I have inherited a hermann tortoise

[ErnieEmma18]

Hi,I have inherited a 20plus year old hermann tortoise,A few things he's never had a heat lamp and has lived outside all year round and has lived of fruit and lettuce.How do I go about changing thing for him I.e heat etc or do I leave him be? He looks healthy and happy...I just don't want to shock him.Any help please

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum. Do you have an enclosure setup yet? If so can you post pictures of it? @zolasmum is in the UK so she should help guide you

 

[ErnieEmma18]

Welcome to the forum. Do you have an enclosure setup yet? If so can you post pictures of it? @zolasmum is in the UK so she should help guide you

Hi Thank you.Sorry yes in the UK.No not yet we have only had him 3 days and he came with a hutch for outside😔We are just so unsure what to do for the best as he has lived so long without anything like heat but I want to do what's best for him,He has just come put of hibernate and is in a new home and he hasn't eaten yet.I am currently keeping him in the house as it's still so cold outside.

 

[Ink]

No fruit, they can't process the sugar. Give him a long (30 minutes at least) shallow warm soak. Keep the water warm. Is his eyes okay? @Yvonne G or @Tom

 

[zolasmum]

Welcome from Devon - we have a Hermanns tortoise who is 23 years old, so much the same as yours. Your one (what's his name, by the way?) looks very well, with a nice smooth shell, and he looks happy. Where abouts are you in the UK, and where has he been living ?
I haven't time to write properly now, but will do so tomorrow , but I certainly think you could gradually change his diet a bit, and you may want to think about hibernation, safety, and so on. If you have any dandelion leaves in your garden, he might be encouraged to eat them.
Angie

 

[ErnieEmma18]

Thank you we have not offered fruit,Yes his eye is OK just the photo.I have be soaking him since we've had him.

 

[ErnieEmma18]

Welcome from Devon - we have a Hermanns tortoise who is 23 years old, so much the same as yours. Your one (what's his name, by the way?) looks very well, with a nice smooth shell, and he looks happy. Where abouts are you in the UK, and where has he been living ?
I haven't time to write properly now, but will do so tomorrow , but I certainly think you could gradually change his diet a bit, and you may want to think about hibernation, safety, and so on. If you have any dandelion leaves in your garden, he might be encouraged to eat them.
Angie

Thank you Angie.Hes come from the east coast of England and we are in west Wales so are warmer here only just.His name is Ernie.We are definitely going to slow change diet.Would be grateful of any help.

 

[SinLA]

Welcome to the forum. Beautiful tortoise!

 

[Tom]

Hi,I have inherited a 20plus year old hermann tortoise,A few things he's never had a heat lamp and has lived outside all year round and has lived of fruit and lettuce.How do I go about changing thing for him I.e heat etc or do I leave him be? He looks healthy and happy...I just don't want to shock him.Any help please

Here is the correct care info. There is a temperate species care sheet near the bottom:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[zolasmum]

Hello Emma again - I expect the fact sheets will keep you busy for a while, but you can be sure that whatever problems might arise, or explanations needed, there are people here who will be able to help ypu.
Iam not very well informed about lighting and other technical stuff, but there are a few things I would like to mention.
Do you have an enclosed and escape-proof garden, or an area which can be enclosed for Ernie to be outside ?
As for food, it is pretty normal for tortoises not to want to eat straight out of hibernation, and also when they first are in a new environment - so two reasons. He is bound to be unsettled.
Today we have been on a longish car journey- over an hour each way, simply to fetch radicchio for Zola from a grrengrocery supply warehouse - he loves it, and if I get 2 or 3 heads of it each time, I can keep it well in the fridge, and just pull off leaves as needed. But I get salad stuff mainly from Morrisons and Waitrose - bags of watercress, rocket, pea shoots, lambs lettuce - and then dandelion leaves from the garden. The bags of salad keep several days in the fridge. I give him these daily, shredded up a bit and mixed together. Zola never gets fruit, though I used to give him a bit occasionally before I joined this forum and learned better. I sprinkle calcium and vitamin powder once a week - a very small amount - he has a cuttlefish bone , but hasn't used it for years. I also give him other things when I can, but that is his basic diet.
He is very friendly and absolutely wonderful, and my husband and I enjoy his company very much (well, most of the time, anyway !)
Angie

 

[ErnieEmma18]

Hello Emma again - I expect the fact sheets will keep you busy for a while, but you can be sure that whatever problems might arise, or explanations needed, there are people here who will be able to help ypu.
Iam not very well informed about lighting and other technical stuff, but there are a few things I would like to mention.
Do you have an enclosed and escape-proof garden, or an area which can be enclosed for Ernie to be outside ?
As for food, it is pretty normal for tortoises not to want to eat straight out of hibernation, and also when they first are in a new environment - so two reasons. He is bound to be unsettled.
Today we have been on a longish car journey- over an hour each way, simply to fetch radicchio for Zola from a grrengrocery supply warehouse - he loves it, and if I get 2 or 3 heads of it each time, I can keep it well in the fridge, and just pull off leaves as needed. But I get salad stuff mainly from Morrisons and Waitrose - bags of watercress, rocket, pea shoots, lambs lettuce - and then dandelion leaves from the garden. The bags of salad keep several days in the fridge. I give him these daily, shredded up a bit and mixed together. Zola never gets fruit, though I used to give him a bit occasionally before I joined this forum and learned better. I sprinkle calcium and vitamin powder once a week - a very small amount - he has a cuttlefish bone , but hasn't used it for years. I also give him other things when I can, but that is his basic diet.
He is very friendly and absolutely wonderful, and my husband and I enjoy his company very much (well, most of the time, anyway !)
Angie

Thank you very much for all the advice,Greatly appreciated.We have a tortoise proof garden I hope as it was rabbit proof for a long time.So he can have the run of the garden in the summer.Ernie has been to the toilet today and Has eaten some lettuce as well so I'm over the moon happy tonight
Thanks Emma

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to you and your lovely tortoise.

 

[Cathie G]

Hello 🤗 and welcome. Ernie's so cute. It's wonderful s/he 😁 inherited you too.