Modern tortoise keepers have access to dozens of different species, but most keepers find that only a relative handful of species make the best pets. The Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is clearly among these, and the species’ popularity has only grown with time.
There are a variety of reasons these tortoises are so appealing, including their manageable size, attractive shell patterns, and hardy nature. But as with all tortoise species, Hermann’s tortoises require proper care to thrive.
Here’s where I come in. In this article, I’ll be sharing all I’ve learned about their natural habitat and lifestyle, and then, outlining the care requirements of these endearing chelonians.
The Hermann’s Tortoise Basics
As when caring for any reptile, it’s important to understand the natural range, habitat, and lifespan of Hermann’s tortoises before you bring one home. By familiarizing yourself with these kinds of things, you’ll be better prepared to provide your tortoise with the care he needs to thrive.
Geographic Range and Habitat
Hermann’s tortoises are native to a large swath of southern Europe, stretching from Spain in the west, across the Mediterranean coast of Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, and eastward into Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. In the western portions of the species’ range, they primarily live near the coast. However, tortoises in the east often range farther inland.
Mediterranean-style vegetation dominates these regions, having evolved to thrive in the region’s warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. They’re often found in rocky, open habitats, though they will also inhabit forests.
It is widely suspected that forests were historically the species’ most important habitat, and that they’ve simply adapted to open habitats in response to the habit-altering activities of humans.
Natural Behaviors
Like most tortoises, Hermann’s tortoises are diurnal animals, who’re active during the daytime.
However, their activity patterns can vary a bit over the course of the year in response to changing temperatures. For example, they’re more likely to be active during the middle of the day during the spring and fall, while they’re more likely to be active during the early morning and late afternoon during the summer.
They typically brumate (the reptilian version of hibernating) during the winter, when temperatures are low and food scarce.
Hermann’s tortoises spend most of their active hours foraging for various grasses, sedges, weeds, and flowers. During the breeding season, males will pursue re-productively active females.
Interestingly, females tend to have larger home ranges; females generally inhabit areas measuring 0.9 to 7.4 hectares, while males have home ranges measuring only 0.7 to 4.6 hectares.
Hermann’s Tortoise Enclosure
The first thing you’ll want to do to care for your Hermann’s tortoise (even before actually purchasing the animal) is to set up an enclosure. There are several different ways to do so, and I’ll outline below some of the most important concepts and requirements you’ll want to keep in mind.
Enclosure Size
Given that Hermann’s tortoises occupy large home ranges in the wild, it is important to provide your pet with as much space as you reasonably can. Minimally, you’ll want to provide adult Hermann’s tortoises with 8 to 25 square feet of space, depending on the size of the individual.
You may be able to find extremely large commercial enclosures that provide 12 square feet of space, but it’ll generally be necessary to construct a custom enclosure if you want to provide optimal space.
Hatchling Hermann’s tortoises obviously don’t require as much space; most will thrive for a year or two in an enclosure roughly the size of a 20- or 40-gallon aquarium.
Enclosure Type
There are a variety of different enclosure types that can work well for Hermann’s tortoises. Some of the best options include:
- Tortoise Tables: Likely the most popular option among modern tortoise keepers, tortoise tables are commercially produced enclosures that are designed specifically for tortoise maintenance. But while their materials and design are ideal for tortoises, they are rarely available in very large sizes.
Accordingly, keepers often use tortoise tables for young Hermann’s tortoises before transitioning to custom-built enclosures as their tortoise nears maturity. - Stock Tanks: Primarily designed to provide water to horses, cattle, and other livestock, stock tanks can also work well for tortoise maintenance. Stock tanks are available in several different shapes, and they’re remarkably durable. However, large versions are quite heavy, difficult to move around, and can be somewhat expensive.
- Plastic Containers: Plastic storage boxes, kiddie swimming pools, and similar items can be used for Hermann’s tortoise maintenance. It may be challenging to find ones that are large enough for long-term maintenance of adults, but they work very well for young or small individuals.
In addition to being lightweight, plastic containers are also easy to clean and modify as needed.
- Front-Opening Reptile Enclosures: Front-opening reptile enclosures are specifically designed for reptile husbandry, which means they provide a number of obvious advantages. For example, many come with built-in light shrouds.
They can also be stacked on top of each other, which allows keepers with large collections to maintain several tortoises in a relatively small space. However, they are usually the most expensive option available – at least in sizes suitable for adult tortoises.
- Custom Enclosures: Custom-built enclosures are almost always the best option for the long-term maintenance of Hermann’s tortoises. You can make such enclosures as large as you like (the space you have available will be the only limiting factor), and you can design them in any shape or layout you like.
