Tortoise Rescue Centre

09/04/2025

TORTOISE FOUND WANDERING THE STREETS – SAFELY REUNITED!
But not all are so lucky…

Today, we were contacted about a tortoise found roaming the streets of Honiton. As we got ready to help spread the word—great news—the owner came forward and claimed their beloved pet!

This is a happy ending, but many tortoises aren’t so fortunate.
As the weather warms up, especially mature males will often wander in search of a mate. Sadly, some end up on busy roads, drawn to the warmth of the tarmac at dusk.

If your tortoise goes missing, act FAST.
We’re here to help spread the word and bring your pet home safely. The sooner we know, the better the outcome.

Let’s work together to keep our tortoises safe!

Please share this post—you never know who might need it.

09/04/2025

28/03/2025

🌟 Most of Our Lovely Spur-Thighed Tortoises Have Found Amazing Homes – Just a Few Still Waiting! 🐢

We’re thrilled to share that the majority of our adorable young Spur-Thighed Tortoises have now found fantastic new homes – but we still have a few looking for that perfect forever home.

Each tortoise comes with a full setup (photos in the comments), thoughtfully put together by our team so they’re ready to settle in from day one. These lovely little characters will flourish with a safe outdoor space to explore once the summer sunshine makes its return! ☀️🌱

If you think you could provide a loving home and the right environment, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Message us today to learn more!

03/03/2025

🐢 Hibernation’s Over – Our Tortoises Are Waking Up! ☀️

After months of sleeping soundly underground, our Marginated tortoises (Testudo marginata) are finally waking up! 🐢🌿 Covered in mud from their natural-style hibernation in our polytunnel, these hardy reptiles have spent the winter months buried deep in soft substrate, protected from the worst of the cold and wet weather.

🌍 Did you know? Marginated tortoises are native to the rocky hillsides and scrublands of Greece, Albania, and the Balkans, where they thrive in hot, dry summers and chilly winters. They are the largest of the European tortoise species, with their beautifully flared shell edges giving them their distinctive appearance.

💤 How nice would it be to go to sleep when the weather gets cold and wet, only to wake up when the warm spring sunshine tells you it’s time?! That’s exactly what our tortoises have done! This year, we allowed them to hibernate naturally in our polytunnel, where they dug themselves down into soft soil and leaf litter, settling in for a long winter nap.

The first to emerge? Our Russian Horsfield tortoises (Testudo horsfieldii)! 🏜️ These tough little tortoises are built for extremes, originating from the dry, windswept steppes of Central Asia (Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan). Unlike their Mediterranean cousins, they’re adapted to freezing winters and scorching summers, spending much of their time burrowing underground to escape harsh conditions.

🔍 Interesting Facts:
✅ Horsfield tortoises have only four toes on each foot instead of five, making them excellent diggers!
✅ When tortoises feel startled or threatened, they tuck their heads and legs back inside their shells for protection.

This is a perfect opportunity to teach our young people about emotional regulation and the importance of keeping calm. Just like tortoises retreat into their shells when overwhelmed, people sometimes need space to feel safe. By observing how our actions affect the animals around us, our students learn empathy, patience, and mindfulness—skills that help them navigate their own challenges.

Now that they’re all fully awake, our tortoises will spend the coming weeks re-hydrating, warming up, and getting ready for a new season of grazing, basking, and exploring.

🌱 Have you ever wondered what it’s like to care for hibernating tortoises? Let us know in the comments! 👇

27/11/2024

🌟 Adorable Young Spur-Thighed Tortoises Looking for New Homes! 🐢

We have some absolutely charming young Spur-Thighed Tortoises ready to find their forever homes. 🏡

Each comes with a complete setup (photos in the comments section), carefully assembled by our team, so they’ll be ready to settle in straight away. These little darlings will thrive with a safe outdoor space to enjoy when the summer sunshine finally makes its return! ☀️🌱

If you feel you can offer a loving home and the right environment for one of these incredible creatures, please get in touch. We’d love to help you get started on your journey with these wonderful tortoises.

📩 Message us today to find out more!

25/09/2024

🌿 Spurthigh Tortoises in Need of a New Home 🌿

We currently have three beautiful 2-year-old spurthigh tortoises looking for their forever homes! These little ones came to us after a family’s adult tortoises bred and laid eggs. They gave hatching a try, but later decided they weren’t able to keep them, so they turned to us for help in finding the right homes.

As always, we are committed to ensuring our tortoises go to the best possible homes where they will thrive. If you believe you can offer a 5-star home, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us a message to express your interest!

💚 Please note: We do ask that all rehoming families make a donation to support the vital work we do here at The Tortoise Centre. This allows us to continue helping these amazing creatures.

