Caring for tortoises while you are away
Before going on holiday, it is important to arrange suitable care for European tortoises well in advance.
Whenever possible, tortoises should remain in their familiar outdoor enclosure and heated cold frame. Moving them to an unfamiliar environment can cause unnecessary stress and usually makes appropriate care more difficult.
Care at home – the best solution
Having a reliable person care for the tortoises in their usual enclosure is generally the best option.
This may be a family member, friend or experienced pet sitter. The important point is that the person understands the daily routine and knows how to respond if temperatures, weather conditions or equipment require action.
Before leaving, allow enough time to explain and practise the routine together.
More information about the basic setup can be found here:
Outdoor Enclosure, Cold Frame and Hibernation Pit
What needs to be done every day?
Someone should be present at least in the morning and evening.
The daily routine includes:
- opening access to the outdoor enclosure in the morning when weather conditions allow
- checking the tortoises
- checking temperatures and equipment
- providing fresh water
- providing suitable food
- checking the cold frame for overheating
- opening or shading the cold frame manually if necessary during hot weather
- locating all tortoises before nightfall
- securing them inside the predator-proof cold frame for the night
Automatic equipment can make daily care easier, but it does not replace a reliable person checking the animals.
Temperatures and technology
The person looking after the tortoises should know which equipment is installed and what its purpose is.
Depending on the setup, this may include:
- an automatic cold-frame opener
- a greenhouse or cold-frame heater
- a thermostat
- UV and basking lamps
- smart thermometers
- temperature sensors
- automatic door openers
The carer should also know what to do if equipment fails.
Detailed information can be found here:
Technology for the Species-Appropriate Keeping of European Tortoises
Hot weather needs particular attention
Automatic cold-frame openers are useful, but they are not sufficient on their own during very hot weather.
A cold frame can heat up rapidly in strong sunshine. The carer should therefore know when additional ventilation, manual opening or shading is required.
Fresh water must always be available.
Food while you are away
Suitable forage can be prepared by ensuring that plenty of edible plants are growing directly in the enclosure.
Additional forage plants can also be grown in raised beds, pots or separate cultivation areas so that the carer does not have to identify and collect unfamiliar wild plants.
European tortoises should be offered species-appropriate food based primarily on wild herbs and leaves.
Further information:
For those growing their own forage plants:
Harvesting Forage Plant Seeds for European Tortoises in Late Summer
Prepare a written holiday checklist
Even when everything has been explained in person, a written checklist is extremely useful.
It should contain the most important daily tasks in a clear order so that nothing is forgotten.
A useful checklist may include:
- morning routine
- evening routine
- feeding instructions
- water
- temperature limits
- use of equipment
- shading and ventilation
- identification of individual tortoises
- medication, if required
- emergency contacts
- reptile vet contact details
An English TASCHENDINOS Holiday Checklist can be added here as a PDF download.
Make sure individual tortoises can be identified
People who do not see the tortoises every day may find it surprisingly difficult to tell them apart.
This is particularly important when:
- several tortoises are kept in separate enclosures
- individual animals require medication
- one animal needs special observation
- the carer must check that every tortoise has been brought inside for the night
Recent identification photographs are very helpful.
They can be printed and labelled with each tortoise’s name.
If the animals live in separate enclosures, name signs on the enclosures can also make the routine easier.
Temporary markings may be useful when individual animals otherwise cannot be distinguished easily.
Important contacts
The carer should have all important telephone numbers before the holiday begins.
These should include:
- the owner’s contact details
- the reptile vet who normally treats the tortoises
- an experienced tortoise keeper who can help with husbandry questions
- a second local emergency contact if the regular carer unexpectedly becomes unavailable
Further general information about tortoise health can be found here:
Medication and special care
If a tortoise requires medication or other treatment, the procedure should be demonstrated before the holiday.
The carer should be able to recognise the individual animal reliably and understand:
- which medicine is required
- the correct dose
- when it must be given
- how it is administered
- how long treatment should continue
Medication should be clearly labelled.
A simple treatment schedule with boxes to tick after each dose can help prevent doses from being forgotten or accidentally given twice.
Keep backup equipment ready
Technical failures tend to happen at inconvenient times.
Important replacement equipment should therefore be kept ready and easily accessible.
Depending on the setup, this may include:
- a spare heater
- a spare lamp
- a spare lamp holder
- a replacement thermostat
- extension leads or suitable outdoor electrical equipment
The carer should know where these items are stored and, where appropriate, how they are replaced.
Before leaving – do a trial run
A short trial run is worthwhile before a longer holiday.
Allow the person caring for the tortoises to carry out the morning or evening routine while you are still there.
This quickly reveals whether any instructions are unclear.
It is much easier to answer questions before the holiday than from a distance.
Should tortoises be moved elsewhere for the holiday?
Whenever possible, European tortoises should remain in their familiar outdoor enclosure and cold frame.
Their normal environment already provides the structures, temperature zones, shelter, feeding areas and equipment they require.
Moving them temporarily to another garden, a small enclosure or an indoor setup may create additional husbandry problems rather than solving them.
If care at home is genuinely impossible, any alternative accommodation should therefore be assessed carefully before the tortoise is moved.
The most important principle
A holiday carer does not need to become a tortoise expert overnight.
What matters is that the routine is clear, the enclosure and technology are familiar, emergency contacts are available and the tortoises are checked reliably every day.
Good preparation makes holiday care much safer – for both the tortoises and the person looking after them.
More from TASCHENDINOS
Technology Handbook
A practical guide to modern technology for European tortoise husbandry, including lighting, heating, cold frames, greenhouses and safe brumation.
English edition coming soon.
Brumation in the Refrigerator
A step-by-step guide to controlled refrigerator brumation, from preparation and temperature management to health checks and bringing tortoises back out in spring.
English edition available.
Handbook of Poisonous Plants
A compact, location-based guide to around 67 plants that are unsafe for tortoises, arranged by garden, meadow, and pot or house plants.
English edition in preparation.
Anna and Mona – Friends for Life
A children’s picture book for readers aged three and up about a girl and her tortoise Mona, exploring responsibility, learning and friendship.
Available in German and Polish and soon in English.
TASCHENDINOS books are created in support of Schildkroetensuche.org.