On the downside, you’ll have to construct the enclosure yourself. This may not be a problem for those with basic carpentry skills, but keepers who lack this kind of experience may find the task daunting.
Note that I did not mention aquaria above. While they can be acceptable for temporary use, aquaria are rarely a good idea for long-term tortoise maintenance unless you make significant modifications to them.
In addition to being fragile, heavy, and difficult to move, aquaria rarely provide a great deal of ventilation. Further, because Hermann’s tortoises do not encounter transparent objects in the wild, they will often spend hours “digging” at glass aquarium walls.
Temperature
Hermann’s tortoises – like all tortoises – depend on proper enclosure temperatures to remain healthy and thrive. Typically, this will mean adding one or more heating devices to indoor enclosures (outdoor enclosures should usually be heated by the sun, which means they’re only appropriate for keepers living in areas with a suitable climate).
While there is a litany of heating devices available on the market, two options are clearly most appropriate for tortoises:
- Heat Lamps: Heat lamps are generally quite affordable, and they offer the benefit of providing some of the light your pet needs. However, because they produce light, they’re not suitable for use at night. Additionally, heat lamps usually don’t work well with thermostats, so you may have to experiment with different bulb wattages (or purchase a dimmer-compatible lamp) to achieve the desired temperature.
- Radiant Heat Panels: Radiant heat panels are more expensive initially, but many manufacturers claim that they’re more cost-effective to operate over time. Radiant heat panels should be used in conjunction with a thermostat to provide proper temperatures, and they can be used at night, as they don’t produce visible light.
No matter which option you choose, you’ll want to provide your tortoise with a thermal gradient or range of temperatures within the enclosure. By doing so, your tortoise can access the temperatures that are most appropriate at the time rather than being forced to exist at a given temperature you determine.
Establishing a thermal gradient is relatively easy – you must simply cluster all of the heating devices at one end of the enclosure. This way, the temperatures will be warmest directly under the heating devices and fall gradually with increasing distance.
Nearest the heating devices (an area called a “basking spot”), the temperatures should be approximately 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The other side of the enclosure should ideally have temperatures in the mid-70s. You can let the enclosure temperatures fall to the high-60s Fahrenheit at night.
Humidity
For Hermann’s tortoises, I recommend a relative humidity level of between 40% and 60%. However, humidity levels that fall slightly outside this range are rarely cause for concern unless your pet exhibits health problems.
Nevertheless, providing your pet with a variety of humidity levels, as we recommend doing with temperatures above, is best.
It can be difficult to achieve such a consistent gradient of air moisture inside the enclosure, so the best way to do so is by keeping the humidity level of the enclosure at the low end of your target range, and then adding several hide boxes, in which humidity levels tend to remain high. You can accomplish this by simply dampening the substrate beneath these hides.
Lighting
All tortoises require access to full-spectrum light. In other words, they not only require visible light, but they also require light in the UVA and UVB portion of the spectrum. Deprived of this, tortoises will be unable to produce the vitamin D they require to properly utilize their dietary calcium.
The easiest way to provide this is to simply maintain your tortoises outdoors or provide regular opportunities to bask outside. This is because the sun provides the UVA and UVB light that Hermann’s tortoises need to obtain vitamin D.
But if you’re keeping your pets indoors, you’ll need to install full-spectrum lights. There are essentially four different options that will provide appropriate full-spectrum light:
- Mercury Vapor Bulbs: The preferred choice for many modern keepers, mercury vapor bulbs produce quite a bit of UVA and UVB light. Most importantly, they also produce a great deal of heat, which means that they can serve as your tortoise’s heating device and full-spectrum light source.
- Fluorescent Tubes: Linear fluorescent tubes work well in larger enclosures, though they require special ballasts to function properly. Importantly, fluorescent tubes produce very little heat, so you’ll need to use them in conjunction with some type of heating device.
- Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Like fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs produce very little heat, meaning that you’ll have to use them in conjunction with some type of heating device. In contrast to tube-style fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent bulbs can be used in a typical heat-lamp fixture, which makes them more convenient for some keepers.
- LED Bulbs: LED bulbs are the newest style of full-spectrum light, and they’re quickly becoming a favorite of some keepers. LED bulbs produce relatively little heat, so they present the same challenges that fluorescent lights do, however, they typically provide more flexibility with regard to brightness and even light color.
No matter which type of lights you use for your pet’s habitat, be sure to connect them to a timing device. This will help ensure that your pet enjoys a consistent photoperiod, even if you’re not available to switch the lights on and off.
Substrate and Enrichment
It’s important to select a suitable substrate for your pet and to include several items inside the enclosure that’ll help provide enrichment. I’ll outline some of the best options available in both cases below.
