Tartarughe di Terra

An editorial project of The Guardians of the Earth Foundation ETS

Understanding tortoises is how we truly protect them.

Well-sourced guides, first-hand experience and practical tools for the responsible care of Testudo hermanni.

Start with the guides Ask the Guardians
Close-up of an adult Testudo hermanni in the grass

Testudo hermanniThe species at the heart of our project

What do you need?

Clear guidance, when you need it.

01

Feeding

Wild plants, seasonal changes and mistakes to avoid.

 02

Habitat and enclosure

Space, ground conditions, shelters and safety.

 03

Hibernation and waking up

Preparation, checks and warning signs.

 04

The law and CITES

Careful guidance on documents and procedures.

 05

Health

Prevention and when to call a vet.

 06

Found a tortoise?

What to do, what to avoid and whom to contact.

Little Guardians

Respect begins with a little wonder.

Stories and activities to share with an adult. Learn to watch animals without disturbing them, and to tell imaginary stories apart from photographs of real life.

Explore with children
A tiny tortoise hatches: its head and a leg emerge between pieces of eggshell
One small step out of the shell.
A real photograph from the Guardians’ archive.
An illustrated little tortoise looking at a seedling in a meadow

A game to play together

Look and discover.

Male or female? With an adult, follow the clues in the tortoise illustrations. Take your time with five little discoveries, then compare them with real photographs.

Start the game →

Imaginative illustration

Experience becomes shared knowledge

Experience is useful when we understand its limits.

The Foundation gathers genuine experiences, documents its observations and welcomes community contributions through a responsible editorial process.

Read the advice
A group of adult Testudo hermanni observed by the Foundation
40+years of first-hand experience with more than 200 Testudo hermanni

Field notebook

We learn to care by watching.

Food, water and shelter: three details of everyday life. Archive photographs and edited images, always clearly distinguished.

Tortoises during a feeding session

Feeding

A varied diet starts with suitable wild plants.

Archive photograph
A tortoise beside a shallow dish of clear water; edited image

Hydration

Clean, accessible water, checked and refreshed every day.

Edited image
A tortoise among grasses and plants in the Guardians’ enclosure

Habitat

Grass, plant cover and patches of sunlight: a habitat to explore.

Archive photograph

Life in the enclosure

Taking time to watch is the first act of care.

A short compilation from the Guardians’ archive: adult and young Testudo hermanni, feeding and their surroundings. Watch how they move and interact with their environment without trying to direct their behaviour.

These images come from more than forty years of personal observation, now shared through the Foundation. They invite us to observe consistently; they do not demonstrate rules that apply to every animal.

Archive video · 16 seconds · no sound · press play to start

Read next

Practical, well-sourced guides.

Three paths, one shared responsibility

Knowledge becomes care.

The Foundation

Caring for the living world, together.

Vision, an ethical sanctuary, education and transparency: discover the wider project behind this editorial space on the Foundation’s website.

Get to know our network →
Our sister project

What if your turtle lives in water?

Habitat, diet and responsibilities are different. Tartarughe d’Acqua offers dedicated guidance without confusing the needs of tortoises and aquatic turtles.

Explore Tartarughe d’Acqua →

The heart of our project

Testudo hermanni.
Getting to know it, day by day.

This is the species that first inspired our journey of observation. A guide to habitat, diet, seasons and responsibilities, keeping everyday experience distinct from the assessment of an individual animal.

Read the Hermann’s tortoise guide Explore the species profile →
Testudo hermanni among grass and low-growing plants, seen at the animal’s eye level
A tortoise’s-eye view. An authentic photograph from the Guardians’ archive.

Encyclopaedia

Different species, different ways of living on land.

Start in the Mediterranean, then explore tortoises from the steppes, forests and islands.

Explore the atlas →
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