Hermann's tortoise

[Surrealmuse]

I first fell in love with Indian star tortoise, but after research, they don't sound like a good match for a beginner tortoise owner. So then I thought about a Russian tortoise, but my local herp shop said most are wild caught and will spend all their time trying to escape. He recommended a Hermann tortoise, but didn't recommend where to get one. I read in the forums that Chris is a good resource so I PM him. I also found a breeder in my home state of Florida. I have a 48×30 box with a lid and light to start out with. We have other reptiles so I'm good on lighting and humidity knowledge. I eventually want to build a 4x8 enclosure for outside. I already have a raised bed enclosure this size, I just need to build higher walls and a cover as we live near conservation. Since we built a fence, it has kept the gators and deer out. But raccoons still climb the fence. One of my concerns is lack of weed access, but hoping to grow tortoise friendly foods in the raised bed.

Out of curiosity, will a hermann tortoise be content with an indoor enclosure as I have read mixed reviews on this topic.

 

[MichaelL]

I first fell in love with Indian star tortoise, but after research, they don't sound like a good match for a beginner tortoise owner. So then I thought about a Russian tortoise, but my local herp shop said most are wild caught and will spend all their time trying to escape. He recommended a Hermann tortoise, but didn't recommend where to get one. I read in the forums that Chris is a good resource so I PM him. I also found a breeder in my home state of Florida. I have a 48×30 box with a lid and light to start out with. We have other reptiles so I'm good on lighting and humidity knowledge. I eventually want to build a 4x8 enclosure for outside. I already have a raised bed enclosure this size, I just need to build higher walls and a cover as we live near conservation. Since we built a fence, it has kept the gators and deer out. But raccoons still climb the fence. One of my concerns is lack of weed access, but hoping to grow tortoise friendly foods in the raised bed.

Out of curiosity, will a hermann tortoise be content with an indoor enclosure as I have read mixed reviews on this topic.

I don't keep hermann's but I'm sure it'll be fine, a little bigger indoor enclosure would be better though. Also, my russians don't spend all their time trying to escape, if you had a good 4 x 8 outdoor enclosure I doubt they would try to escape.

 

[KarenSoCal]

If a Russian is what you really want, have you considered buying from a breeder? We have a couple Russian breeders on this forum that start their babies the correct way.

I'm not trying to get you away from a Hermann's, just if your heart is set on a Russian, you can get captive bred babies with no difficulty.

This is a link to our vendor reviews.

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[Yvonne G]

Any species of tortoise can live happily indoors as long as the space is correct. If you try to keep him in a "broom closet" of course he's going to want to escape, but if you set him up in a spacious, well planted enclosure that's bigger than a "broom closet," he's going to settle in and live comfortably.

 

[Surrealmuse]

If a Russian is what you really want, have you considered buying from a breeder? We have a couple Russian breeders on this forum that start their babies the correct way.

I'm not trying to get you away from a Hermann's, just if your heart is set on a Russian, you can get captive bred babies with no difficulty.

This is a link to our vendor reviews.

Tortoise Vendor Reviews

Share feedback on tortoise-related vendors like breeders, feed and reptile supply companies

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thanks for the advice. I messaged Carol. She seems to get a ton of positive reviews.