelonians will be covered in the next section of the large species policy. This guide references two large tortoise species that in either species or of either sex may meet or exceed 75cm plastron length (PL).
When considering the spatial requirements for tortoise species, the development of an overarching modifier is needed for making recommendations to keepers. In this case the plastron length (the belly part of the tortoise’s shell) has been used.
Species within scope:
- Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
- African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
Rationale for REPTA’s guidance
Large tortoise species are actively and successfully maintained as companion animals within the UK. Because of the potential future financial, spatial and energy consumption factors involved in large tortoise management, REPTA considers the thorough education and preparation of potential owners to be of great importance as part of our commitment to responsible reptile ownership.
REPTA understands that reptile owners never purchase an animal with the intention to relinquish ownership of their companion animals, but
the species within scope here have potentially demanding requirements which are at risk of being underestimated by new owners. However, the rehoming network for reptiles is underdeveloped, and the lack of support from national animal welfare charities means that rehoming options for large tortoises is severely limited.
REPTA would therefore encourage all responsible companion animal selling businesses to exercise a thorough pre-ownership assessment. Such an assessment will flag issues regarding potential future spatial requirements and include considerations for energy consumption.
Business owner’s duty of care
Ownership of any companion animal is a considerable commitment, and the potential owner should be prepared to thoroughly research a potential new species. Companion animal selling businesses should also take seriously their responsibility to provide prepared and competent homes for any animal leaving their care.
REPTA has included supporting information for specialist companion animal selling businesses to refer to while completing the assessment process. Should businesses selling large tortoises require further clarity regarding the assessment process or the supporting information they can contact REPTA at any time.
large TORTOISE management
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
1.0 Spatial considerations
Spatial considerations will be a primary focus when considering large tortoise management. Most will purchase their animal when a neonate or juvenile in size, when their spatial requirements are much like any other reptile and spatial provision is not an issue. As a large species grows, so does its spatial requirement.
To be able to formulate guidance regarding spatial requirements of large tortoises REPTA has used a document prepared by the Federation of British Herpetologists:
FBH Code of Practice for recommended minimum enclosures sizes for reptiles
A copy of this document can be found at www.thefbh.org.
The code of practice was ratified by multiple stakeholder organisations including:
BZVS – British Veterinary Zoological Society
CASC – Companion Animal Sector Council
BSAVA – British Small Animal Veterinary Society
As well as a raft of regional and national reptile-owner societies and groups.
1.1 Enclosure sizes
The FBH Code of Practice uses the tortoise’s plastron length (PL) to recommend enclosure standards for all tortoise species.
- Vivarium length: x8 PL
- Vivarium depth: x4 PL
- Vivarium height: Non Applicable
For example, a tortoise with an PL of only 50cm would require an enclosure with recommended floor dimensions of 400cm x 200cm or 13ft x 6.5ft (length x depth)
A table illustrating PLs and the recommended enclosure dimensions is included on the pre-ownership assessment form, and companion animal selling businesses should highlight or circle the assumed appropriate enclosure size for the species being purchased.
1.2 How this relates to the family home
The information contained in the supporting information section pertains only to adult large tortoises. Using the previous example of an adult tortoise with an PL of only 50cm will mean the recommended adult enclosure size is 400cm in length (13ft) and 200cm in depth (6.5ft). This
is a considerable amount of floor space. Due consideration must be given to placement within the home. If purchasing a baby or juvenile tortoise, due care must be taken to ensure an adult enclosure of such proportions can be accommodated.
1.3 Space availability long term
Consideration of the future and changes that may take place in the family home is paramount. Is your current employment secure? Is there any chance that you may have to downsize or modify your living arrangements? Is your family still growing and the space allotted for the adult tortoise potentially be needed for the arrival of new family members? If there is the potential for such an occurrence, is there available space outside for an ex-situ enclosure within a shed or summerhouse? If there is the reasonable potential for such situations to arise and there is not the availability of ex-situ space a potential owner should consider if they can provide for the long-term management of a large tortoise.
1.4 Custom enclosure construction
If an enclosure is to be constructed within the home for an adult large tortoise, due consideration must be given to how this is to be achieved. Custom commercial vivarium building companies generally only produce enclosures with maximum dimensions of 244cm x 120cm. Commercially available boards commonly used in the construction of vivaria (including melamine or Conti-Plas™, plywood and OSB) generally have maximum dimensions of 244cm x 120cm. The enclosure required for large tortoise species could be considerably larger than this. Does the potential large tortoise owner have the required skills to construct a suitable enclosure or the resources to outsource this to a skilled tradesman? Care must be taken to ensure joints between boards are sealed correctly to maintain security of the enclosure and to limit soiling of the household, including water ingress to floorboards and house structures.
