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Eastern Hermann’s Tortoise CB24

Hermann’s tortoises come from southern Europe around grassy mountain areas. In the wild, they bask in the sun with hot temperatures and high UVB. They require both Heat and UVB in captivity. This is provided through a basking lamp and UVB tube, or a dual Heat & UVB bulb, along with a Calcium +D3 supplement powder.

Hermann tortoises require a diet of dark leafy greens. They can have an occasional tomato treat once every week or so. It is important that they are not fed watery veg like cucumber, peppers, and tomatoes often. These vegetables disrupt the bowels, cause watery stool, and do not provide the essential vitamins your tortoise needs.

You may enjoy taking your tortoise out during the peak summer heat. We recommend minimizing this time to 15-30 minutes so that your tortoise doesn’t get cold. Beware of wild plants that may be poisonous to your pet.

Caring for your Tortoise

There are a few different types of tortoise enclosure available which are based around a table or a vivarium style. Depending on the size of your tortoise when you buy it, or if you care for mammals in your home, you may wish to choose a vivarium set up. This ensures that the small tortoise receives the heat it needs and keeps pets from disturbing the tortoise.

Table options are nice as they allow you to interact with the tortoise. However, you should ensure to measure your temperatures regularly, especially when weather changes affect the ambient temperature, to provide the tortoise with all the heat it needs. Horsefield tortoises also need UVB which can be in the form of a tube for vivarium set ups or a dual D3/heat bulb for table set ups. Thermostats should be used with heat bulbs but cannot be used for dual mercury vapour bulbs.

There are a range of substrates available for your tortoise which are an option of absorbent lignocel and aspen beddings or there is a choice of tortoise life bio substrate which is highly absorbent and completely natural.  Provide fairly shallow water and food bowls to allow your tortoise to access the contents. Provide a hiding space for your tortoise and plenty of substrate for it to dig and bury at night. Heat mats may be needed in winter as an addition to your tortoise table to provide extra belly heat. Alternatively, a larger heat lamp or rock can be provided in a vivarium set up.  Put some wood and décor in the enclosure so that your tortoise can climb on different textures as it would in the wild.

For more information about our tortoises for sale or for any other questions about our livestock, please contact us.