Substrate Selection
There are several different substrates that will work well for Hermann’s tortoise maintenance, and each presents a different set of pros and cons. Some of the most popular choices include:
- Soil: Soil is a common choice among keepers who prioritize the ability of their pet to construct tunnels. Soil will tend to cling to your pet, but this is generally not a serious problem. Just be sure that you select a soil that doesn’t include amendments, such as fertilizers, which can be harmful.
- Cypress Mulch: Cypress mulch doesn’t allow for burrow formation, but it offers a variety of other benefits. Perhaps most importantly for many keepers, it is one of the most affordable substrate options. However, it can be uncomfortable to handle with bare hands, given the presence of many sharp “sticks.”
- Fir Bark: Fir bark is easier to handle than cypress mulch, and many keepers find it more aesthetically pleasing. However, it is often more expensive than cypress mulch, which limits its popularity. Nevertheless, it can be an excellent option for Hermann’s tortoise maintenance.
- Coconut Fiber: Coconut fibre offers a number of benefits, as it retains moisture well and can support small burrow formation (if packed down adequately). However, coconut fiber may present an intestinal obstruction risk if eaten.
- Natural Grass or Groundcover: If you’re maintaining your tortoise outdoors, you can often leave existing groundcovers in place or plant a new groundcover of your own. This approach has the additional benefit of providing your pet with an additional food source and form of enrichment.
Enrichment Items
While you never want to overcrowd your pet’s habitat or allow it to become cluttered, it is imperative that you introduce some complexity. This will help give your tortoise mental challenges and stimuli that will keep his brain active.
Failing to do so can invite depression and boredom, which may ultimately result in stress and a compromised immune system. Additionally, it would be inhumane to keep an animal in an empty habitat devoid of anything to explore.
There are several different types of enrichment items you can use for such purposes, but as long as you keep your pet’s safety in mind, the only limit is your creativity. Nonetheless, some of the most commonly used enrichment items include:
- Rocks, bricks, or stones placed on the enclosure floor (NOT on top of the substrate)
- Driftwood, corkbark, or grapevine
- Live plants
- Commercially produced “faux” items, such as skulls or ancient ruins
- Hide boxes
- Half-buried plant pots (turned on their side)
Just remember that you’ll need to periodically clean or replace these enrichment items.
Diet and Nutrition
Providing your Hermann’s tortoise with a proper diet is another crucial aspect of husbandry that keepers must consider. Generally speaking, Hermann’s tortoises are easy to feed, but you’ll still need to select the appropriate foods and offer them in a sensible manner.
Basic Dietary Needs
While Hermann’s tortoises will consume insects or bits of carrion on occasion, they are essentially herbivores, who should derive the vast majority of their calories from plant-based sources.
It is important to select specific fruits, vegetables, and plants that are safe for them, and that you prepare them properly. This means acquiring them from safe sources (either your local grocer or natural areas that haven’t been treated with herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals) and washing them thoroughly before offering them to your pet.
Additionally, it is important to note that you should place food items inside a feeding dish or on top of some other smooth surface. This will help prevent your pet from accidentally consuming bits of substrate, which may lead to health problems.
Hatchling Hermann’s tortoises should be fed every day, but adults often thrive when fed only five or six times per week. Just be sure to monitor your pet’s bodyweight and make adjustments as is necessary.
Safe and Toxic Foods
There are countless plants, fruits, and vegetables you can feed to your Hermann’s tortoise. In fact, it is wise to provide as much variety as possible to help prevent nutritional deficiencies or excesses.
However, the following are some of the best options you can offer:
Leafy Greens:
- Arugula
- Brussel tops
- Collard greens
- Endive
- Escarole
- Frisee
- Kale
- Mustard greens
- Radicchio
- Rocket
- Romaine lettuce
- Turnip greens
- Watercress
Vegetables:
- Carrot
- Parsnip
Weeds:
- Bindweeds
- Chickweed
- Clover
- Dandelion
- Hawkbit
- Nipplewort cactus
- Plantain
- Thistle
- Vetch
- White nettle
Flowers:
- African violets
- Corn poppy
- Desert willow
- Geranium
- Hibiscus
- Honeysuckle
- Pansy
- Roses
- Sedum
- Violas
Fruit:
- Mulberry
- Prickly pear cactus
Grasses and Herbs:
- Barley grass
- Cilantro
- Coriander
- Oat grass
- Timothy grass
- “Spring mixes”
Supplements
Many keepers offer vitamin and mineral supplements to their tortoises to help prevent deficiencies from occurring. This is an acceptable practice, but it is important to discuss the exact supplementation schedule you employ to prevent nutritional excesses from occurring – these can be just as harmful as deficiencies.
