When I was a child tortoise could be bought in any pet shop for half a crown each.
 (12.5p). 
They were usually left to roam free in the garden and fed on leaves from the kitchen
or ones that you collected.
Everybody painted thier house number on their tortoise so that if it wandered of your
 mates would bring it back.
In the winter they were brought in, put into a box full of hay and left in the garden
shed for the winter.
If they survived the winter that was great, but if they died you could always get
another one. Most did not come out of "hibernation".
To get to this country they were collected in the wild from the eastern mediteranean
 countries, packed into boxes in their hundred and shipped on a long slow voyage
 to the U.K..
 Some did not survive the journey, the ones that did (about 60%) were sent to the
 pet shops.
After the first winter about another 25% had died of starvation as the were packed
in to a box with news paper or some such inedible packing material for their
 "hibernation".
This was all stopped in the late seventies when they were brought under the
protection of the United Nation CITIES Charter.
CITIES means the convention in international trade in endangered species.
It protects endangered animals, birds and plants from being traded unless they are
captive bred by licensed breeders.
All animals that are offered for sale from these lists must have a certificate that
 identifies where the specimen has come from and the species,this is called an
Article 10 certificate.
Some species are not lised under cities and do not require an article 10.

In the wild tortoise mostly came from Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia and North Africa
 for the pet trade.
Now most people know that these are quite warm countries, the winters in these
 places are not as cold as ours and not as long, usually about two months of
cooler weather in January and February.
This is when the tortoise naturally go into hibernation.
If the weather is warm enough they wil come out and feed.
The cold weather hibernation also prepares the tortoise's body for the
breeding season.
So you can see that a six month forced hibernation is not really needed and could be
 detremental to the tortoise.
Now most of us go to these countries for the sun shine and that is exactly what the
 tortoise need to keep them healthy, lots of sun shine. 
We do not get enough sunshine to keep a tortoise healthy in this country normally.
What turns us brown is the ultra violet radiation from the sun light, this make
vitamins A & D in our system.
It is the same for your tortoise, they need these vitamins made by the UV light to
absorb calcium from their food to make their shells and bones.
This can be recreated in the home by the use of a reptile flourescent tube.
The warmth of the sun can be simulated by using a heat mat or a basking lamp.
These would need to be fittted in an escape proof and safe enviroment, such as a
 vivarium.
Tortoise are naturally vegetarian so will eat almost any vegetation given to them.
Try them with leaves such as lettuce of varoius diferent types not just iceberg.
Also try thing like carrot grated and apple sliced.
I know they like peas in the pods and corn on the cob.
As an emergency food frozen mixed veg in great, the mixture is usually peas,
corn, carrots, green beans and broad beans.
 Defrost it and feed dressed with calcium powder, as all their food should be.
Remove all uneaten food from the vivarium daily and clean any dropping from
 the cage daily also.
Cleaning should be done regulary and a reptile safe disinfectant should be
employed to sterilise the vivarium.
There are many types of flooring, shredded paper, hay, wood chip or calcium sand.
Please do not use beach sand, bird sand or childrens play box sand as this is made
of silica and will cause problems if it is ingested. I find the wood based cat litter can
be a problem as it breaks down in to saw dust when it is wet.
I use beech wood chips for my tortoise and have no problems.
 It is large enough that if the tortoise gets it into its mouth it will feel it and spit it out.
It is dry and aborbent so drying the dropings quickly.
Tortoise can be kept warm all year round in this way and do not need to be
hibernated unless you are going to breed them.
Remembr these are long term pets that can live over fifty years.