Description

The Hermann's Tortoise is amongst the most popular Tortoise species, due to their relatively small adult size, ease of care and ease of breeding. All specimens available in the United Kingdom are now captive bred due to strict import rules. When purchasing a Hermann's Tortoise you should be given official documents stating the origin, and ownership details of the particular tortoise. Although the Hermann's can be a communal species, breeding males need to be watched for aggressive behaviour, and as a result we recommend that they should be kept singularly.

The Hermann's Tortoise originates from Southern Europe, however most specimens (being captive bred) now come from American and European breeding projects. The colouration of a Hermann's Tortoise ranges from straw-yellow to beige/brown with some darker colouration on each scute. Growing to around 7 inches and with a lifespan of 35 years the Hermann's Tortoise is a relatively small and short lived species, nonetheless care should be taken to consider whether you will be able to care for this animal in the long term.

Housing

It is often promoted that Tortoises can survive in outdoor enclosures, even during the winter months in warmer parts of the United Kingdom, however this can be devastating to the animals long term health and we highly recommend you do not follow this practice. When it is considered that the Hermann's Tortoise comes from Southern parts of Europe such as Greece, it is clear this animal should never be subjected to the British weather, although on the warmest days of the summer, it can be beneficial for the tortoise to spend a few hours a day under the natural sunlight, in a pen.
Instead, the best enclosure for this tortoise is a wooden vivarium at least 48" x 24" x 24", with the floor area being the most vital dimension. In such an enclosure a single Hermann's Tortoise is recommended, however a pair may be kept as long as care is taken that the male does not become too aggressive when they are sexually mature. Although there are enclosures known as Tortoise Tables, we do not recommend using them unless extreme care is taken to ensure the correct temperatures area achieved in these (often glass enclosures), as glass does not hold heat as well as wood.

Heating and Lighting

Heating is vital the long term health of these tortoises - do not listen to those who say they used to keep tortoises outside, doing so will only have serious implications on the Tortoises long term health, and will drastically reduce its life expectancy. Instead, through keeping the tortoise in a wooden vivarium, you can easily maintain a constant background temperature and provide your tortoise with a basking spot, replicating its natural habitat. The background temperature of the vivarium should be 68-95°F, with a night time drop of no less than 50°F. The basking area should however be about 115°F which can be acheived using either a ceramic heat emitter or infrared heat lamp. The Hermann's Tortoise requires a rather humid environment of around 55-80% and UVB lighting (10%) should be provided for between 10 to 12 hours a day.

Feeding

There are a variety of complete tortoise foods available including T-Rex Tortoise Dry Formula and Namiba HerbivoRep Tortoise, both of which we use in our store. Although most complete foods advise that they will fulfill a tortoise's diet, we also recommend supplementing your Hermann's Tortoise's diet with a variety of dandelions and lettuce (not iceberg, however). Furthermore, all foods should be supplemented with calcium and vitamin supplements such as Nutrobal and Calypso dust. Tortoises should be fed daily, and vegetable supplements fed a couple of days each week to add variety to their diet.

Recommended Products

A great way to begin your Hermann's Tortoise keeping hobby is to purchase one of our complete Triple 8 Reptiles.