I have a new Hermann's Tortoise!

[KoopatheTortoise]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum. I have read a couple books on my new tortoise but none of them truly answer my questions about him. I want to know what humidity percentage I have to have his enclosure at, what plants they love to eat, how to keep their shell from deforming, and what furniture they like to have in their enclosure. Thank you!

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! most up to date hermann's care sheet in the world! http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

can you post some enclosure pics? the cage humidity level should be at 70%. feed lots of broad leaf plants and nontoxic weeds.

 

[KoopatheTortoise]

Okay the book I read said the humidity didn't have to be that high. I want to be the best parent I can be! Could I plant some coleus, oregano, and geranium in his enclosure? What plants are really god for them? This is his cage currently. I am building him a new one, that's why I want to know what to put in his cage. I got a log and a flower pot to put in the dirt.

 

[KoopatheTortoise]

What weeds count as non-toxic?

 

[tglazie]

Alright, so, like r/s/t said, consult the caresheet. It was written by Chris, who is by far the foremost authority on all types of Hermanns tortoises. Otherwise, Hermanns are fairly similar in their care to most Testudo. Your pen is a little on the small side. Since your little guy is going to grow quickly, you might as well invest in the four by six (preferably four by eight) foot enclosure that he will inevitably require. With that said, your substrate choice seems appropriate (topsoil, is it?). Ensure that you water the soil with warm water beneath the basking spot. This will ensure that evaporation occurs on the warm end of the enclosure, while the cool end remains comparatively dry. A humidity of 70% at night is beneficial, but it doesn't need to be quite this high during the daytime hours. Achieving this by way of a cover over the entire enclosure is the simplest way. The way I achieve this high humidity is to keep my babies in a box full of soil and dampened sphagnum moss, which I keep in a plastic shoe box suspended over a fifty five gallon aquarium (in which I keep a southern painted turtle) via screen top. Over this screen top, I place a larger plastic box, creating something of a greenhouse effect. So, in case that's confusing, the layers go like this: heated aquarium, screen top, plastic shoebox filled with moistened moss, larger plastic container covering the screen top and small shoebox. But I do this merely for convenience sake, given that evaporative condensation takes care of the humidity requirement. This is, I would argue, the biggest difference between temperate Testudo and tropical everything else. See, sulcatas, leopards, redfoots, and all the other tropical babies need high humidity 24/7, given the nature of the environment into which they hatch. Testudo, on the other hand, hatch into temperate environments, so they preserve their water by hiding in slightly damp substrate. Ensure that they have adquate access to digging facilities, and the substrate should be moist below, but dry on the surface (read: not damp).

Ultimately, you will want to set up an outdoor enclosure for your hermanns. I don't know where you live, but if you get fair weather during part of the year, you will want to let your guy get some time outdoors. All of my tortoises, regardless of age, always spend at least some time outdoors. And once they're past the one year mark, they're outdoors all day. Once they pass the three year mark, they are outdoors all day, with access to a heat controlled/predator proof night box in the evening.

Now, as far as plants go, you're going to want to find a nice nursery that produces organic plants. Ask the manager about what chemicals they use. If you are unable to find a place that is chemical free locally, you can either search for some online, or you can get the chemically tainted plants and wait the two years it takes for those chemicals to leach from the soil and the plant's tissues. When you go to a nursery, look for grape vines (something hardy that is disease resistant; the type of grape doesn't matter; you're growing grape vines for the leaves, after all). Buy a mulberry tree. Doesn't matter what kind. Any kind. I like Pakistani myself. They are hardy, and can stand up against multiple freezes. Mulberry trees produce copious amounts of tortoise food during the warmer months, and they get huge. You will also want to plant a lot of grazing ground cover in your tortoise's enclosure (which should be large to ensure that he doesn't overgraze the area you've planted). All of my tortoise paddocks are at least six by eighteen. Since you only have one tortoise, I suggest ultimately making it larger. When he's small, you will have to put a screen top over his enclosure to ensure no birds make off with him. Even so, the enclosure shouldn't be any smaller than three by six, preferably four by eight. You can make this out of wood or cinderblocks. I never see people recommending cinder blocks on here, but they are great, given that unlike wood, they last forever, and can be repurposed for when your tortoise grows into a large adult. But anyway, I'm getting off topic. Inside your tortoise enclosure, to start, plant dandelion, red clover, dichondra, chicory, rose mallow, lamb's lettuce, milk thistle, and English plantain to start. You can find any of these seeds at a local organic nursery, or you can order the organic packets online. Sow them according to the instructions, but don't allow your little tortoise access to them until they've matured. Being so small, he won't do too much damage to them. It's when your tortoise transforms into a six inch grazing machine that you will have to worry about this.

That's pretty much the basics. Soak him everyday, water bowl or no, it doesn't matter. I'm not saying don't use a water bowl. Allow him access to water at all times. But soak him every day. I cannot stress that enough. You're going to have to take fifteen to thirty minutes out of every day, for the next three years, soaking this little dude in lukewarm water. This isn't important merely for maintaining hydration. This is critical to ensure that your tortoise learns to drink. Habituating the tortoise to water ensures smooth growth and proper hydration.

There is a lot more to this, and you will learn as you go. Of course, don't hesitate to ask us old timers any questions. We've been where you are, during those exciting first days, filled with uncertainty, hoping we were doing our best. But you have one up on me when I was where you are. You have this forum. Man, I made so many mistakes as a young kid raising these tortoises. But you, you will make mistakes, but you won't make as many as some of us on here did, back in the dark ages before the establishment of the forum.

T.G.

 

[KoopatheTortoise]

Thank you for all of your help, I learned a lot more from this than books I have read. His needing right now is coconut fiber. I tried natural cypress mulch and others but he will eat it! And I got so worried. I do mix this with top soil. I am building his new cage now! And I live in Michigan so he has a small garden to run around in!