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

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
I am very excited that I finally got my hermanns tortoise baby today. It is a four months old well-started hatchling. And this is my first tortoise.

I am trying to make sure the tempature I have in the enclosure is ideal for the baby hermanns.

What should be the right temperature during day time and night time. And in winter, should the setting be different from the summer setting?

I was trying to search the answer on the forum but couldn’t find anything directly related to Hermanns baby.

I am using 80W PowerSun Mercury Vapor UVB bulb for day time and a ceramic bulb for the night.

I also have an Inkbird Temperature control device that can help to regulate the temperature during night. During day time, I leave the PowerSun bulb on all the time.

Any idea or suggestion will be appreciated!
 

gurgleblaster

Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
66
Location (City and/or State)
Charlotte
Go to HermaniHaven.com there is a comprehensive fact sheet for Herman's there as well as an associate's youtube garden state tortoises. Best info for raising I have found. Also Shelly says high to fellow hwrmans
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20201218_032824_361.jpg
    IMG_20201218_032824_361.jpg
    634.5 KB · Views: 48

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?

 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?

It is a eastern hermanns. thanks for the care sheet
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?

I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?

I have never personally kept a Hermann's, so have no experience to draw on.

We generally recommend that all baby torts be kept at a minimum of 80°F at night. But the care sheet I linked, written by an expert on Hermann's, advises on keeping baby Hermann's as low as the low 70's at night, but no lower. BTW, the author of the care sheet is a member here, @HermanniChris .

If I was doing it, I would put the ceramic bulb on the thermostat set at 75°. It should run very little, but protect in the event it drops lower. With other species, one night really low and they get RI's. I'm a safe rather than sorry type.
 

Yossarian

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Wales
I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?

Cold air requires less moisture (water vapour) to become saturated than warm air. If you are not adding moisture to the system, heating the air will reduce relative humidity. Basically the CHE is coming on, heating the space up which increases the capacity of the air to hold moisture, in turn reducing the relative humidity. The fix is to use a subtrate of coco coir and or orchid bark, several inches deep, and keep it damp. As the space heats up then, more moisture will evaporate from the substrate to increase the relative humidity along with the temperature.

70ish fahrenheit at night is only tolerable for an adult hermanns. For a baby, I would keep it warmer (80+) and it needs to be fully enclosed ideally to keep humidity high enough while its young. I would use the CHE if it is dropping lower than that for sure. Also, take a plastic tub a suitable size for your tort to use as a hide, cut a door in it big enough for your tort, make sure the substrate under it is damp each night, and place it near the CHE. The heat emitter will heat up the tub material, this will in turn heat the air inside the tub, causing moisture to evaporate and be trapped in the microclimate of the hide. As a baby, it shouldnt have a choice, this is where you want it to sleep.

I will say, I have never had a baby hermanns, but after keeping a greek tort for several years, if I did, this is what I would be trying to achieve.
 
Last edited:

method89

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
1,384
Location (City and/or State)
Malverne, NY
I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?
Most Testudo do not need night heat. If you are certain that your room temp stays at 70 or above then you don't need the ceramic bulb.
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
Hi

Why not post photos of your enclosure and lighting? It will help us to understand what’s going on more quickly and advise you :)
That is a good idea. The only problem is i am still waiting on the actual enclosure to arrive and the current one is a temp one which will only be used for a few days.
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
Most Testudo do not need night heat. If you are certain that your room temp stays at 70 or above then you don't need the ceramic bulb.
Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?
 

Ink

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jun 10, 2016
Messages
2,455
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Congrats on your new tortoise, enjoy!
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
I have never personally kept a Hermann's, so have no experience to draw on.

We generally recommend that all baby torts be kept at a minimum of 80°F at night. But the care sheet I linked, written by an expert on Hermann's, advises on keeping baby Hermann's as low as the low 70's at night, but no lower. BTW, the author of the care sheet is a member here, @HermanniChris .

If I was doing it, I would put the ceramic bulb on the thermostat set at 75°. It should run very little, but protect in the event it drops lower. With other species, one night really low and they get RI's. I'm a safe rather than sorry type.
I also found that the baby likes to sleep a lot. l counted the hours and it slept 12 hours straight. In the next morning, I got worried about it and woke it up and put it in the water to soak. After 15 minutes soaking, It started to eat and basking under the light blub. But, when I look at it closely, it is actually sleeping under the basking light.

Is this normal for a baby Hermanns? or should I even wake it up for soaking and eating?
 

method89

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
1,384
Location (City and/or State)
Malverne, NY
Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?
70 at night is good for a baby. During the day you want to be 80-85, with a basking area @95.
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?
No 70 is too cold for a baby, 70 at night maybe but 85 or so daily.and it IS a baby. For about a year the baby will eat and sleep, just like human babies. but if you handle him a bit and tame him sorta the fun begins

from KarenSoCal
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
No 70 is too cold for a baby, 70 at night maybe but 85 or so daily.and it IS a baby. For about a year the baby will eat and sleep, just like human babies. but if you handle him a bit and tame him sorta the fun begins

from KarenSoCal
70 at night is good for a baby. During the day you want to be 80-85, with a basking area @95.
During day time, the temp is around 92F directly under the basking area (I will lower the light a bit to make the temp goes up) and 75F at the coolest spot (in the hiding shelter furthest away from the heat source).
 

HermanniChris

Well-Known Member
TFO Sponsor
10 Year Member!
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
2,126
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.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?
No. Unless you live in a refrigerator, you should not need night heat for a hermanni. low 70s is fine. Low 60s is Fien as long as it warms up during the day.

Here is the current and correct care info:
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
No. Unless you live in a refrigerator, you should not need night heat for a hermanni. low 70s is fine. Low 60s is Fien as long as it warms up during the day.

Here is the current and correct care info:
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.
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
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!! this is so helpful! I will keep this in mind.
 
Top