Bryan, the angulate tortoise, that has made our garden his home for a number of years, has emerged from his winter hiding place to strut about the garden once more.
We have seen him eating grass and other plants in the garden, nibbling with intent before walking surprisingly fast to seek shelter from the sun. We cannot always find him for he hides so well, but it is comforting to know that he has survived the cold weather and has continued to grow.
Something Over Tea 
As kind het ek ook so ñ skilpad in ons tuin gehad. Laat jy my nou sommer ver terugdink.
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Hierdie een sien homself reg – ons voer hom nie want daar is baie natuurlike kos in ons tuin.
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Handsome pattern on his shell. I’m sure it’s nice to see him back😊
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It is as we only provide a safe haven for him – he eats grass and succulents in the garden, so we do not feed him as one might do for a ‘house pet’.
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He’s very handsome. Do they hibernate there?
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These tortoises seek dry shelter during wet weather and from about June to September (when it is cold here) they find somewhere warm and dry to hibernate.
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I honestly had no idea that tortoises hibernate (google tells me that brumate is actually the correct term) or maybe I just never thought about it before. This one is really handsome and his shell is still in mint condition.
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His shell is still very smart looking – except for one edge where our family dog tried to munch him when he was a very new inhabitant of the garden. You can see a crack in the bottom picture, near the yellow leaf. It hasn’t bothered Bryan at all though.
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Im sort of a tortoise myself, so I can relate to Bryan. I like to think that a lot goes on under that shell hidden in the bushes.
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His face has a very wise look about it 🙂
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A true sign of spring!
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Yes, it is – another is that I saw our first swallow today too: a Lesser-striped Swallow 🙂
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Summer is here!
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How lovely that you have a turtle in your garden.
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