I might get a hermanns tortoise!

[hunterk997]

My parents have decided that they might let me get another tortoise. and I decided if they do, to get a hermanns. They plan on doing this for christmas. And I told them that LLL Reptile would be a good place to get one. I also said one with a missing scute would be good too (I like the unique-ness). I decided on a juvenile, I just think it would be easier for me. I was wondering if the company deals with the heat packs and everything for shipping, or if we would have to pay extra or something along those line, we live in NY state so we'd need heat packs. They also are getting all of the needed things (baking lamp, UV lighting. substrate, enclosure). I told them a 4'x2' enclosure is the absolute minimum for a juvenile, they said it seemed to big. I am right in saying this measurement, right? I also looked at the forum's care sheet, but still am a little paranoid, I guess. I've been looking into this species for a while now, so it won't be a "spontaneous buy." I am open to any suggestions and advice, thanks!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

If the parent's think a 4x2 is too big you may have some battles ahead of you.

How big is your Russian's enclosure? Is it smaller than a 4x4? If so, you could make a 4x8 tort table and split it down the middle. Each tort gets their own side. Easy and cheap to do. I like what Tom suggests. Get 1- 4x8 piece of plywood and 3- 2x12's for the walls. Maybe an extra one for the divider. They could stay in that for the winter months but make them each a nice garden outside for warmer months.

I think LLL Reptile would know what to do with shipping. Contact them. I'm sure they'll answer any questions you have.

 

[hunterk997]

If the parent's think a 4x2 is too big you may have some battles ahead of you.

How big is your Russian's enclosure? Is it smaller than a 4x4? If so, you could make a 4x8 tort table and split it down the middle. Each tort gets their own side. Easy and cheap to do. I like what Tom suggests. Get 1- 4x8 piece of plywood and 3- 2x12's for the walls. Maybe an extra one for the divider. They could stay in that for the winter months but make them each a nice garden outside for warmer months.

I think LLL Reptile would know what to do with shipping. Contact them. I'm sure they'll answer any questions you have.

My russian's enclosure is only 4'x2'. They wouldn't budge on a bigger indoor, but have already given me permission, and will be helping me with a 10'x10' outdoor enclosure. They aren't willing to go any bigger with indoor enclosures. So would it be okay to split the outdoor enclosure down the middle for the two of them? Then they would each have 10'x5'... is that enough outdoor room for a russian?

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I just briefly talked to my dad about the divided enclosure, and he said he would consider it! This is progress.

 

[hunterk997]

I did some reading on the divided enclosure, and found that there should be at least 6 feet separating enclosures of different species. Is hermann's and russian an exception? And since the hermann's is captive bred, does this mean I don't have to worry about any air borne disease going to my russian?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I don't keep space barriers. My different species have different enclosures and different bath tubs but sometimes I bathe them next to each other. Or sometimes all that divides them is a single sheet of plywood.
Some people with larger collections and high priced species do it differently.

 

[Raymo2477]

With it being winter and cold where you are shipping is risky and especially during the holidays when stuff can get delayed, I'd wait until spring to get another tort. Or maybe get one at a show.

And as for space for the indoor enclosure I might consider hibernation for the winter. A fridge does not take up much space.

Just my thoughts, i'm sure others will have differing opinions.

 

[tort_luv_5055]

I ordered a Hermann's tortoise on November 27 from Tortoise shack. It isn't this LLL Reptiles you are talking about, but we did need to pay extra for the heat pack. Even with this heat pack though, my tortoise arrived as cold as ice and almost died! What to learn from all this- sometimes it is best to order a tortoise in the spring. (I also live in New York State)

If you still are sure you want to risk ordering this tortoise, you need to convince your parents to get you the right size enclosure. Why are they worried about size? Is it because of limited space? Is it because of the expense of a large enclosure? Figure this out, and you might be able to negotiate a solution. Instead of getting a tortoise table, maybe you could get a cement mixing tub. These are cheap and easy to use. GOOD LUCK!

 

[justino4444]

There are a few things you could do about size such as making an open rack and you could stack the enclosures- I've seen it done and someone posted it but I personlly don't know how to do this. If money isn't a problem I might recommend a tortoise palace it is very nice and the right size for a juvenile hermanns tort - Good Luck

 

[Pokeymeg]

You could design a double decker enclosure! If your Russian already has a 4x2 enclosure, maybe you can make 'bunk bed' with another 4x2 on top of or below your Russian?

