Today, I got my hermanns tortoise baby. Question about the desirable temperature.

[Tom]

Thank you Tom for replying! I will make sure it does not go below 70F.

Also, I've seen the baby sleeping a lot. Is it normal for a baby Hermanns to sleep 12 hours straight in the hide under the bedding (it burrows under the substrate to sleep at night) and during the day, after eating, it sleeps under the basking light. As I am typing right now, it is laying down and sleeping... I am thinking, just like human baby, tortoise baby should sleep a lot, but I am not sure if that is normal. I had to wake the baby up in the morning for soaking in the water, or I feel that it can continue to sleep under the substrate. Should I wake it up? or just let it sleep.

I would dig it up and soak it daily. This time of year, many of them just want to sleep. Warm soaks usually wake them up and stimulate appetite too.

If your tortoise is basking a lot, you might want to warm up the day time ambient temps a bit. It can still get cool at night, but warmer ambient temps during the day might discourage the excessive basking. You can use your thermostat and a timer with your CHE for this. Set the CHE on a thermostat to 80-ish, and plus the thermostat into an appliance timer. Set the daytime heat to come on a couple of hours after the basking lamps, and go off a couple hours before the basking lamps. This will simulate the cooler morning and evenings outside while still giving your baby lots of daytime warmth. Adjust as needed depending on behavior. This will also tend to dry things out in an opened topped enclosure, so be mindful of the dryness and add moisture as needed.

 

[Jasminemmm]

I would dig it up and soak it daily. This time of year, many of them just want to sleep. Warm soaks usually wake them up and stimulate appetite too.

If your tortoise is basking a lot, you might want to warm up the day time ambient temps a bit. It can still get cool at night, but warmer ambient temps during the day might discourage the excessive basking. You can use your thermostat and a timer with your CHE for this. Set the CHE on a thermostat to 80-ish, and plus the thermostat into an appliance timer. Set the daytime heat to come on a couple of hours after the basking lamps, and go off a couple hours before the basking lamps. This will simulate the cooler morning and evenings outside while still giving your baby lots of daytime warmth. Adjust as needed depending on behavior. This will also tend to dry things out in an opened topped enclosure, so be mindful of the dryness and add moisture as needed.

Thank you for the advice！one quick question, how do I keep the soaking water warm for the entire 20 minutes? I tried to use the water with 90F but within 5 minutes it gets colder. I had to change the water but still cool down quickly, then i tried to keep the soaking tub in the enclosure under the basking light bulb. Is there a better way to keep the water warm?

 

[Yossarian]

Just soak them in a plastic tub in the bath or sink, when the water starts to cool down, add more hot to it.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for the advice！one quick question, how do I keep the soaking water warm for the entire 20 minutes? I tried to use the water with 90F but within 5 minutes it gets colder. I had to change the water but still cool down quickly, then i tried to keep the soaking tub in the enclosure under the basking light bulb. Is there a better way to keep the water warm?

Add more warm water, or soak in a warmer area. You can put the soaking tray inside the warm enclosure. In warmer weather you can use the sun, be be very careful. Make sure that as the sun moves the soaking pan moves more into the shade, and not more into the sun. Overheating and death is a real possibility if this is not done very carefully. I have an area on my ranch where I do this. The bins are continually moving into the shade and I have to scoot them more into the sun every few minutes. If I were to get distracted and forget them, the tubs would be in full shade, and no harm would come to the tortoises. Obviously, this method doesn't work well unless its fairly warm outside.

 

[Yossarian]

70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.

This is good to know, I would have thought babies needed to be kept warmer so thanks for the input.

 

[Jerrysmommy]

70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.

Thank you. It definitely helps me. This has been a worry for me but now, I see we have been fine all along.

 

[Jasminemmm]

70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.

Thanks again as I come back to this comment and read your advice again! One more question, what should be the desirable temp directly underneath the basking light and what should be the ambient temp during day time? I setup a timer to turn on the light at 8am and turn it off at 9pm. The spot directly below the basking light can sometime reaches to 97F, I will spray mist to cool it down a bit. Is it too high? Not enough? Or about right?