Nevertheless, a typical schedule usually involves dusting food items with a calcium supplement three or four times per week. A vitamin powder is usually added to foods once per week.
A better option is to simply ensure that you provide your pet with a well-rounded diet, consisting of as many different tortoise-safe foods as you can, and rotating the individual plants, fruits, and vegetables offered routinely. This will help prevent vitamin deficiencies from occurring.
As for your pet’s calcium needs, I find that simply placing a piece of cuttlebone in the enclosure helps to prevent deficiencies. The tortoises will simply consume the cuttlebone as their calcium needs dictate.
Health and Wellness
The most common cause of illness in captive tortoises is improper husbandry. Accordingly, I’ve outlined the things you need to do to ensure your pet remains healthy below. I’ve also shared a few of the most common health conditions these tortoises can suffer from, to better help you spot the first signs of trouble.
Routine Care and Husbandry
Most aspects of routine tortoise care involve cleaning the enclosure, but there are also other types of maintenance you’ll need to provide. Some of the basic tasks you’ll want to do include:
- Once Per Day: Clean the habitat and remove any feces, shed scutes, or leftover food on the ground. Empty, clean and refill the water dish. Provide fresh food for your pet (adults may fast one or two days per week). Check the temperatures in the enclosure. Soak hatchling tortoises for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Once Per Week: Soak adult tortoises for 30 to 60 minutes. Weigh hatchling tortoises to track growth.
- Once Per Month: Break down the entire habitat, clean all the components, and reassemble it. Weigh adult tortoises to track growth. Sterilize the water dish with a 5% bleach solution and then rinse thoroughly.
- Once Per 6 to 12 Months: Inspect the entire enclosure for damaged connections, potential escape routes, and anything that may harm your tortoise (exposed screws, etc.). Replace all of the enclosure substrate (if feasible) and replace the full-spectrum lights.
Common Health Problems
Hermann’s tortoises are typically hardy captives, who don’t present many health problems. However, it is wise to monitor your pet closely for any of the following problems:
- Respiratory Illness: Upper respiratory tract infections can be very serious for tortoises, and they require prompt veterinary care. Signs of a respiratory illness include discharge from the eyes, nose, or mouth, lethargy, and reduced appetite.
- Dehydration: Dehydration can also be serious for pet tortoises, but fortunately, it is often easy to address by providing more frequent soaking opportunities. Dehydration often presents signs such as loose skin that remains tented when pinched. You may also notice that your pet’s eyes look swollen or sunken.
- Parasites: Captive-bred tortoises may suffer from high parasite loads, but they’re typically most common in wild-caught individuals. You’ll need your vet’s assistance to diagnose and treat the specific parasites infecting your pet but watch for the general signs of a parasite infection, including inappetence, failure to gain weight, and diarrhea.
Handling Your Hermann’s Tortoise
It’s important to understand that Hermann’s tortoises – like all tortoises – are wild animals. They rarely want to interact with their keeper in the way a domestic dog or cat may. In fact, handling your tortoise can cause him to suffer significant stress if you do so too frequently or in an incorrect manner.
With that said, you will have to interact with your pet in a variety of ways. For example, you’ll need to inspect him regularly for signs of injury or illness, and you’ll have to move him to a soaking container regularly. This means you’ll need to know the proper way to interact with your tortoise and handle him.
Employ the following tips to keep your tortoise interactions safe and stress-free:
- Hand-feed your tortoise frequently. This will help build an association between you and food, which will help your tortoise view you positively.
- Approach your tortoise slowly and try to let him see you coming. Startling your pet is certain to cause his stress level to spike.
- Always support your tortoise’s body with two hands. Even though they don’t weigh very much, tortoises are very easy to drop, which is likely to lead to serious injuries.
- Keep your tortoise as close to the ground (or some other surface) as possible. In the wild, tortoises are never high above the ground unless they’ve been lifted by a predator, so keep your tortoise as close to the ground or something like the surface of a table.
- Keep interactions brief. While you will need to interact with your pet on occasion, it is wise to limit the length of time you do so.
- Start interacting with your tortoise while he’s young. This will help your tortoise to learn to accept your presence as a natural part of life, thereby reducing the stress he feels during interactions.
Keep in mind that captive-bred tortoises will almost always tolerate keeper interactions better than their wild-caught counterparts will. This provides yet another reason that keepers should always opt for captive-bred individuals when possible.
Citations
- Animal Diversity Web – Testudo Hermanni
- Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group – Testudo Hermanni
- The Tortoise Table – Plant Database
