FAQs

Unfortunately, there are quite a number of people who claim to be tortoise experts and will share contradicting information which can worry some people. Forums and groups can be helpful and have some great information and ideas but they can also be a very negative place too so just be aware, don’t believe everything you read! If you have any queries or questions and are intending or have already purchased a tortoise and/or product from us at The Tortoise Den, then we advise that you get in touch with us in the first instance for help and advice. It is essential that you seek advice from ourselves as you may risk infringing your guarantee with us if advice is taken elsewhere.

Yes, we have held a licence for over 17 years. It is compulsory for all retailers who sell animals to have an up to date licence whether they have a retail shop, an online shop or both. Our Licence No: 19/PS/019 issued by Cheshire West and Chester Council under ‘The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018’.

A lot of tortoises make a clicking type noise now and then, more commonly in the youngsters. This is because they have a ‘beak’ and can grind the top and bottom jaw together. This noise is also common once a tortoise has yawned. Occasionally tortoises can make a squeak type noise which can be a sign that possibly there is a little irritation such as a piece of food or dry substrate in the nostrils. An odd nasal bubble is fine as they may have a little bathing water, food debris or dry substrate irritating the nose. If your tortoise is eating and passing waste regularly as well as being active then its is probably nothing to worry about. If your tortoise has nasal bubbles continuously then we would recommend seeking advice.

This can be normal once a tortoise has been moved to a new environment and may need a little time to settle in. Give your tortoise a nice warm bath daily for the first week or so after purchase to ensure they are fully hydrated and help reduce any stress from the move. It is important to check that the temperatures are correct within the enclosure. There should be a warm basking area at approximately 27-34C and a cooler area at approximately 17-22C. This allows the tortoise to regulate their own temperature, if your tortoise gets too hot or too cold they will be less active.

The simple answer is no, unfortunately we can’t guarantee the sex of your tortoise as a juvenile. It is only once they have matured that the differences between the sexes become more obvious. The male will usually have a ‘v’ shaped notch in their shell to accommodate their longer, slimmer tail which has a ‘spur’ at the tip. However, the female will usually have a ‘u’ shaped notch in their shell to accommodate their shorter, thicker tail. A reptile vet can surgically sex your young tortoise via an endoscopy, however this will have health risks for your tortoise.

No, we do breed some ourselves and we also source UK captive bred tortoises from Zoological International who is the biggest tortoise breeder in the UK.

The only routine treatment your tortoise will require is worming approximately every 4 months. This is an easy treatment and you can do it at home. We use Cloverleaf Tortoise Wormer Plus which is in powder form and can be added into the bathing water or sprinkled over the food.

To be honest, not really. You wouldn’t routinely do a worm count on your dog, cat or other pets unless they were showing signs that this would be required. We would suggest a routine worming treatment every 3-4 months which you can do yourself at home. We use Cloverleaf Tortoise Wormer Plus which is in powder form and can be added into the bathing water or sprinkled over the food.

This is nothing to worry about and is normal for the tortoise to pass these urates (concentrated uric acid) around 3 times a week as it is a product of protein metabolism. This can vary from a milky liquid form to a yoghurt or toothpaste like consistency. Should the urates be sandy or grainy then this could mean that your tortoise is getting dehydrated so simply increase the number of baths to ensure full hydration is achieved. If your tortoise is passing this white substance more frequently then it may indicate the tortoise has too much protein in their diet. Tortoises require a high fibre but low protein diet to remain healthy.

It all depends on how much your tortoise is eating. Your tortoise will usually defecate in the bath or the water bowl. If your tortoise has not passed waste for a few days, then it is a good idea to bathe them in warm water daily until the stools are passed.

We recommend that after purchase, you bathe your tortoise with warm water daily for the first week or so. By doing this it helps to discourage any stress from the move of environments. After this period, we recommend that you bathe your tortoise 3-4 times a week or more often during the warmer months.

It all depends on the breed of the tortoise and their endangered status. Hermanns, Marginated and Mediterranean Spur-Thighed to name but a few are all required to carry this legal document. These tortoises are required by the government to have a microchip and an Article 10 CITES certificate unique to that tortoise. This is a legal document issued by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and is required to stay with the tortoise for its entire life, even throughout new ownership.

No, it is not required by law. However, tortoises on the endangered species list require an Article 10 CITES certificate. It is useful however to have your tortoise microchipped for identification purposes in case it decides to go for a walk about or in the unfortunate circumstance of being stolen.

