First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post your pictures and any questions here of European tortoises e.g. Ibera Spur Thigh, Ibera Graeca, Marginated, Hermanns, Kleinmanni and we include the Horsfield tortoise. Also, do add pictures of Mediterranean tortoises you have seen in the wild.
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Anandita
Posts: 55
Joined: 10 Jun 2023, 13:42

First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Anandita » 10 Jun 2023, 14:15

Hi, first time Tortoise owners!
We got our 9 month old Hermans Tortoise called Truck a week ago and we're in love 😊
I have researched a lot online for weeks but find contradictory information. Truck is in a Tortoise table with a combined basking/heat lamp and Komodo tortoise eco terrain substrate.
I was concerned about the level of humidity that is needed and also should I make a humidity hide?, I do spritz the table with water in the morning and evening.
The temperature under the basking/heat source at shell height is 33.4 °c to 34 normally, the other end is about 30°c and the built in hide is about 28.

I've been putting Komodo nutri cal on the food every couple of days and bath him every day. I also would like to know is ok to put him out in a enclosure in the garden supervised?
Thanks

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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Nina » 10 Jun 2023, 17:05

Hi Anandita, and welcome to The Tortoise Table! Congratulations on welcoming Truck (love the name!) into your family, and it sounds like you've made a brilliant start.

It's great that he is in a tortoise table and has a good heat/light and UVB bulb. Komodo tortoise eco terrain is fine for a substrate, but it's a bit expensive and you want a substrate that is 3" or 4" deep minimum, so that Truck can bury himself completely if he wants to. It might be cheaper to use a less expensive substrate, and most of us use a combination of ordinary screened topsoil and children's play sand, and you can buy bags of both at most garden centres, Homebase, etc., and you then mix them about 60% or 70% topsoil and the rest play sand But if you prefer the Komodo substrate that is fine.

I think your temperatures are a bit high, as what you are aiming for is around 30C directly under his heat bulb, and measured at the height of his shell -- not measured from a thermometer mounted on a nearby wall, as that will be quite a few degrees cooler than it is under the lamp. At the cool end you want a temperature of around 20C if possible, but of course on hot days, when the room itself is warmer, you can't really get a temperature as low as 20C (but it's what to aim for). As the days are warm now, the baths you are giving him are especially important, as small tortoises can dehydrate quickly under hot lights indoors, so it's a good idea to give him these soaks. If you are interested, I can recommend a type of thermometer with a probe that you can hang down so it sits under the bulb at the height of the tortoise's shell, and they aren't very expensive.

I don't think you have to worry about making a humid hide (but by all means do so if you want to), because the spraying you are doing should work just fine.

I'm not familiar with Komodo Nutri-Cal, but I just looked it up and it seems OK. Tortoises do need a lot of calcium to support all of that bone and shell, so I would also leave a cuttlefish bone in the table for him to nibble on when you're not dusting his food with the Nutri-Cal. Or you can buy food grade calcium carbonate powder of limestone flour (which is almost the same thing), and dust that on his food on days when you aren't giving the Nutri-Cal.

Yes, by all means put him outdoors in the garden, supervised -- he will love it, and the UVB from the sun is of a higher quality that the UVB we get from our lights. There are lots of ideas for building outdoor enclosures, but do remember to make it escape proof (tortoises are surprisingly good climbers and escape artists (see the photo attached).

I think that you are going to be an excellent tortoise keeper! You probably already have a care sheet, but in case you don't, here's a link to one:
https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf
And here is a link to a really excellent website about Hermann's tortoises -- lots of information about subspecies, etc. It's based in the USA and some of the care advice is slightly different to what we practice here, but it's still really good: https://www.hermannihaven.com/

It would be lovely to see a photo of young Truck (lol, we never tire of looking at photos of tortoises!).

Nina
[attachment=0]climbing tortoise.jpg[/attachment]
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climbing tortoise.jpg

Anandita
Posts: 55
Joined: 10 Jun 2023, 13:42

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Anandita » 10 Jun 2023, 19:19

Thank you for your advice, I bought a digital thermometer with probes this morning so I will do that and also move the bulb up to bring the temp down 😊

Anandita
Posts: 55
Joined: 10 Jun 2023, 13:42

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Anandita » 10 Jun 2023, 19:27

[attachment=0]20230531_165445.jpg[/attachment]
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lin
Posts: 1045
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by lin » 10 Jun 2023, 22:01

Hi Amandita
I love the name truck, it’s quite fitting for a tortoise and he’s sure is a beauty.

Lin

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Nina
Posts: 2022
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Nina » 11 Jun 2023, 10:01

Thanks for the photo, and what a handsome little chappie he is! And adventurous too (my two Horsfields love climbing up those bendy log thingies and sliding down the other side).

Nina

Anandita
Posts: 55
Joined: 10 Jun 2023, 13:42

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Anandita » 11 Jun 2023, 14:31

Thank you everyone he sure is entertaining, I say he but we don't know yet lol 😂

I never knew Tortoises could climb so well.

I am not concerned with the hot weather we're having how hot is too hot on their enclosure?

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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Nina » 11 Jun 2023, 17:16

Hi Anandita,

Re hot weather -- outdoors in the UK it is unlikely to get too hot for him, but do make sure that his outdoor enclosure has some place in the shade that he can retreat to, and water available. If it does get really hot outdoors you can always spray him and the enclosure down a bit to cool it off.

Indoors I wouldn't let it go above about 33C, and that is measured directly under the light and at the height of his shell. If thermometer on a nearby wall is registering 33C then it is likely to be in the high 30s or even 40s directly under the lamp. The ideal temp under the light is about 30C, but it can go several degrees higher, as long as he can wander in and out of that hot spot to cool down and then warm up again and thermoregulate.

Hope that helps. It's obviously too early to tell his sex, but if you want to send us a photo of his underside, clearly showing the tail, then we could hazard a guess (but it would be just a guess, based on the shape of his cloaca and the shape of his anal scute.

Nina

Anandita
Posts: 55
Joined: 10 Jun 2023, 13:42

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Anandita » 13 Jun 2023, 10:24

Thank you so much for your help 😊

Had a shock this morning, thought Truck was dead but turns out just sleeping 😂

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Nina
Posts: 2022
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: First time new Hermans Tortoise owner

Post by Nina » 13 Jun 2023, 11:37

Lol, I've had the same experience! Glad he's OK.

Nina

Anandita wrote:
> Thank you so much for your help 😊
>
> Had a shock this morning, thought Truck was dead but turns out just
> sleeping 😂

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