I also agree about waiting to buy until it's warmer. Some breeders will not even ship until warmer months. I got my adult Hermann from hermannichris (forum member, awesome breeder, look him up!) one February and it took time to watch the weather for a warm spell.

 

[StarSapphire22]

I second Chris at Garden State tortoise. Good luck to you!

 

[Levi the Leopard]

The double decker is a good idea.

And as for space for the indoor enclosure I might consider hibernation for the winter. A fridge does not take up much space.

I think this is a great idea for you to look into.

 

[hunterk997]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I warned my parents about the shipping, I guess it's up to them now. Money isn't an issue at all for an enclosure. They try to say my room isn't large enough for an 8 foot long enclosure even though my room is basically a 12'x12' square. We already have plans for an outdoor enclosure originally intended for my russian, but they have agreed to dividing it down the middle to make two 10'x5' enclosures. I made a second floor in my russian's enclosure, but it made it too dark underneath and she was hardly active. It can't be too bad to house the hermann's in a 4'x2' for cold months only, right? He/she will be outside once the enclosure is built (May).

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The double decker is a good idea.

And as for space for the indoor enclosure I might consider hibernation for the winter. A fridge does not take up much space.

I think this is a great idea for you to look into.

I considered that for the future. I just got my russian tortoise this year and I am not even slightly comfortable hibernating her yet. But the weird thing is that she hasn't slowed down at all. She is actually more active than she was during the summer. It's odd.

 

[hunterk997]

A thought just occurred to me, do juvenile hermman's need more humidity? I have seen that prevention of pyramiding in sulcatas is prevented with high humidity as a hatchling. And since the tortoise will be 2-3" should I soak him/her everyday? Or will two to three times a week be fine?

 

[StarSapphire22]

I follow much the same humidity concept for my 4 month old Hermanns as for a Sulcata. I dont know if I'm as strict about it, but he's growing smooth so if it isn't broken...

I keep mine at around 70-80% ambient humidity. I don't mist with the aim of reaching a certain number though. I spray the sphagnum moss heavily in the morning so that its nice and wet...sometimes I'll even use a condiment bottle and squirt water out that way. Then a few times a day when I notice the moss has dried out I'll mist it again. I try and let the moss be dry or just barely damp by lights out though. Since he has no night time heat source, his temps drop to about 70...and cool and wet is a good way to get a respiratory infection, so I don't want the moss to be dripping wet.

I also use a substrate that's good at retaining moisture...mostly coco coir with a bit of organic potting soil and moss mixed in. That helps keep up humidity a lot.

As far as soaking, I stick him in his water dish every morning and night. This way if he wants to drink or poo he has the opportunity. I spray him while he's in there too. Sometimes he climbs right back out and sometimes he stays a while. I do forced hydration in warm water 3-5 times a week in his bath bin. Usually every other day, but if my schedule gets in the way or I forget that "hey, it's Wednesday, Littlefoot needs his soak" I don't beat myself up too much. He'll just get one tomorrow. Since I already put him in the waterdish twice, plus his own excursions to it, I'm not too concerned about dehydration if i miss one day.

A good thing to do is have a humid hide. Young torts sleep a lot. Like, really, a LOT. If he's sleeping in an extra warm, humid place that will be great for him and his shell. Mine has a pot on it's side I keep extra wet that he uses once in a while, but he's a big digger, and burrows under the moss and substrate usually. Since that's moist, he kinda makes his own humid hide.

This is just what I do. Others may do it differently. You can find a routine that works for you. As long as your tort is healthy it doesn't matter how you do it. But a young Hermanns should have some humidity for the first 2 years of its life.

Also, I'm not sure what age you mean by juvenile, but mine is 4.5 months old and is 2.25". Every tort grows differently but just something to keep in mind. I know Chris has a 9 month old the same size, so maybe mine just had a big growth spurt.

 

[hunterk997]

The tortoise will be 2-3". That's all I know. Is high humidity necessary to prevent pyramiding though? I understand that high humidity prevents the tortoise from becoming dehydrated, but do I need to worry about pyramiding from low humidity?

 

[StarSapphire22]

Yes. As far as I know, hot and humid at a young age is the best way to prevent pyramiding in pretty much any kind of tortoise.

 

[hunterk997]

So I have made plans for a humid hide. Should I worry about humidity in the rest of the enclosure if I have a humid hide? I also plan on soaking everyday if possible.

 

[MaddieGA]

LOL! When I wanted a hermann, I wanted a juvenile with an extra scute! Mine does have all of the normal scutes, but he's still really cute!