Choosing a Hermann tortoise

While choosing a Hermann tortoise may seem like an easy option, choosing the right one will make a big difference to your tortoise’s health and longevity. This smaller species generally only reaches 7 inches (19 centimeters) and can live for about 80 years. They are friendly and calm and have pretty shells that are a mix of bright yellow and dark brown. Because they come from a hot, dry Mediterranean climate, you shouldn’t even consider having one if you don’t live in a hot, dry region.

When choosing your pet, the Hermann tortoise, you should be sure that you are buying from a good local breeder. Turtles that have been imported may have been wild-caught, which means that it is illegal to keep them as pets. It also means that they have endured a long and stressful journey, so you will not get a very healthy turtle if it has been imported from far away. You can test the breeder’s quality by finding out what they suggest for housing and feeding Herman tortoises.

If they suggest using any commercial pellet food that is made for turtles, they don’t know much about this species of turtle. Because commercial pellet food is intended to meet the dietary needs of all species of turtles, it is actually harmful to the Hermann tortoise. Pellet food does not have enough fiber and calcium and contains too much protein for them. The extra protein will cause bone deformities and shell abnormalities in Hermann tortoises. In the wild, Hermann tortoises are herbivorous, and should be given a strict plant-based diet for optimal health.

The other thing to keep in mind is being told that these turtles can be kept indoors. Although this is true with hatchlings, older tortoises should be kept outside in an area that offers at least 100 square feet (10 square meters) of space. Part of the false advice these bad breeders give is that you can keep the cage heated with an electric heat stone. These heat rocks are heated from the bottom, the part of the turtle that is most sensitive. Not only are these heat rocks a fire hazard, but they can also burn the delicate underside of the turtle.

Because there are so many people who only breed and sell Hermann tortoises for profit, it is important to make sure you get your new pet from someone who truly cares about the species and knows how to properly care for it.

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