Closed Chamber Enclosure for Hermann's Tortoise

[BTM]

Hello,
I'm researching/preparing to get my first Hermann's Tortoise. I'm looking for advice on an indoor enclosure. After doing much research, I'd like to go with the closed chamber/high humidity at least for the first year or so. I really want something that is aesthetically pleasing, as it will be in my living room and I don't want some major DIY contraption although I realize I will have to piece it together a bit. I have been looking at the largest Exo-terra and ZooMed (the glass ones, not the wooden box) as I like the glass with the front doors but I need to figure out a way to close off the top and have the lights inside. Does anyone have any suggestions? Pics would be soooo helpful and appreciated!

 

[Tom]

Wise choice! A closed chamber doesn't mean you have to have high humidity. It just means that whatever humidity and heat you generate isn't floating up and into the room leaving your tortoise too cool and dry. It is a much better and much more efficient way to house any tortoise.

I would suggest contacting @Markw84 for your enclosure. He has the most perfect enclosures I've ever seen, and they are designed and built meticulously by him specifically to meet the specialized needs of tortoises. They are also ridiculously cheap for what you get, to the point that I tease him that he's taking a loss on each enclosure he sells. He does it because he loves it.

Here is some care info in case you haven't found this thread yet:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[method89]

Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED

Josh and I corresponded last week about making an updated version of the Hermann's tortoise care sheet since the old one we have posted here is a bit outdated and a little too brief in my opinion. So, here is the new one equipped with photos. Look out for the April 2015 issue of Reptiles...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Mark's enclosure is a beauty. You see it below. Also, @Kapidolo Farms , where you can buy all the dried tort food you can think of.

Mark's excellent enclosure super deal, just two available, at TTPG.

I don't know if you all have taken notice of @Markw84 's enclosures or not, but they are excellent. No other enclosure comes close, even with your own ad-ons. *The foot print is 3 by 4 (12 square feet of floor), height inside is about 24 inches, height outside is 27 inches. *All six sides are...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[BTM]

Wise choice! A closed chamber doesn't mean you have to have high humidity. It just means that whatever humidity and heat you generate isn't floating up and into the room leaving your tortoise too cool and dry. It is a much better and much more efficient way to house any tortoise.

I would suggest contacting @Markw84 for your enclosure. He has the most perfect enclosures I've ever seen, and they are designed and built meticulously by him specifically to meet the specialized needs of tortoises. They are also ridiculously cheap for what you get, to the point that I tease him that he's taking a loss on each enclosure he sells. He does it because he loves it.

Here is some care info in case you haven't found this thread yet:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Thanks so much!!! I will absolutely reach out to him. Curious, what level of humidity would you recommend for a Hermann's, and also by chance do you happen to know of any breeders?

 

[BTM]

Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED

Josh and I corresponded last week about making an updated version of the Hermann's tortoise care sheet since the old one we have posted here is a bit outdated and a little too brief in my opinion. So, here is the new one equipped with photos. Look out for the April 2015 issue of Reptiles...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Mark's enclosure is a beauty. You see it below. Also, @Kapidolo Farms , where you can buy all the dried tort food you can think of.

Mark's excellent enclosure super deal, just two available, at TTPG.

I don't know if you all have taken notice of @Markw84 's enclosures or not, but they are excellent. No other enclosure comes close, even with your own ad-ons. *The foot print is 3 by 4 (12 square feet of floor), height inside is about 24 inches, height outside is 27 inches. *All six sides are...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thanks, and i really appreciate the video......really beautiful enclosure.....exactly what I'm looking for!

 

[Tom]

Thanks so much!!! I will absolutely reach out to him. Curious, what level of humidity would you recommend for a Hermann's, and also by chance do you happen to know of any breeders?

For a baby I'd shoot for 60-70%, but also have damp substrate it can dig into and a humid hide. Older larger tortoise can certainly handle drier conditions than that, but moderate humidity is good for them too.

I don't know of any breeders that start them the way I think they should be started.

 

[BTM]

For a baby I'd shoot for 60-70%, but also have damp substrate it can dig into and a humid hide. Older larger tortoise can certainly handle drier conditions than that, but moderate humidity is good for them too.

I don't know of any breeders that start them the way I think they should be started.

Thanks. Yeah, I've read a lot of your posts and agree, I'd like to have one that's started in the closed chamber system. Here's my dilemma....I'd actually really like to get a Burmese Star. Whatever I get will start out it's first couple of years indoors here with me in NYC then will be moving to my home in Hawaii. So, I've been thinking size-wise, I should maybe get the Hermann's, but am still wondering if it would be ok if I got the Burmese and it would be ok size to keep indoors for the first couple of years. How long does it take for them to reach full size? Apologies for all the questions! You are so knowledgeable, I figured since I've got you.....lol

 

[Tom]

Thanks. Yeah, I've read a lot of your posts and agree, I'd like to have one that's started in the closed chamber system. Here's my dilemma....I'd actually really like to get a Burmese Star. Whatever I get will start out it's first couple of years indoors here with me in NYC then will be moving to my home in Hawaii. So, I've been thinking size-wise, I should maybe get the Hermann's, but am still wondering if it would be ok if I got the Burmese and it would be ok size to keep indoors for the first couple of years. How long does it take for them to reach full size? Apologies for all the questions! You are so knowledgeable, I figured since I've got you.....lol

Both are great tortoises. A really large female Burmese star only gets to 11", and the males only about 9". This really isn't much bigger than a female hermanni at 9-10".

A Burmese star should be fine in a large indoor closed chamber enclosure for a couple of years. I won't have any until early 2021, but I think @Markw84 has some perfectly started larger sized babies right now.

 

[BTM]

Both are great tortoises. A really large female Burmese star only gets to 11", and the males only about 9". This really isn't much bigger than a female hermanni at 9-10".

A Burmese star should be fine in a large indoor closed chamber enclosure for a couple of years. I won't have any until early 2021, but I think @Markw84 has some perfectly started larger sized babies right now.

Wow, that is great to hear.....Burmese Star is really what I covet the most. What size do you think the minimum would be to keep it in for the first couple of years?

 

[Tom]

Wow, that is great to hear.....Burmese Star is really what I covet the most. What size do you think the minimum would be to keep it in for the first couple of years?

2x4' is good for a small one. When it gets big enough, you can easily do an add on from Mark. He makes his enclosures modular, so you can cheaply and easily double the tortoise living space when needed.

 

[Srmcclure]

2x4' is good for a small one. When it gets big enough, you can easily do an add on from Mark. He makes his enclosures modular, so you can cheaply and easily double the tortoise living space when needed.

Marks are the best ones out there by far! He has thought of everything! Saves so much money in the long run!

 

[Lokkje]

Mark’s enclosures are really easy to put together as well. I am not very handy, I’m 60 years old, and I really didn’t have any trouble sliding it together and plugging in the cords.The hardest thing for me was opening the crate.

 

[BTM]

2x4' is good for a small one. When it gets big enough, you can easily do an add on from Mark. He makes his enclosures modular, so you can cheaply and easily double the tortoise living space when needed.

Thanks so much for all your help Tom, I truly appreciate it!! And, seriously, your posts are incredibly helpful. I have been doing my due diligence for a couple of years in deciding whether or not to get a tortoise, and not once did I come across anything mentioning "closed chamber" until I saw your posts. You should start a youtube channel because I haven't seen a single video on the subject and your knowledge is invaluable!!