1.5 Ex-situ management
Ex-situ housing arrangements for adult large tortoises is worthy of consideration as it will not impinge on available space within the family home. There will be two types of ex-situ accommodation for large tortoises. This will often mean using an outbuilding or garage which is a permanent structure which would mean foregoing using such outbuildings for storage or parking a car in the garage. Is the potential large tortoise owner willing to make such a sacrifice?
Another option would be to construct a non-permanent structure such as a shed or summerhouse to house a specimen. There are many solutions on the market which could be used for such a project, but they could come at great expense. These types of building are totally uninsulated and will require considerable work to make them energy efficient. Large tortoises are from exclusively tropical climates and will need to be protected from chills and draughts.
1.6 Paddock management
Larger tortoise species pose two significant issues when introduced to a back garden to free roam and graze. Firstly, they are effectively natures bulldozers and will trample, uproot and dig through all flower beds and lawns. They can be incredibly destructive and have prodigious appetites. Any and all foliage within reach of the tortoise’s mouth is fair game. Tortoises do not appreciate their own size and do not consider obstacles well, this may include knocking over tables, chairs and planters in the garden. Secondly, large tortoises are immensely powerful and whilst not fast animals, the weight they possess, and the strength of their legs means that standard fencing is not going to contain a large tortoise. Sufficiently large specimens will walk straight through a panel fence should the urge take them.
1.7 Power supply
An Ex-situ enclosure without a pre-existing ring main will need to have power fed to it. Given the volume of the enclosure the power required to adequately heat it could be considerable. This may require a separate ring main to be installed with its own breaker on the fuse box to avoid tripping and overloading an existing ring main. This may include digging a gully through gardens or flower beds to achieve this. Because of a tortoise’s proclivity to dig this should be a reinforced, toughened cable and buried deep enough in the hope that the tortoise does not excavate it.
1.8 Emergency power-outage plans
Of particular pertinence in winter, what happens if there is a power outage? There may need to be an alarm on the circuit to alert the potential owner of power supply problems. What contingencies are there for temporary housing in such a situation?
1.9 Security of enclosures
Large tortoises are powerful animals and can use considerable force to test doors and vents. Care must be taken, particularly with ex-situ enclosures, to ensure access points and ventilation are escape proof and cannot be pushed open. Sliding glass or access doors should remain locked at all times to prevent accidental escape.
1.10 Safely Moving a TORTOISE
Large tortoises are heavy. If they have been allowed out into a paddock, how does the potential owner plan to move such an animal without it being a risk to personal health. For large tortoises it may require two or even three people to be able to lift the animal to return it to the ex-situ enclosure. African spurred tortoise can weigh 70–100kg when fully grown, an Aldabra giant tortoise may weigh 150–200kg. The potential owners will need to be able to deadlift this kind of weight safely. The use of wheelbarrows is recommended for larger distances to safely transport a tortoise back to the enclosure.
1.11 Water, filtration and replacement
Tortoise will occasionally drink and actively bathe if given the opportunity. This can often result in them relieving themselves and leaving the pool soiled. What plans does a potential owner have for the removal of soiled water, cleaning of the pool and replenishment of fresh water. This may involve plumbing in a tap or the use of a hosepipe. Both species in scope are from relatively dry grassland and scrub regions and water should not be spilled in the enclosure which could raise humidity and potentially cause respiratory problems. The majority of a tortoise’s dietary moisture will inevitably come from the food they consume.
1.12 Diet and appetite
Herbivorous reptiles are inefficient when compared to protein-consuming reptiles, and as a result will consume vastly more weight in food stuffs to maintain condition and anabolic growth. In the case of larger tortoises their appetite is prodigious and the food bill for adult large tortoises is considerable. It would be easy to underestimate this potential financial burden on the household but it should be carefully considered. An adult tortoise will require multiple bags of greens, vegetables, fruits and herbs to satisfy their appetite.
1.13 Substrates
Tortoises consume vast amounts of food; this food is not particularly energy rich or dense and as a result a vast amount of waste and urine (urates) are produced. This means the substrate and enclosure will need to be cleaned daily to manage pathogen load. The floor of the enclosure should be waterproof so as to limit the ingress and resultant smells from seepage. Regular maintenance to acceptable levels will prove costly for giant tortoises and should be carefully borne in mind.
2.0 Energy consumption
Potential large tortoise owners must appreciate the energy consumption implications of enclosures.
All large tortoises hail from desert sub-tropical regions. Giant tortoises should be able to access heat allowing them to bask at upwards of 35–40°C. The ambient temperature will also need to be maintained ensuring cooler areas of the enclosure do not fall too far, as this will lead to respiratory infections. This will require multiple and staggered temperature outputs from heaters to keep the thermal gradient relatively shallow.
