The Norfolk Tortoise Club

18/06/2026

🐢 FREE ONLINE MEMBERS' EVENT 🐢

📅 22 July | 🕢 7:30pm

Calling all members! Find your members invite emailed to you

Join us online for a special evening 'Tortoise Talk' presented by Eleanor at Tortoise Club HQ

🌟 Special guest: Chris Leone from Garden State Tortoise

Whats it about?
✨ Meet the club team for the coming year in our AGM (5 mins)
📰 Hear the latest club news and rehoming success stories (10 mins)
⚖️ Learn about recent changes to tortoise ownership laws and what they mean for tortoise welfare (30mins)
❓ Open discussions & questions (10-20mins)

💚 Not a member? Become a member from just £12.50 a year to receive your invite!
www.tortoiseclub.org/membership

For more details please see our events page on the website
www.tortoiseclub.org/events

We look forward to seeing you there!

16/06/2026

🥞Breakfast is served: Pancakes at Norfolk Tortoise Club! 🥞

Recently we have been very lucky to look after this group of very special tortoises called pancake tortoises, Malacochersus tornieri.

These tortoises evolved to have flexible shells, so they can squeeze into small crevices to escape predators. They truly are like no other tortoise, and they make the perfect plateful!

Let us know if you keep this unusual species yourself... 🐢

13/06/2026

Book your health checks now!

Our slots are disappearing fast for our Summer open days on the 11th and 12th of July

- Skip the queues & get Early Bird tickets with bookings from 9.30am until 1pm

- Walk-in health checks available from 11:00am until 1pm

Book now, selling fast! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tortoise-health-checks-saturday-11-sunday-12-july-tickets-1991072411180?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile

09/06/2026

🐢️ Rehoming Success Story: Harry ️🐢

One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is seeing our tortoises thrive in their new homes.

Last year, Harry, a Spur-thighed Tortoise, was adopted from Norfolk Tortoise Club by Giz. At the time, we knew very little about Harry's history, other than that he had one previous owner and was thought to be around 70 years old.

Today, Harry is living his best life, enjoying the freedom of a secure garden where he spends his days exploring, basking, and grazing. His new owner is even building him a dedicated outdoor brick shelter with heating and lighting so that he can enjoy the outdoors for even longer during the spring and autumn months.

Giz says:

"I wouldn’t be without Harry now, I adore him so much!"

Stories like Harry's remind us why rescue and rehoming matter. With the right home, an elderly tortoise can enjoy a wonderful quality of life and bring immense joy to their new family.

Thank you, Giz, for giving Harry the loving home he deserves, and for sharing his story with us.

08/06/2026

🎉 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘 – 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 & 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟐𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 🐢☀️

🎟️ 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧!
- Skip the queues & get Early Bird tickets with bookings from 9.30am until 1pm
- Walk-in health checks available from 11:00am until 1pm
Book now, selling fast! https://surl.li/jvornb

🎤 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 – 𝟐:𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 & 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲
- Rehoming a tortoise – what you need to know
- Plant identification for tortoise keepers
- Healthy tortoise diets and nutrition

🎨 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 📚
- Children's book reading
- Fun activities for children

⭐𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭:
- Free entry
- 20% off health checks
- A free gift at the club shop!
- & more
https://www.tortoiseclub.org/membership/

Find out more in our latest newsletter!
https://www.tortoiseclub.org/previous-newsletters/

The Tortoise Club works to promote tortoise welfare in captivity across the UK. In association with Tortoise Welfare UK, we also have links with American and European Chelonian organisations and are actively involved in research and conservation.

04/06/2026

📢 Important Membership Update 📢

Following our recent website migration, automatic renewals have not transferred to the new system.

⚠️ Please keep an eye out for an expiry email when your membership is due for renewal. This will explain how to renew under the new programme.

🎉 Renew within 14 days of expiry and you'll receive 25% off a Silver Membership.

Member benefits include:
✅ 20% off tortoise health checks
✅ Free entry to Open Days for Silver Members and above
✅ And more!
Find out more at www.tortoiseclub.org/membership

We recommend renewing before our 11th & 12th July Open Day to ensure your discounts are active.

Questions or unsure of your membership status? Get in touch and we'll be happy to help!

02/06/2026

🌿💜 Plant of the month: Fuchsia 💜🌿
Fuchsia spp.

🔍 How to Identify
These plants have rounded, slightly serrated leaves and a striking lantern-shaped flower that ranges from a pinky-red to white. They are commonly grown in people’s gardens.

🐢 For Tortoises
Fuchsia flowers are best fed in moderation, as they contain structures called raphides that can be harmful in large quantities. They can be planted in pots in enclosures, so the amount your tortoise can access is restricted!

💡Tip!
You can purchase fuchsias as small plug plants from most garden centers. Once you get them home, repot them into organic topsoil that is safe for your tortoises and remove all the flowering heads, if there are any, as the plant may have been fed fertilizer. The next time it flowers, you will be able to feed this on to your tortoise!

28/05/2026

☀️🐢 It’s HOT Out There! 🐢☀️

With these temperatures, it’s important to help your tortoises stay cool, hydrated, and safe in the heat.

✔️ Ensure they always have access to fresh, clean water
✔️ Offer regular soaks to support hydration
✔️ Lightly mist your tortoise and enclosure to help with cooling through evaporation
✔️ Make sure there are plenty of shaded areas and cooler hiding spots available throughout the day
✔️ Check outdoor enclosures for areas that may become dangerously hot in direct sun
✔️ Feed during the cooler mornings or evenings when appetites are usually better
✔️ Consider feeding foods with high water content such as opitunia cactus or cucumber

Remember, tortoises can overheat surprisingly quickly, especially in enclosed sunny spaces like greenhouses and cold frames.

When in doubt: provide shade, airflow, and hydration. 🌿💧

26/05/2026