Tortoises are and will always be wild animals, even if people have been propagating them in captivity for generations. In contrast to domestic pets, tortoises are entirely unable to adapt to any lifestyle that we may try to force on them. Whoever takes tortoises in his or her care should be aware of this fact and offer them conditions that will be as close as possible to the situation in nature as this is the only way to fulfil their biological needs. This will of course always be a compromise, but to enable you to find this compromise to your and, in particular, to your tortoises’ benefit I here provide you, and all lovers of nature who may be interested, with a comprehensive treatise that conveys intimate insights into the original world of all tortoises from the Mediterranean region of Europe.