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Care sheet

Hermann's Tortoise care sheet

Housing: a wooden vivarium or a wooden tortoise table

Heating: basking temperature of 90oF

UVB Lighting: desert strength 10%-12% UVB fluorescent tube

Diet: herbivorous mix of leafy green vegetation

Decoration: dry substrates and decor so not to raise humidity

Housing

Vivarium: Hermann's tortoises require a wooden vivarium as their enclosure. This is because wood is an excellent insulator of heat and so a wooden vivarium will make it easier to control the crucial temperatures required inside the habitat. The wooden vivarium should have good ventilation to allow air flow in and out of the enclosure.

The vivarium should be at least 860mm (34") in length for a juvenile and 1150mm (46") for an adult. The enclosure needs to be hot at one end, but have enough distance for the temperature to drop at the cool end.

Tortoise table: tables may be used for Hermann's tortoises, but as they can't retain heat they are only recommended for use in houses that are naturally warm. The table should be at least 900mm (35") lon

Heating

During the day, tortoises require a hot basking temperature. This is achieved by using clear spot bulbsat one end of the vivarium (or over a table). To accomplish the required basking temperature of 90oF we use a basking bulb (100w in a 46" vivarium). Basking bulbs should be on for 10- 12 hours per day and must be controlled by a dimming thermostat.

For a tortoise table we would use a combined basking/UVB bulb around 100-160w depending on the size of the table. The bulb is raised or lowered to achieve the correct temperatures.

At night tortoises require a drop in temperature and darkness. They can drop to room temperature, so all heating and lighting equipment should be turned off. Temperatures should be monitored daily using a thermometer

UVB Lighting

Hermann's tortoises actively bask in hot climates and so naturally receive a high dose of UVB from the sun. Their enclosure's UVB should reflect that. A fluorescent UVB tube should be used inside the vivarium with a reflector so no UVB is wasted. The tube should be at least 10% UVB for desert species. There are 2 different types of fluorescent tube, T8 and T5. T5 tubes are the new technology and produce more light and UVB than T8 tubes. T5 UVB also travels much further from the tube.

Tortoises require UVB in order to synthesise vitamin D3 inside their skin. The vitamin D3 helps the tortoise to absorb calcium which crucial for bone structure and growth. This is why reptiles can suffer from metabolic bone disease (MBD) when not provided with adequate UVB.

Over tables, combined heat and UVB flood bulbs (mercury vapour) may be used.

#Rambo #easternhermann #hermanntortoise

Gif: Rambo ( Eastern Hermann)

Written by Jasmin

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Our friend @Tortoiseblog alerted us to this epic moment for turtles everywhere. Finally, the turtles get to ride the taxi instead of being the taxi! Just one step forward for Turtles and Tortoises against the Turtle Taxi! #GiveUsARide 

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Calcium in your Tortoise Food

Dandelions are a significant source of calcium and are important for this reason. They are also generally very popular with tortoises who will eat the flowers as well as the leaves. Other similar plants such as milk thistle can also form a significant part of their diet

By Jasmin

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Hermanns Tortoise Feed

It's very important to vary your Tortoise Diet as much as possible. FRUIT should only be fed sparingly or only to Tortoise such as REDFOOTS that eat fruits naturally.

It's also important to give your Tortoise a CALCIUM AND VITAMIN Supplements with their food such as REPTAVITE OR NUTROBAL.

Plants

Dandelion

Clover

Chickweed

Plantain

Heather

Sow Thistle

Hawkbites

Rose petals

Hibiscus

Dead Nettle

Mallow

Violet

Kidneyweed ect.

Vegetable

Spring Green

Courgettes

Carrots

Rocket

Lambs Lettuce

Romanian Lettuce ect.

Fruit

Apples

Pears

Tomato

Melon

Plum

Apricot

Rasberry

Strawberry ect.

And some are POISONOUS to your Tortoise

Such as

Lupins

Daffodils

Hydrangea

Lily of the valley

Foxglive

Rhododendron

Avocado

Chilli

Peppers ect.

Written by Jasmin

Photo: Eastern Hermanns Rambo

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Decorations

Hermann's tortoises should always be kept on a dry substrate so not to increase the humidity inside their enclosure too much. We keep our tortoises either on beech woodchips or ProRep's Tortoise Life substrate.

Tortoise do not climb, but they do like to dig and burrow. So choose various pieces of natural wood or decoration to enable them to do this. Younger tortoises will appreciate a cave that they can take refuge in.

The tortoise's enclosure can be decorated with artificial plants for a more natural look. Desert plantslook very effective. Trailing plants are very good at disguising electrical wires and equipment.

Written by Jasmin

Photo: Rambo (Eastern Hermann)

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Hermann Tortoise

They've a degree of individual character that's uncommon in reptiles, and they are sometimes exceedingly charming and amusing. They create a bond of familiarity with their proprietor and you'll be able to understand their unique quirks, likes and dislikes. They live approximately 75 decades, that gives us something in common! Such as the Horsfield tortoise, they're just one of the Mediterranean Tortoises, indigenous to the Northern beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Supplements

To provide tortoises with optimal nutrition and to keep them in the best of health, they will require diet supplementaion in the form of calcium, vitamins and minerals. These are most commonly available as powders

Calcium should be provided daily and dusted directly onto the tortoise's food. Vitamins may be added daily for young tortoises, but adults will only require them every other day.

Written by Jasmin

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Diet and Water

A Hermann's tortoise's diet consists of vegetation. Good foods include dandelion, clover, honeysuckle, leafy salads, watercress, curly kale, brussel tops, spring greens, coriander, parsley, rocket, carrot, parsnip, courgette and bell peppers. The bulk of the vegetation should be leafy greens.

The diet should also include fibrous plants like grasses and weeds. Good weeds include plaintains, white nettle, corn poppy, chickweed, bindweeds, hawkbit, viola's, goats beard, nipplewort etc. For times when fresh food is not available, or for variety, there are pre-made tortoise dried foods available that most tortoises relish.

The tortoise should be given a shallow bath 2-3 times a week for 10 minutes. This will enable them to take on fresh water and stimulate them to empty their waste.

Written by Jasmin