There are a lot of varieties of turtles/tortise in the wild. We usually do not have gloves on the bike outings., We do wear them on the road however (protection for falls) & a little padding for the longer distances. When it is cooler we wear them for warmth but again they are not the heavy duty ones that would really protect.
If a smapper gets you, the glove wont help. You need to hold them far enough back on the shell so his mouth cant reach BUT they flail like crazy & the front & back legs can get you. They dont know we are trying to help them so are just defensive
Love the pix you have of the little Egymptian .. so sweet..
Well, it’s time for me to retreat back into my shell and get some sleep. Nice talking turtles with you, Dolly...:)