Hermann tortoise

[Yuttt]

I got my Hermann tortoise today from pets101! He (or she) is so cute! I haven't decided on a name yet.
First two pics: first soaking and drying!
Last two: habitat!
I am going to upgrade the habitat in a couple months to a better one. Please feel free to post anything that I need to do!

 

[Jacqui]

What a little doll! Congrats! May I make a suggestion? These little guys, while they love to climb, they also often fall off the things they climb and land on their backs. Here comes the problem, the babies often then can not right themselves back onto their little feet. Now they can be on their backs for a short while without major problems, but it looks like you have a climbing place right under a heat source, right? That puts it into a real dangerous situation for the little guys really fast. May I suggest to maybe (for now) to bury the rock down into the substrate, so it is not a climbing item?

I would also suggest for your next purchase a temp gun. They are great for getting accurate readings, unlike the thermometer your currently using. They are fairly cheap, too. Just a couple of suggestions, do what you wish with them.

 

[Yuttt]

Ok, thanks. I'm going to put a dirt slope up to the rock, and I have a thermocouple that I use, I was just testing the thermometer.

 

[rfranklin]

Some advice would be to get rid of the rocks totally. I have tried the dirt slope to the rocks. And my hatchling will still flip itself onto his back. During the day I have to pretty much remove everything out of the tank but the water and food while I am not home. My hermann is 3 months old and Griffen flips itself very easily. And he is not able to right himself.

 

[Yuttt]

I'm going to watch him and decide what to do. If he flips, I'll take the rocks out.

 

[GBtortoises]

Rocks are fine in an enclosure as long as they are either flat and near or at ground level or are very gently sloped with no abrupt drop offs. There is no real reason to have to remove everything from the enclosure during the daytime if everything is set up right. In fact during the daytime is when the tortoise is most active and rocks, hides, water dish and other items are most beneficial to the tortoise.

 

[rfranklin]

Rocks are fine in an enclosure as long as they are either flat and near or at ground level or are very gently sloped with no abrupt drop offs. There is no real reason to have to remove everything from the enclosure during the daytime if everything is set up right. In fact during the daytime is when the tortoise is most active and rocks, hides, water dish and other items are most beneficial to the tortoise.

My tort must be a special case. Griffen will tumble and land on his back walking down a gently sloped area. Griffen would flip himself at least twice a day. And now that I have removed everything other than his food and water dish when I am not home. I have not had any flipping over since.

 

[Yuttt]

Yup! So far, he hasn't flipped. He's been running around, and I've already walked him, and soaked him twice.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

walked him?

 

[pan1k]

Awesome Hermanns! Mine is 6 months old and he does flip himself over trying to climb out of the water dish. I keep an eye on hime when I do the soaks.

 

[Yuttt]

walked him?

I took him outside and let him get UVs and exercise.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

walked him?

I took him outside and let him get UVs and exercise.

haha, okay. I just pictured a tortoise with a little collar and a leash.

 

[Yuttt]

haha, okay. I just pictured a tortoise with a little collar and a leash.

That made me laugh! I had an idea where you take an adult sulcata, tie a leash around the middle of the shell, and walk it around the neighborhood.

 

[Laurie]

haha, okay. I just pictured a tortoise with a little collar and a leash.

That made me laugh! I had an idea where you take an adult sulcata, tie a leash around the middle of the shell, and walk it around the neighborhood.

I think that would turn out more like the sulcata walking you!