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About Marcus Langford

I have been involved with reptiles since I was a child, when we observed and collected Slow Worms and Common Lizards (not to mention newts and tadpoles) which then seemed to be in such abundance. This interest inevitably led to a serious interest and involvement in reptile conservation in my home county of Dorset and my first success in breeding lizards for conservation purposes in 1983.

Shortly after I finished my university training as a pharmacist (and so became Marcus Langford B.Pharm), I became a member of the British Herpetological Society Conservation Committee and was involved in British reptile conservation work almost continuously from 1983 until the HCT (Herpetological Conservation Trust) came into being in the late 90's, taking over most of its roles, and I had less free time due to family commitments. I was a member of the British Herpetological Society from 1982-2016.

I have been a member of The Portsmouth Reptile and Amphibian Society (PRAS) from 1995 until 2019. I am also a long-standing and current member of The Tortoise Trust.

I attended the Tortoise Trust 'Masterclass on Chelonian Husbandry' study day in Swindon in 2001 and I completed the Tortoise Trust's unrivalled 'Foundation Course in Chelonian Husbandry' in July 2007.

Both of these courses have enabled me not only to provide better care for my own tortoises but also to provide clear and accurate information to the people who buy my baby tortoises, backed by my own experience of some 16 years (and counting) of hatching and rearing my baby tortoises.

The result is that I am confident that my baby tortoises will thrive in the care of their new owners even if they have never kept a tortoise before, and I supply ongoing advice to all my 'fledgling owners' as and when it is needed.

Certificate of Achievement: Foundation Course in Chelonian Husbandry
Certificate of Achievement: Course in Chelonian Husbandry

I have been keeping and breeding reptiles for in excess of 35 years now, initially our native species of lizards for conservation purposes, extending to other European reptiles and some more exotic species like chameleons.

In more recent times I have focussed solely on my tortoises and have kept Hermanns Tortoises since 1997, my Indian Star Tortoises since 2001 and my Radiated Tortoises since March 2007.

My fascination of these wonderful animals continues to grow year after year.

I believe I breed more Indian Star Tortoises than anyone else in the UK and in the early years of keeping them pioneered many of the husbandry techniques myself in the absence of any accurate books on the subject of their care, and precious little on their breeding.

Because of my grounding in conservation you will only find tortoises captive-bred by myself here in the UK on my price lists and it is important to note that every animal I sell has been bred by me.

I believe wild reptile populations are under enough threat from habitat destruction and climate change without commercial exploitation (let alone being cooked and eaten in some parts of the world!) so you can make a difference to the survival of wild reptile populations by buying your tortoises direct from a breeder like myself, who can guarantee that they have been bred in captivity.

So I am a breeder of tortoises and I do not 'buy and sell-on' reptiles at a profit as many of the people in shops and many of those advertising for sale on the internet do. Such people are traders often selling imported reptiles, and out to make a quick profit, not breeders like me who care for their animals 365 days a year and nurture their offspring year after year. This is particularly the case with tortoises - the majority of tortoises, of many different species, available for sale in the UK - are imported, some of which are sadly still caught and shipped to the UK direct from the wild.

My own UK captive-bred tortoises are happy, healthy, disease-free youngsters which are feeding enthusiastically and growing steadily in a normal manner.

The same cannot be said of any wild-caught or imported tortoise which often carry ticks, parasites, viruses and/or pathogenic bacteria (either from the wild or acquired by contact with other reptile species during the shipping/transportation process) which commonly cause them to develop health issues, often months after you have bought one.

My tortoises have never travelled anywhere in their lives and have not been subjected to the sub-optimal conditions (such as chilling or contact with other unrelated reptile species) during international shipping that imported tortoises will have had to endure.

Both the Tortoise Trust and the Tortoise Protection Group are campaigning to ban the import of tortoises for these very reasons.

Check out their links on http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/imports.html and http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/1.asp

My philosophy is that the well-being of my tortoise 'partners' is more important to me than their ability to produce income. The result is that all of my animals are in effect family members and their offspring are the best that I can make available to you. The babies I have for sale are active, healthy, well-cared for and feeding and growing in a normal manner. I will also always make sure that you have all the information and are able to obtain all the equipment you need to keep them that way. I will supply you with my comprehensive care-sheet. Even if you have never kept a tortoise before you can be confident of maintaining one of my tortoise youngsters correctly and in the best of health, so don't be put off by the fact that they appear rather more exotic than a hamster or a rabbit.

My tortoises are available as babies (minimum of 8 weeks old) and this gives you a unique opportunity to observe them grow and reach adulthood in your care, with the unique satisfaction inherent in rearing any animal from a baby. When you buy a tortoise from me, my commitment does not end there - you are always welcome to phone or e-mail me for further advice or for guidance in the future.

Do look at my tortoise and other pages. I cater for everyone from the first-time would-be reptile owner (it is always rewarding to start someone off with their first tortoise and to be given progress reports on it as it grows and flourishes) to those of you who have experience with keeping reptiles already and who would like to try a tortoise or try a different species of tortoise.

Do contact me for a free care-sheet if you are thinking of buying a particular tortoise listed on my websites - I will always give you clear and accurate advice to help you decide whether the tortoise in which you are interested is suitable for you.

I have young tortoises - all of which are bred by myself - available to buy at most times of the year. I will always make sure you have everything you need to keep your animal correctly and in good health.

Thank you for visiting my website - do enjoy your tortoises and treat them with the care and respect they deserve.