Tortoise Care
Caring for Hermann's, spur-thighed, marginated and Horsfield's tortoises: housing, UVB, diet, health, hibernation and breeding.
- Level
- Beginner
- Study time
- ~6 hours
- Modules
- 5
- Lessons
- 32
- Assessment
- Module quizzes · graded certificate
- Version
- v1.0 · reviewed 2 November 2026
What you'll learn
- ✓Identify the four commonly kept Mediterranean tortoise species and explain why origin and subspecies matter
- ✓Set up a suitable indoor tortoise table and a secure UK outdoor enclosure
- ✓Provide correct heating, UVB and a weed-based, high-fibre diet
- ✓Recognise good health and common problems such as pyramiding, metabolic bone disease and respiratory disease
- ✓Decide whether a tortoise should be hibernated or overwintered, and manage either safely
- ✓Explain responsible breeding and UK legal requirements, including Article 10 certificates
About this course
A practical five-module guide to the four Mediterranean and nearby tortoises most commonly kept in the UK: Hermann's (Testudo hermanni), spur-thighed (Testudo graeca), marginated (Testudo marginata) and Horsfield's (Testudo horsfieldii).
The course is written by HWA, the Herpetological & Wildlife Academy.
You'll study the four species and why exact identification matters, indoor tortoise tables, secure UK outdoor pens, heating and UVB, a weed-based diet, supplements and weight monitoring, shell health, pyramiding and common health problems, and finally hibernation, overwintering, breeding and the law, including CITES and Article 10 certificates. In particular, you'll learn why not every spur-thighed tortoise should be hibernated.
Every lesson is written in plain English with tables, diagrams and photos. Each module ends with a glossary and a multiple-choice quiz. When you've passed all five quizzes you receive a verifiable certificate of completion graded Pass, Merit or Distinction, based on your average quiz score.
This course is general education. It does not replace advice from a specialist reptile vet about an individual animal, especially before hibernation.
Cover photo: A Hermann's tortoise in Mallorca. Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Course content
5 modules · 32 lessons · ~6 hours study time
Module 1Understanding Mediterranean Tortoises6 lessons
- Introducing Mediterranean tortoisesWhat tortoises are, and the four species this course covers.Free preview8 min
- Habitat and anatomyWhere Mediterranean tortoises live, and the shell, limbs and beak.8 min
- Temperature, growth and sexingHow tortoises control their temperature, how they grow and how to tell males from females.8 min
- Wild diet and conservationWhat tortoises eat in the wild, and conservation and captive history.8 min
- Module 1 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 1 quizTest your understanding of Module 1: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 2Enclosure Setup and Environmental Requirements7 lessons
- Indoor and outdoor housingIndoor tortoise tables, secure outdoor pens, escape-proofing and shelters.8 min
- Heating, temperature and humidityBasking temperatures, heating equipment, monitoring, humidity and ventilation.8 min
- UVB and lightingWhy UVB matters, measuring UV Index and the daily light cycle.8 min
- Substrate, furnishings, water and hygieneSubstrates for digging, hides and enrichment, water and bathing, and cleaning.8 min
- Living together and setting upWhy tortoises are best kept apart, and preparing the enclosure before arrival.8 min
- Module 2 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 2 quizTest your understanding of Module 2: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 3Nutrition and Feeding5 lessons
- A weed-based dietNutritional needs, suitable weeds and flowers, and collecting wild food safely.8 min
- Greens, foods to avoid and supplementsSupermarket greens, what not to feed, feeding routines, calcium and vitamin D3.8 min
- Water, droppings, weight and recordsHydration, healthy droppings, weighing and feeding records.8 min
- Module 3 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 3 quizTest your understanding of Module 3: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 4Health, Behaviour and Everyday Management6 lessons
- Health, behaviour and handlingRecognising a healthy tortoise, normal behaviour and handling.8 min
- Shell health, pyramiding and MBDKeeping the shell healthy, pyramiding and metabolic bone disease.8 min
- Common health problemsRespiratory disease, eye problems, parasites, mouth infections, shell injuries, dehydration and egg problems.8 min
- Quarantine, hygiene, routine and vet careQuarantine, Salmonella, a care routine and working with a vet.8 min
- Module 4 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 4 quizTest your understanding of Module 4: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 5Hibernation, Breeding and Responsible Ownership8 lessons
- Hibernation: is it right for your tortoise?Seasonal dormancy, which tortoises can hibernate, and assessing an individual.8 min
- Preparing for and managing hibernationPreparation, hibernation methods and monitoring during hibernation.8 min
- Overwintering and waking upKeeping a tortoise active over winter, and managing emergence from hibernation.8 min
- Breeding: from courtship to eggsReproduction, sexing, breeding condition, courtship, nesting and collecting eggs.8 min
- Incubation and hatchlingsIncubation, how temperature affects sex, candling, hatching and juvenile growth.8 min
- Responsible breeding, the law and ownershipGenetic management, UK legal documentation and lifelong care.8 min
- Module 5 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 5 quizTest your understanding of Module 5: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Who this course is for
- New and prospective tortoise owners
- Keepers who want to check their set-up and hibernation practice against current good practice
- Reptile shop staff who advise customers
Assessment & certificate
Each module ends with a quiz that is marked automatically: multiple-choice questions plus a written section where you explain what you've learned in your own words. You can take each quiz once and cannot retake it, and you'll see the correct answer to any question you got wrong.
When you've completed every module, you receive a certificate of completion with a unique verification code, graded on your average score across all the module quizzes:
- PassUp to 69%
- Merit70–79%
- Distinction80–100%
Everyone who completes every module receives a certificate.
This certificate confirms completion of an online, theory-based course and a passed online assessment. It is not an accredited qualification and does not certify practical competence.