We’re back to our volunteering in Montenegro with this edition of Short Tales. Instead of chickens, this time tortoises are the stars of this anecdote!
What started as an interesting field experiment turned out to be the very opposite when our Workway host and I thought it would be a good idea to number the many wild roaming Hermann tortoises on their land. This way we could keep track of their activity and know how many we were dealing with because they all look alike!
Wonderful Wildlife
Whilst volunteering in Montenegro, we spent most of our time in the countryside in a little village called Drušići, about 20 minutes outside the capital, Podgorica. It was all part of a volunteer Workaway placement on a sprawling vineyard and homestead for 2-months in the spring of 2022.
We spent our days helping our hosts who had transformed this land from an abandoned lot into a thriving and picturesque place in the countryside. I helped with planting vegetables and installing irrigation systems, whilst Rob rebuilt old dry stone walls on the terraced vineyard.
One of the most surprising aspects of our three-month stay was the array of wildlife roaming the land. We regularly encountered snake-like glass lizards slithering through the grass. After the initial shock of thinking we were in the presence of deadly snakes, we got used to the harmless glass lizards and even got comfortable holding them. Also in abundance were wild tortoises!
Keeping Track of Tortoises
It was the time of year when the tortoises were beginning to emerge from hibernation, so we started seeing more and more of them slowly traversing the land as the weeks went on. Along with the glass lizards, it was another animal we had never previously seen in the wild.
Remarking on the number of tortoises we saw in different locations across the estate, one of the hosts and I decided it would be an interesting idea to number their shells. This way we could see how far each tortoise traveled, where they were setting up home, and also keep an eye on any social or family groups.
We decided to spray paint a small number on the top of each tortoise’s shell using an old can of neon spray paint. We reached number 15 in just one afternoon when the other half of our hosting couple pointed out a fatal flaw in our field research plan.
A Target for Predators
Correctly, he pointed out that our neon indicators, no matter how small, stood out as clear as day, not only on the tortoise’s shells but also in amongst the foliage and dry leaves on the ground, where the creatures spent most of their time.
He said that we were in effect, painting neon targets on the shells of these tortoises, helpfully alerting any predators of their presence and making them an easy target for their next meal!
Subsequently, we quickly abandoned our plan to track and register the movements of the tortoises. We scrubbed all the ones we found and left them to continue their lives unpainted, in their natural camouflage! Lesson learned. It was one of many memorable experiences from our time volunteering in Montenegro.
Be sure to read the next edition of Short Tails as Rob revisits our time house sitting in Mission, Texas when a very big dog got very sick – When Giant Dogs Get Sick
Like This Post? Pin It!
*Owners consent given to show property and pets