The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SCUTA
S
C
U
T
A
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The straight part
We know that "Did they make a tortoise" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case did they make a tortoise = scuta.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SCUTA mean?
SCUTA noun- A scutum.