Below is a case study of prices based on domestic energy pricing from 2010–2023 using 400W per hour over a 24-hour period and and 1,500W (1kWh) over the same period. Prices shown are per year (annum).
using 400W per hour
| YEAR | ENERGY PRICE | COST |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.8p/ kWh | £482.22 |
| 2013 | 17.9p/ kWh | £629.50 |
| 2017 | 18.5p/ kWh | £646.46 |
| 2020 | 22.0p/ kWh | £768.76 |
| 2023 | 34.0p/ kWh | £1,188.09 |
using 1500W per hour
| YEAR | ENERGY PRICE | COST |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.8p/ kWh | £1,808.35 |
| 2013 | 17.9p/ kWh | £2,345.61 |
| 2017 | 18.5p/ kWh | £2,424.24 |
| 2020 | 22.0p/ kWh | £2,882.88 |
| 2023 | 34.0p/ kWh | £4,455.36 |
Problems can arise when prudent planning has failed to take place; this is usually at the juncture where a maturing animal moves to an adult enclosure from the juvenile one. The power requirement to heat the much larger volume to the same required temperatures can be considerably more. Consider than 1,500W may not be enough to adequately heat a truly large enclosure for a larger tortoise.
2.1 Heating
In adult large tortoise enclosures, multiple heat sources may be required:
- To adequately heat the volume of air within the enclosure to the recommended levels.
- To provide a basking area or heat island large enough for the entire tortoise to bask beneath. This will mean multiple, high-power rated fittings, associated domes and thermostatic control.
- Dependent upon the length of the enclosure, there will need to be further staggered, lower output heaters (or heaters on a separate thermostat) towards the cool end of the enclosure to prevent the temperature falling below recommended levels.
2.2 Lighting
Lighting large enclosures is important for the enrichment of the species kept within. The issue here is that UVB radiation diminishes over distance. Therefore, given the height of a room or enclosure ceiling, this could require multiple UVB sources to raise the basking area to the required level.
The recommended UVI range for large tortoises is variable depending upon natural habitat. The UVI should range across the enclosure from 0.0 at the cool end to 3, 4 or even 5 at the basking area. With the key being to drive UVB down onto the basking area, the use of high-output bulbs such as mercury vapour lamps may be beneficial as they will outperform the distances achieved by conventional UV tubes.
Full spectrum lighting, or those which replicate daylight, are recommended for replicating a large tortoise’s circadian rhythm. These will certainly be needed if real plants, bushes or trees are used within the enclosure (although hopefully out of the way of the tortoises).
Enclosures should ideally have a lighting (photo) gradient much the same as the thermal gradient. This will effectively provide a bright end and a dark end in the enclosure. Lighting should be concentrated around the heat sources. UVB radiation can only be absorbed by way of heat, so thermal and photo output should not be mismatched.
2.3 Insulation
Of particular importance in ex-situ enclosures, insulation will be essential to mitigate heat loss, create an even thermal gradient and limit power consumption. Power consumption could easily become unmanageable without considerable insulation to preserve the energy. Particle or foam board used for insulation should be covered by wood, rigid sheet plastic or sheet metal, potential owners would not want their tortoise to ingest these insulation materials.
3.0 Financial and longevity implications
During the neonate and juvenile stages of a large tortoise’s lifecycle, their potential costs from a spatial and energy consumption perspective remain much the same as any modest size reptile. However, as these species attain lengths of 60–120cm with maturity, spatial sacrifice and considerably increased energy consumption can be expected.
Any potential owner must consider the impact on family finances in time. At no point would it be acceptable for a potential owner to buy a large tortoise species with the inclination to only keep it through the neonate and juvenile lifecycles. Companion animals are for life and any potential owner has a responsibility to thoroughly consider the future for their pets. Specialist companion animal selling businesses should put considerable emphasis on the changing requirements of large tortoises as they grow. Any potential owner bears the total responsibility of deciding if they are capable, spatially and financially, of providing for such a species long term.
Long term sells tortoises short; this is a lifetime commitment to a companion reptile. It may be two lifetimes, and the potential owner could be signing up their children and even grandchildren to keep this animal for the entirety of its lifespan. The spatial, energy and food costs will not diminish over time, they will increase.
4.0 Health and safety
Regardless of the taxa, any large or powerful companion animal should undergo a risk assessment to ensure the owner exercises safe maintenance and interactions with their pet. Many large tortoises are totally tame, but they are cumbersome, heavy and have a powerful bite.