We offer lifetime support and guidance for all our rehomed tortoises, so you’ll never be alone on your journey as a tortoise keeper.We look forward to hearing from you soon!🌱

Many thanks,

Tortoise Rescue Centre 🌱

06/07/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/9DBuziv1rJSTA7XR/?mibextid=UalRPS

04/07/2024

Attention those looking to Rehome their tortoises:

We are at full capacity at this present moment so cannot offer much assistance.

Please try the Tortoise Trust:

https://www.tortoisetrust.org/

or Tortoise Protection Group.

https://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/1.asp

We hope you find a home.

Kind regards.

Tortoise Rescue Centre

Please visit for tortoise care sheets, Tortoise Rehoming/rescue/adoption service, care sheets, Tortoise For Sale / Tortoises For Sale in Kent, Dorset, Surrey, Northamptonshire, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Cheshire, Wales, Scotland, Teeside & other areas for sale by genuine UK breeders - we also rum a....

31/05/2024

So sad.

Some great effort from the Wildlife Police.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-man-admits-dumping-ten-9314319?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0MKBTVw2IsmJBA-XSPhBwqDROTy04mz_NJeNE0PKDhaxmR7bnIYNkKp_I_aem_AbInLr3XXgEYeoMqhdEdDdNa7KCudTXGuJPvPPc-0R1QAdnY9SWTNoujAyj4YC9ANhbFxrUq7hcTAraN7EmnCkj7

Gary Priddle, 56, of Grecian Way, Exeter, abandoned the tortoises over Christmas, and when he visited them he found that the heating lights had stopped working and the tortoises had died

20/04/2024

Hi everyone,

Little Lucy is a one-year-old Spurthigh baby looking for a new 🏠.

We have been taking care of Lucy at our centre in Plymouth Devon.

Hard to believe how tiny she was when she first came to us!

She is now well established and looking for a 5-star home and comes with a complete set up.

There will be a minimum suggested donation that will help cover the ever-rising costs of the rescue centre.

If you feel that you can provide a great home with good outdoor access for when she grows, please get in touch.
Many thanks.

If you think you can provide the ideal home and family for Little Lucy, please PM us at the Tortoise Rescue Centre.

14/03/2024

Amazing!

📸 Watch this video on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/tUZR2ccMeSWUR8yd/?mibextid=WC7FNe

15/01/2024

So sad. 😢

On behalf of the Barczyk family and our entire team at The Reptarium, it is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Brian Barczyk.

More than the guiding light of our organization, Brian's fervent passion for reptiles and wildlife, along with his steadfast dedication to education, has touched innumerable hearts and minds globally.

Our deepest sympathies are with Brian's family, his friends, and all those whose lives he has touched. We've lost an exceptional individual – a visionary, mentor, and friend. For those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, Brian's absence leaves an immeasurable void.
As we navigate this difficult time, we find comfort in the memories and the lasting light of Brian's work. He will be deeply missed but indeed, never forgotten.

The Barczyk family invites you to join us for a Public Memorial Walk-through to honor Brian’s memory. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at Heritage Church, located at 44625 Schoenherr Rd. Sterling Heights, MI 48313 from 1-3pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to show your support by visiting https://thereptarium.com/pages/brianbarczyk . Your engagement and involvement are greatly valued during this time.

Also, at LegaSea's opening, visitors will find Brian's handprints. Guests place their hands in his, continuing his legacy in a simple, yet powerful gesture. Please continue to follow this page for updates.

Brian, we will see you in the next one. Everyone else, see you at LegaSea.

- The Reptarium Team.

Contact Information for Inquiries and Tributes:

For media inquiries, please contact our Marketing Director at [email protected]

and

For more information on how you can become a LegaSea sponsor, please email our Director of Community Relations at [email protected] for other questions, please email [email protected]

04/01/2024

29/11/2023

Family photo ❤️🐢

19/04/2023

*** UPDATE: owners of this tortoise has been found. Thank you for sharing

A tortoise has been found wandering around Jedborough Drive in the PL2 area of plymouth. Please share so we can help return him to his family

26/01/2023

Hi guys,

Tiny Timmy is one year old Hermann baby. He is looking for a 5 star home he comes with a complete set up.

There will be a minimum suggested donation that will help cover the ever rising costs of the rescue centre.

If you feel that you can provide a great home with good outdoor access for when he grows, please get in-touch.

Many thanks.

Tortoise Rescue Centre

02/12/2022

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/02/worlds-oldest-recorded-tortoise-prepares-for-190th-birthday-party?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

Jonathan, Seychelles giant tortoise given to Saint Helena in 1882, is also oldest known living land animal

07/10/2022

One of our beautiful making the most of the little bit of sunshine we had today!