Species-appropriate Outdoor Husbandry of Land Tortoises


Marion Minch (Karlsruhe)

Testudo-hermanni-300
Until the 80ies land tortoises – especially those from southern Europe – were a cheap souvenir when coming home from vacation at the Mediterranean Sea. Whoever drove along the former yugoslavian coastal street may remembers kids and others offering land tortoises at the border of the street.

Since then the situation has changed completely. Better awareness and better protection of the species has led to keeping and breeding success in private hand which wasn't imaginable before. There's virtually no species which hasn't been bred regularly, especially by German private breeders. One of the essential prerequisites for successful husbandry of nearly all species no matter if they come from tropical or moderate climate is keeping them in a suitable outdoor cage all year round or at least temporarily. "Land tortoises need pure sun" is the mantry of many well-known breeders. After all this works only when appropriate equipment is used.

Marion Minch from Karlsruhe keeps and breeds European and tropical species "since ages", of course for example Testudo hermanni, but also Geochelone species. Based on her experience she has set up several sites on the web and even a business which offers adequate cages, feeding plants mixtures and technical equipment which is necessary for keeping the animals successfully from her experience.




Geochelone-pardalis-300
In her lecture at the Breeders' Expo Marion will provide information which doesn't concentrate on species or habitat portraits but on general information about successful husbandry of land tortoises:

• What to feed?
• How to house the animals?
• How to build a cage?
• Which technical equipment is needed?
• Which laws to consider?
• How to find a good veterinarian?
• How to set up hibernation?
• Differences between European and tropical species in regards to food, space and expenses

Marion likes "clear language" instead of lingo, because she believes that too much taxonomy and other jargon doesn't help, especially not beginners. Even though she will present her lecture in German I think it will be very useful if you don't speak German yourself.

More information: www.chelonia.de • www.chelonium.de • www.samenkiste.de