Western Dwarf Hermann Information?

Avuwyy

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Jan 29, 2019
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Liverpool, Merseyside
Hello! In a few months I was hoping to adopt/buy a smaller species of tortoise (Table will be located under my Leopard Tortoise’s table).

I was looking at adopting/buying a Western Dwarf, but I haven’t been able to find much information on diet, sizing and temperament? I can only find information on the normal Hermann’s. Any links or references would be appreciated.

Ps. I’ve done quite a bit of reading up on brumation, I’m not sure if I’d be comfortable with it, is it required? And what are the positive and negative effects of skipping brumation? I know there are a lot of differing opinions on this subject, so id love to hear more!
 

TortoiseRacket

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Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Messages
259
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Hello! In a few months I was hoping to adopt/buy a smaller species of tortoise (Table will be located under my Leopard Tortoise’s table).

I was looking at adopting/buying a Western Dwarf, but I haven’t been able to find much information on diet, sizing and temperament? I can only find information on the normal Hermann’s. Any links or references would be appreciated.

Ps. I’ve done quite a bit of reading up on brumation, I’m not sure if I’d be comfortable with it, is it required? And what are the positive and negative effects of skipping brumation? I know there are a lot of differing opinions on this subject, so id love to hear more!



I’m not too sure about brumation, but the only reason you have not found much resources is because there is no such thing as a western dwarf tortoise!
 

Avuwyy

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Liverpool, Merseyside
Hmm? I’m sure there is, there are numerous breeders calling them western dwarfs though I seem to believe that’s because the subspecies (Western Hermann’s) is smaller than the Eastern Hermann’s.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Tucson, AZ
There is actually no such thing as a "dwarf Hermann's." It's just a fancy marketing ploy nickname.

The smallest Western Hermann's comes from the locale Mount Edna (Sicily, Italy). They grow up to 4-5" adult size. I know Chris Leone at Garden State Tortoise breeds them, and as far as I know he's the only one.
Here's the link to great info and pictures he has about them.
https://www.hermannihaven.com/the-western-hermann-s-tortoise


Another small tortoise is the subspecies nabeulensis of Testudo graeca, "Tunisian Greek." Males reach about 4.5" and females reach 6.5" in adult size.

The Egyptian Tortoise is also on the small scale, growing up to about 5" in adult size. They are quite popular right now which adds to to their rather high price tag ($700-1,000 for a hatchling).
 

Avuwyy

Active Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2019
Messages
180
Location (City and/or State)
Liverpool, Merseyside
Theres a few breeders here ;v; I live in the UK you see.

And unfortunately Egyptian tortoises aren’t very common in the pet trade over here as far as I’m aware. Otherwise I would’ve went for a smaller species. Western Hermann’s is the smallest I could find.
 

SweetGreekTorts

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Tucson, AZ
Theres a few breeders here ;v; I live in the UK you see.

And unfortunately Egyptian tortoises aren’t very common in the pet trade over here as far as I’m aware. Otherwise I would’ve went for a smaller species. Western Hermann’s is the smallest I could find.
I see. Well, the Western Hermann's is the smallest of the 3 (Eastern, Dalmatian, and Western). Within each of those are a variety of locales, which provide different colors and sizes. The Mt. Edna locale is the smallest of all the Westerns, so if you can find a breeder who has those - they would be what you're looking for. Just make sure the breeder knows the locale. Unless you just want any Western Hermann's.

Too often breeders know nothing about where their tortoises come from and add nicknames as sales points. Just like the "Golden Greek," which there is also no such thing. It sounds nice and contributes to sales, but it's highly inaccurate.

But definitely check out the link I provided. Chris Leone here is the most knowledgeable person I know about Hermann's. They are his passion and he's done extensive research about them and proper taxonomy. He's also very helpful if you have specific questions about the species.
 

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