LIVING
EASTER IN AEGINA
Years ago, when we visited
Aegina for family holidays, as soon as we arrived on the island,
the first thing the children did was to phone their grandma,
whom they’d ask to send round Helen, an aged tortoise. They
believed their grandma needed respite from caring for Helen and
they were qualified to do this.
Within minutes, their doting
uncle could be heard popping along on his tired scooter,
precariously clutching a carrier bag, inside of which sat Helen.
Helen was a huge creature,
rumored to be fifty years old. Her shelled armour was dark with
yellowish markings and she led a seemingly quiet life, trudging
around the wilderness of grandma’s garden, enjoying the sunshine
and a staple diet of wild rocket. At midday, when the sun was
blisteringly hot, she would retreat to one of the many cool,
moist shady spots in the garden, beneath a plant or a space
concealed at the base of a crumbling rock where she’d take a
siesta in the safety of her shell.
Although I considered her
boring as far as pets are concerned, the children found her
fascinating and spent hours talking to her and observing her
habits. She appeared to tolerate them and would simply retreat
into her home when they became too unbearable
Before returning to England,
the children delivered Helen like a babe in arms to grandma who
would cluck with delight and offer her a piece of fruit as a
home-returning treat.
Perhaps it was two years ago
when my mother-in-law first realized that Helen was missing; she
hadn’t been seen for at least a week and then it was two which
grew into months until she had to finally accept she was lost.
We assume and hope she had finally left home and had migrated
from the un-fenced garden to a neighboring field and beyond
there to the mountains.
However, recently our youngest
child spotted a tortoise making its way slowly across a main
road and fearing for its safety, she scooped it up, placed it in
her school bag and brought it to our garden where it continues
to live quite happily.
We are fortunate and in
particular tortoises are fortunate to have a wonderful woman on
the island called Martha who is passionate about them. She
rescues stray tortoises which then happily breed in the haven
she has created for them in her garden. She buys food which she
knows is nourishing, builds pens which provide both sunshine and
shade and nurses them to maturity when she finally releases them
into the mountains, their natural habitat.
Each tortoise is known by name
and thrives under her care. It is possibly a sad day for them
although politically correct when they are finally released into
their natural habitat.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tortoises are abundant in
Greece, one of the most common species being the Marginated
Tortoise.
Marginated Tortoises can grow
up to a weight of 5kgs and a length of 35cms (Wilkepedia,
Marginated Tortoises)
The natural habitat of the
Marginated tortoise is mountainous and they can be found in
Southern Greece, from the Peloponnesus to Mount Olympus.
The mainly black colour of the
shell allows the tortoise to absorb a great deal of heat in a
short time, helping it to maintain its body temperature.
Early in the morning,
Marginated Tortoises bask in the sun to raise their body
temperature and then search for food. After feeding, the
tortoises return to their shelters in the hot midday hours,
leaving them again in the late afternoon
Marginated Tortoises are
herbivorous, feeding off various plants from the Mediterranean
areas, particularly wild rocket and certain grasses.
After mating, female tortoises
lay up to 15 eggs per clutch which they bury in the soil. Here
they mature for around 100 days, sometimes longer until they
hatch.
To find out more about
tortoises , visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginated_Tortoise
Alison Lorentzos copyright 2008
