# Tortoise Home

> UK tortoise care, from the first tortoise table to safe hibernation. Plain answers, checked against vet guidance.

Tortoise Home is a UK guide to keeping Mediterranean (Hermann's, spur-thighed, marginated) and Horsfield tortoises. Key figures: basking spot 30–35 °C at shell height, cool end about 20 °C; UVB essential; indoor table at least 90 × 60 cm for a young tortoise and about 10 × shell length long; diet of weeds like dandelion, plantain and clover with calcium; fridge hibernation at about 5 °C (3–7 °C) with weekly weighing and no more than 1% weight loss a month; Hermann's, spur-thighed and marginated need an Article 10 certificate to be sold, Horsfield do not. Tools: table size calculator and hibernation weight check at /tools/.

## Pages
- [Tortoise Home](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/): UK tortoise care made simple: tortoise table size, UVB and heat, outdoor runs, feeding and safe fridge hibernation, with free calculators and a setup checklist.
- [Tortoise Care Guide (UK): Housing, Heat, Food and Health](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/tortoise-care/): How to look after a pet tortoise in the UK: indoor table, UVB and heat, garden time, diet, hibernation and the health signs that mean a vet visit.
- [Tortoise Table Setup: Size, Layout, Heat and UV (UK)](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/tortoise-table/): How to set up a tortoise table: the right size, substrate, basking lamp at 30–35 °C, UVB, hide and water, laid out so your tortoise can warm up and cool down.
- [Tortoise UVB and Heat Lamps: What to Buy and How High](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/uvb-and-heat/): Why tortoises need UVB and a basking lamp, the difference between tubes and mercury vapour bulbs, how high to hang them and when to replace them.
- [Outdoor Tortoise Enclosure: How to Build One for a UK Garden](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/outdoor-enclosure/): How to build a safe outdoor tortoise enclosure in a UK garden: sunny spot, escape-proof walls, digging barrier, shelter, planting and protection from predators.
- [Tortoise Hibernation: Safe Fridge Method, Weights and Timings](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/hibernation/): How to hibernate a tortoise safely in the UK: vet check, winding down, the fridge method at 5 °C, weekly weighing (1% a month rule) and waking up in spring.
- [What Do Tortoises Eat? Safe Weeds, Plants and Calcium (UK)](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/feeding/): What tortoises eat: dandelion, plantain, clover and other UK weeds, how much and how often, calcium, water, and the foods and plants that are bad for them.
- [Buying a Tortoise in the UK: Article 10 Certificates and Health Checks](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/buying-a-tortoise/): How to buy a tortoise in the UK: Article 10 certificates, which species need one, finding a genuine UK breeder, health checks and the questions to ask.
- [Tortoise Table Size Calculator & Hibernation Weight Check](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/tools/): Find the right table size for your tortoise and check, week by week, whether its weight loss in hibernation is safe.
- [Tortoise Setup Checklist: What You Need Before It Comes Home (UK)](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/kit/): Everything a Mediterranean or Horsfield tortoise needs indoors and out, in the order you'll need it. Your ticks save on this device.
- [About](https://www.tortoisehome.co.uk/about/): Sources, how we earn, credits