Seventy-six tortoises were used in the making of this movie.
Dustin Hoffman often becomes very warm on-set and prefers to have air conditioning. However, air conditioning could not be used on the set of this movie, because the tortoises would not act if they got too cold.
Mr. Pringle (Richard Cordery) is an original character created for this movie. As is the family of the narrator and the acknowledgment of the narrator himself.
"Esio Trot" is tortoise spelled backwards.