Please don’t worry if you’re not sure which tortoise would be the best match for your home. Our friendly rehoming team will be happy to guide you through the process and recommend a suitable species or individual based on your experience, garden space and lifestyle. The majority of tortoises who come through our gates are Mediterranean species, and have similar basic care requirements which are outline below. If you are interested in rehoming a specific species, or one with more specialist care requirements, please find our care sheets page.
Getting Started
Our expert rehoming team has prepared a video covering the process of rehoming a tortoise with us, and how to get started. Please click the link below and enter the password to watch. Please watch this video before making your application.
Click here to watch rehoming video
Password:
The Rehoming Process
1. Information Pack: After you have reviewed all the information on this page and watched our rehomed video, please enquire at the bottom on the page. Once we receive your enquiry, we’ll send you an information pack containing helpful care guides, videos and setup resources to get you started.
2. Preparing Your Home: Take some time to read through the information and begin planning your tortoise’s indoor and outdoor accommodation. When you’re ready, we’d love to see a few photographs of the areas you have in mind. This allows us to offer practical advice and suggest any improvements before your tortoise arrives.
3. Personal Support: A member of our rehoming team will contact you to discuss:
· Which tortoises are currently looking for homes.
· Which tortoise may be most suitable for you.
· Any questions you may have.
· Preparing your enclosure and equipment.
4. Collection Day: As soon as your indoor and outdoor accommodation is ready, we’ll arrange a convenient collection date for your new tortoise.
We advise coming and speaking to us in person at our open days! We run three open days a year with example enclosures, feeding advice, tortoise safe plants and tortoise essentials like heat lamps, UVB and calcium supplements for sale.
Typical Cost
The average cost of setting up for a tortoise is approximately £150–£250, depending on the enclosure and equipment you choose.
This includes a suggested adoption donation of £80, which helps cover the tortoise’s care, microchip registration and a comprehensive starter pack.
Your Starter Pack Includes: Every adopted tortoise comes with a starter pack containing:
· Nutrobal vitamin supplement
· Calcium block, granules and powder
· Tamodine tortoise soap
· Digital temperature probe
· Wildflower seed mix
· NTC care sheets
Equipment Available: When you collect your tortoise, you’ll also be able to purchase a range of recommended husbandry products, A full shop list is available on request. Every purchase helps support the welfare work of Norfolk Tortoise Club.
Examples of shop items include…
· UVB and basking lamp kits (from £40)
· Large silver lamp holders (£40)
· Small black lamp holders (£27.50)
· Seasonal tortoise-friendly plants (£5-£15 each)
· Books (from £12.50)
· Enclosure accessories (£2-£10 each)
Timescales
Norfolk Tortoise Club is run entirely by volunteers, so response times can occasionally vary, particularly during busy periods and around major events. If you haven’t heard from us after a reasonable time, please don’t hesitate to send us a friendly email or text—we’re always happy to help.
Preparing Your Enclosure
We understand plants and landscape may need time to develop. We recommend taking a look at our free care sheets and setup building ideas on the ‘Tortoise Club’ Pinterest page. For step-by-step enclosure building advice, please visit the Tortoise Matters YouTube channel.
Recommended Enclosure Sizes
Outdoor enclosure: Choosing a space which catches sun for most of the day is ideal. Minimum recommended size: 3 m × 3 m Larger enclosures and whole garden spaces are always encouraged where space allows.
Indoor enclosure: Minimum recommended size: 1.2 m × 1 m. Indoor space can be utility room, insulated shed or garage, under the stairs or spare room.
If you have a smaller garden or are only able to provide indoor accommodation initially, please contact us. We can discuss the options available and help you find the most suitable solution.
For security, we recommend enclosure walls approximately 30 cm high, with around 10 cm sunk below ground level to help prevent digging escapes.
Please ensure you have read through all the information on this page and the watched the rehoming video before completing your application.
Interested in Theo the giant tortoise? Please read this link before applying
Thank you for your interest in rehoming.
We look forward to helping you provide a wonderful new home for a tortoise in need.
If you have any questions at any stage of the process, please get in touch. We’re always happy to offer advice and would love to see photos of your proposed setup.
Need to surrender a tortoise?
We under that situations change. If you need to surrender a tortoise, please contact us. Please note that although we take in as many tortoises as possible, we are often at full capacity. We take on tortoises on case-by-case scenario and priority is given local and urgent cases.