 

[GMDVM]

Congratulations on your new tortoise!!! I have a 5 month old Western Hermann - got him in August. My first tortoise and I am smitten!
I use a CHE - my basking area is 95 degrees. It can be warmer once they are adults The enclosure ranges from 75-85 degrees Heat lamp is off at night so about 68-70 degrees at night He wakes up after the heat lamp comes on and he sees morning light. I don’t wake him up. Best to avoid stress. Most important is humidity. At least 70% ambient. I have a clear shower curtain draped over the plastic enclosure which is 33X19 inches. I only need to occasionally mist the enclosure Substrate is moist but not soggy. I use coconut coir and cypress chips. I boil these before using because I don’t want fungus gnats. I soak him under his heat lamp so the water stays fairly warm
i also bought a gram scale to monitor weight.
I am sure you will do just fine with everything!
Merry Christmas from Honey B !!

 

[Jasminemmm]

Congratulations on your new tortoise!!! I have a 5 month old Western Hermann - got him in August. My first tortoise and I am smitten!
I use a CHE - my basking area is 95 degrees. It can be warmer once they are adults The enclosure ranges from 75-85 degrees Heat lamp is off at night so about 68-70 degrees at night He wakes up after the heat lamp comes on and he sees morning light. I don’t wake him up. Best to avoid stress. Most important is humidity. At least 70% ambient. I have a clear shower curtain draped over the plastic enclosure which is 33X19 inches. I only need to occasionally mist the enclosure Substrate is moist but not soggy. I use coconut coir and cypress chips. I boil these before using because I don’t want fungus gnats. I soak him under his heat lamp so the water stays fairly warm
i also bought a gram scale to monitor weight.
I am sure you will do just fine with everything!
Merry Christmas from Honey B !!

Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...

 

[GMDVM]

Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...

Yes i use a flat rock under the basking bulb. I adjust the height of my bulb so the rock is 95 degrees. It is a 50 watt CHE. When you have a new bulb you need to run it for a day or two because it can be too strong at first for the enclosure. I also find that a laser thermometer works great to check temps quickly in specific areas

 

[GMDVM]

Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...

Oh and Chris Leone does not recommend foggers for Hermanni tortoises. Ambient humidity at least 70% can be achieved by using high walled enclosure that is covered or mostly covered. But I am no expert so refer to his advice. Can’t wait to see your little one. Please post a pic What is his name?

 

[Jasminemmm]

Oh and Chris Leone does not recommend foggers for Hermanni tortoises. Ambient humidity at least 70% can be achieved by using high walled enclosure that is covered or mostly covered. But I am no expert so refer to his advice. Can’t wait to see your little one. Please post a pic What is his name?

Thanks for your advice! I will do more research on the rock slate and the humidifier issue in a closed chamber enclosure. I will post a picture of its enclosure once it is complete. I am still thinking of its name~~~ ( I am really bad at giving names...)

 

[Jasminemmm]

Posting a few more pics of it I took this morning. My little eager eater~

 

[Krista S]

Your tortoise is so adorable!! Congrats on your new little one.

 

[Jasminemmm]

Your tortoise is so adorable!! Congrats on your new little one.

Thanks~ I love it from my heart. Watching it eating makes me happy~

 

[Jasminemmm]

Finally, on Christmas Eve, I got the enclosure ready for my Christmas. Yes, I named it (he/she) Christmas. I will start a new thread for the enclosure later. Here are a few pictures.

When it wakes up tomorrow morning, it will be moved to the new home.?


When the sun goes down, the moon comes out.?

 

[GMDVM]

Looks like luxurious accommodations!

 

[Jasminemmm]

Moving to the new home... and exploring it...managed to get itself stuck... and i had to rescue it

So far, it seems to like the new place a lot~~~

 

[Jasminemmm]

It needs a friend?

 

[Yossarian]

is there a second tortoise in that last photo?