4.1 Awareness in the enclosure
Tortoise species in scope have the potential to become incredibly heavy and could weigh as much as two 6ft stocky men. Tortoises also do not consider their size, and a keeper may become pinned in a corner between the enclosure wall and tortoise’s shell. Equally if an adult tortoise was to step on your toes, up to 50kg of weight could be expected. Potential owners should always be aware of a tortoise’s position within the enclosure and ensure they can get out of the way. And protective footwear should also be worn with particularly large tortoises.
4.2 Feeding accidents
Tortoises do not strike and are not quick, but they have incredibly powerful beaks capable of cutting through the thick rind of squash and cacti pads. A potential keeper should never become complacent when it comes to feeding a tortoise as an accidental bite could prove to be incredibly painful and may even require surgery. Large adult tortoises are capable of taking more than expected in a single bite of a cabbage, pepper or squash, so a keeper must keep a safe distance between their fingers and the beak of the tortoise.
4.3 Petting
Adult tortoises are not easily lifted or even easily moved. Many become totally tame and can be stroked or scratched on the shell. Some will become head tame and enjoy their neck and throat being scratched. Bright coloured clothing or gloves may be misinterpreted as food and care must be taken (particularly with young family members) if a tortoise seems to be showing a certain piece of clothing extra attention.
When handling or moving large tortoises, the risk, especially in respect of African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) is for the handler to get their fingers trapped between edge of the tortoise’s carapace and its heavily armoured legs as it withdraws into the shell cavity. This will result in excruciating pain and potential injury to the handler.
4.4 Assistance
Adult large tortoise species may be impossible to move single handed. Does the potential keeper have someone they can regularly rely on to help move the tortoise, either to clean the enclosure or take out to the paddock or garden to graze and exercise?
Great care must be taken by a potential keeper to not damage their back when the time comes to move a heavy adult tortoise. Ideally tortoises should be lifted into a wheelbarrow or dolly rather than carried over distance where a fall may damage the keeper as well as the tortoise.
Refer back to 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, and note the potential for accidental damage to a young keeper is magnified. Children must be instructed on how to safely move around a giant tortoise and avoid such accidents.
4.5 Common health issues
Metabolic bone disease occurs when the UVB radiation and supplementation provided are inadequate. This is irreversible and could affect the long-term health of the tortoise. UVB lighting should be replaced at regular intervals and checked routinely with a reliable UV meter.
Respiratory infections may occur when a tortoise is exposed, particularly over long periods, to inadequate thermal gradients. Potential causes could be:
- not reaching a high enough basking temperature
- a cool end temperature that has dropped too low.
5.0 Specialist services
5.1 Specialist veterinary practices
Regardless of the species being sold, companion animal selling businesses should signpost local veterinary surgeons that are proficient and comfortable with the species being sold. As part of LAIA regulation, pet-selling businesses should be registered with a local specialist veterinarian, so this vet is the obvious choice for the prospective keeper’s requirement. In the event that the prospective owner has travelled a distance to be assessed, it is the prospective owner’s responsibility to prove they have identified a suitable and local veterinary practice.
5.2 Pet insurance
Pet insurance should be mentioned to a prospective owner, and they should understand what is and is not covered. Given the mass of large tortoise species, the volume of items such as antibiotics should they be needed would cost considerably more than regular sized pet reptiles. It may therefore be pertinent to take out an insurance policy to help in the event of illness or injury occurring.
5.3 Microchipping
In the event of escape or theft, a microchipped large tortoise can be traced to their owner. This will also dissuade keepers from wild releasing their animals should their circumstances change. Having an animal microchipped is relatively low cost and causes no long-term detriment for the animal. Microchipping their animal will also demonstrate a heightened level of responsibility when voluntarily undertaken by the owner.
Other considerations
Feeding
Tortoises take a wide variety of grasses, vegetables, herbs and fruit as part of a balanced diet. Food should be offered daily. The amount of food a large tortoise can consume throughout the day can be staggering, and this will become a considerable household expense for the potential owner.
Rotation and variety in diet are also considered a source of enrichment. Here are some example foods that can be offered to the tortoise.
Cohabitation
Mature males may become antagonistic to rival males, also males in breeding season can become incessant with their trials with females. This may become a stressor if escape from sexual advance is not possible. As well as regularly mounting females, males may also bite at females legs and faces as an act of dominance. This may lead to cuts and sores that could need attention.
Groups should be carefully considered to ensure that all animals thrive. If a potential owner is unsure of the sex of the young animals they are buying they should be encouraged to purchase only one animal.
If businesses require further clarity about the assessment process, its purpose or any other issues please email Charles Thompson, Trade Delegate at: c.thompson@repta.org or contact us here.