No, you do not need to be worried as tortoises rarely take a drink of water like you may think. Tortoises will drink by submerging both their mouth and nose in the water and also absorb water through the vent in their tails. As long as your tortoise is receiving regular warm baths it should not get dehydrated.

As a general guide we say about the amount of food the same size as your tortoise’s shell.

We would advise not! Although some of the pre-packaged, dry foods are advertised as a complete diet we would strongly recommend against this type of food as a sole diet.

The more natural food pellets or dried food pouches made from naturally occurring sources such as weeds, flowers and grasses are fine to use as a supplement to a predominantly fresh, natural diet to ensure a long healthy life for your tortoise.

An open table style is preferable for the Mediterranean and Russian types (hibernating species) of tortoise that we sell. Tortoises are cold-blooded and like to bask under the heat but then a cooler area allows them to regulate and cool down if required.

We find that an enclosed vivarium does not allow for this cooler area, so the tortoises can get too hot and dehydrate quickly. We would recommend using a well ventilated or specific tortoise vivarium if this is your chosen housing.

The exception to this are the non-hibernating species such as Leopards, Red-Footed, Sulcata’s and Indian Star tortoises. They require heat all year round to include the night time hours and a heated enclosed vivarium is ideal for a young tortoise of this kind.

Ideally use a coarse and fine coco coir mix to a depth of up to 5cm for younger tortoises and up to 15cm for adult tortoises. This can be increased for Horsfield tortoises as they especially like to dig and burrow down.

If there are any soiled or particularly wet areas these should be cleaned away daily and a full replacement of the substrate approximately every 2-3 weeks as a guide.

It is not really dependant on age, if it is warm enough then your tortoise will benefit from natural basking and foraging. Ensure your tortoise is safe from predators and that any escape routes are not accessible. As long as the temperature stays above approximately 14C and your tortoise is safe with access to water, they can stay outside all day.

Whether you are using a separate UV and basking lamp or a combination bulb, they should be switched on for approximately 10-12 hours each day. A timer plug is perfect for this, just set it to come on and go off at the required times each day. During the warmer months, if your tortoise spends time outside, this will provide them with natural heat and UV light.

This is nothing to worry about and can appear as lines, squiggly lines or similar to that of a water mark. This is simply new shell growth and more often than not will darken up over time as your tortoise grows and matures.

The likelihood is you don’t need to worry. There can be a couple of reasons for this and the most likely reason for your tortoises head bobbing is that it is simply breathing and smelling. They are ‘bellowing’ as they breathe and can be seen to ‘pulse’ their front legs whilst doing this which is a specific method of ventilating.

You may notice this more specifically if they recognise it is feeding time or bath time. Another reason for the head bobbing can be courtship or territorial behaviour, more specifically from the males.

Thursdays and Fridays are the only days that our specialist animal courier delivers. If you require a specific Thursday or Friday, then please leave a comment with your order or get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your request. We do request that they contact you on the evening prior to delivery and provide you with an ETA so please ensure your contact details are correct.

Yes, these can be used within the enclosure. If you are sourcing these out of your own garden, ensure that you have given them a thorough clean with a pet safe disinfectant to eliminate any droppings from other animals. A few words of advice – don’t put rocks or hides too close to the sides of the enclosure, surprisingly tortoises are very good escape artists!

We recommend that you take out pet insurance and there is a voucher included with your purchase. To activate the insurance you may telephone or visit the ExoticDirect website and click ‘Activate Voucher’ following onscreen prompts, within 14 days of your date of purchase.

Yes of course, this is actually our preferred method so that we can give the customer our one to one attention. If you would like to collect your tortoise or products in person we just ask that you give us a call, email or use our contact page to arrange an appointment first.

We have written a Hibernation Information Booklet which contains all the information you need from preparation, through hibernation to the waking up process. This can be downloaded from our ‘Care’ page.

You can do a bank transfer, pay by card or via PayPal. We accept all major credit and debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard and Maestro through WorldPay. We take payments when you place your order as we do not hold your card details for future use.

Your tortoise will be in safe hands from us, all the way to your door! We use a trusted, specialist livestock courier to deliver our tortoises – https://www.highflyersukcouriers.com During the cooler months we supply a single use heat pouch to ensure the temperature stays at a comfortable level for your tortoise.

It is essential that if you are not happy with your order, you contact us via phone, email or via our contact page within 24 hours of receipt of goods for advice or to rectify any issues.

We try and update our stock levels on a weekly basis so that you are able to see availability of a product. If an item is out of stock or is low, please get in touch and we will check for you if we have the item in stock or provide you with a back in stock date.