Meet the teams tortoise #2
Hi! I’m thrilled that I have been invited to write an article in this newsletter about my amazing tortoise called Bolt.
Like many others, I had a pet tortoise as a child way back in the 1960s when the “Blue Peter” way of caring for tortoises was all we knew, and I remember being devastated when she died during what I now know was a probably too long and not well monitored hibernation. We never replaced Hilda, but my fondness for these fascinating creatures was assured.
Fast forward about 50 years (where did they go?!) to 2018 at the Royal Norfolk Show where the Norfolk Tortoise Club had a marquee and were promoting tortoise welfare and rehoming. I was immediately captivated by the tortoises that they had at the show. With the support of my family we made enquiries, created our indoor and outdoor enclosures and then the day came for us to go to HQ and get our tortoise. It was July 2018. We were so excited!
There was a choice for us, but we were completely taken with Bolt from the onset. He is a Greek Marginated tortoise and is quite a large boy. Here he is when he first arrived.
Bolt when he first arrived at his new home with Lynn
Now, although I am keen, I am still very much a learner when it comes to these fascinating creatures, so I don’t pretend to know my stuff, but I have learnt a lot from my involvement with the club. I am aware that many of you reading this will know much more than me, so just bare with me while I use some not very technical/scientific language! You will notice how Bolt has lumps on his shell and underneath he is not flat but caves inwards a bit. He also has weak back legs and so he has a little brace stuck underneath him to help keep the back of his body lift a little higher from the ground. Because of this we don’t let him onto slabs and harder surfaces as his legs rub onto it and may become sore, so he has a mixture of soil and sand in his enclosures (which is normal anyway) and, because he is large enough, we also let him roam in our garden. We give him hydrotherapy by filling an old blue Sainsbury’s shopping trug with water just enough to cover half a brick. Then by placing Bolt on the brick in the water, making sure his legs are free, he can wiggle his legs to help them grow stronger! I am not sure how much he loves it, but I believe it does do him good. I do tell him that, but I think he needs convincing!
I understand that these problems were caused by a lack of the nutrients he needed in his earlier years. We are trying our best now to make sure he receives a good diet, which will never correct what is wrong, but might help him to live a longer and happier life.
Bolt is a real character. He makes it clear if I do something that displeases him by making hissing type sounds, but equally, despite his fixed facial features I am positive I can tell when he is happy.
I became a member and stayed in touch with the Norfolk Tortoise Club after adopting Bolt, and in the autumn of 2019 was thrilled to be asked to become a committee member. It’s been a strange time to become part of any committee, but my favourite thing is visiting HQ when I can, to see the tortoises, catch up and learn from Eleanor and anyone else who may be visiting, and to help a bit towards the club and it’s values.