🐢 Hermann’s Tortoise Care Guide

Hermann’s Tortoises are popular Mediterranean tortoises known for their attractive shells, curious personalities and long lifespans.

Although sometimes considered an easy pet, tortoises have very specific requirements for space, heating, UVB, diet and calcium.

They are also an extremely long-term commitment.

With the correct care, a Hermann’s Tortoise can live for 50 years or considerably longer.

This guide covers the basics you need to keep your Hermann’s Tortoise happy and healthy.

♂️♀️ How to Tell the Sex

Sexing a Hermann’s Tortoise can be difficult when they are young. The differences usually become much clearer as the tortoise grows and reaches maturity.

🐢 Males

Mature males generally have:

• A noticeably longer and thicker tail
• The cloaca (vent) positioned further down the tail
• A more concave plastron (underside of the shell)
• A wider V-shaped opening between the anal scutes
• A tendency to remain smaller than females

🐢 Females

Mature females generally have:

• A shorter and smaller tail
• The cloaca positioned closer to the base of the tail
• A flatter plastron
• A generally narrower opening between the anal scutes
• A tendency to grow larger and heavier than males

🔍 The Tail Is a Good Clue

The tail is one of the easiest ways to tell mature male and female Hermann’s Tortoises apart.

Mature males usually have a much longer and thicker tail, which is often carried tucked around the side of the shell.

Females generally have a shorter, smaller tail.

The shape of the plastron and anal scutes can also provide useful clues when sexing a mature tortoise.

⚠️ Young Hermann’s Tortoises

Young Hermann’s Tortoises can be extremely difficult to sex accurately.

Juveniles may not yet show the obvious physical differences seen in mature animals, so sex should not be determined from size alone.

⚠️ Sexing Disclaimer

Please note that Roxy’s Pet Shop is unable to guarantee the sex of any livestock.

Where we provide a suggested sex, this is based on the animal’s visible characteristics, age and our experience at the time. Some animals can be particularly difficult to sex when young.

Any sex stated should therefore be treated as our best assessment and not a guarantee.

🏠 Housing & Tortoise Table

For indoor accommodation, we generally recommend a large, open-topped tortoise table rather than a traditional glass aquarium.

Tortoises need plenty of floor space to walk, explore and regulate their body temperature.

Young tortoises can begin in appropriately sized accommodation, but their enclosure must increase significantly as they grow.

For an adult Hermann’s Tortoise, the larger the enclosure the better. Permanent adult accommodation should provide several square metres of usable floor space where possible, with secure outdoor access during suitable weather being highly beneficial.

The setup should include:

• Suitable basking lamp

• Thermostat where required for the heating equipment used

• High-quality UVB lighting

• Suitable substrate

• Hides

• Fresh water

• Feeding area

• Natural enrichment

• Calcium source

• Digital thermometers

A tiny enclosure is not suitable simply because a young tortoise is currently small.

Remember that you're planning for an animal that can live for many decades.

🌡️ Temperature

Hermann’s Tortoises need a proper temperature gradient.

Aim for approximately:

Basking area:
🌡️ 32–35°C

Cooler end:
🌡️ Around 20–24°C

This allows your tortoise to move between warmer and cooler areas to regulate its own body temperature.

Temperatures should be measured using reliable digital thermometers.

At night, the temperature can naturally drop.

Healthy Hermann’s Tortoises generally don't require constant overnight heat in a normal heated UK home, provided temperatures remain safely within an appropriate range.

🔥 Basking

A basking area is essential.

Tortoises rely on external heat to:

• Warm their bodies

• Digest food

• Remain active

• Maintain normal bodily functions

The basking lamp should create a concentrated warm area while allowing the opposite end of the enclosure to remain cooler.

Don't heat the entire enclosure to the same temperature.

Heat rocks should not be used.

☀️ UVB – Extremely Important

Hermann’s Tortoises require appropriate UVB lighting when kept indoors.

UVB helps the tortoise produce vitamin D3, which is essential for using calcium properly and maintaining healthy bones and shell growth.

Without suitable UVB, tortoises can develop serious health problems including Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).

Use a good-quality reptile UVB lamp suitable for a Mediterranean tortoise.

The correct strength and positioning depend on:

• Type of UVB lamp

• Distance from the tortoise

• Enclosure design

• Manufacturer's instructions

UVB bulbs don't necessarily stop producing visible light when their useful UVB output declines.

Replace the lamp according to the manufacturer's recommended schedule.

Provide approximately 12 hours of light during the daytime, with darkness overnight.

🌿 Substrate

A naturalistic substrate allows your tortoise to dig and behave normally.

Suitable options can include:

• Suitable tortoise soil

• Appropriate topsoil mixtures

• Mediterranean-style reptile substrate

Provide enough depth for natural digging behaviour.

Avoid:

• Cat litter

• Wood shavings

• Cedar

• Strongly scented substrates

• Artificial grass as the sole flooring

• Loose substrates known to be unsuitable for tortoises

Keep the substrate clean and replace heavily contaminated areas.

🏚️ Hides & Enrichment

Even though tortoises carry a shell, they still need places where they feel secure.

Provide:

• A suitable hide

• Cork bark

• Safe rocks

• Different substrate depths

• Edible plants where appropriate

• Natural terrain

• Shaded areas

Tortoises are active and curious animals.

An empty table containing only a food bowl and heat lamp doesn't provide enough stimulation.

You can occasionally change safe parts of the enclosure to encourage exploration.

🥗 Feeding Your Hermann’s Tortoise

Hermann’s Tortoises are primarily herbivorous grazers.

Their diet should be based mainly around a variety of suitable weeds, leaves and flowers rather than fruit or supermarket salad alone.

Suitable foods can include:

• Dandelion

• Plantain

• Sow thistle

• Hawkbit

• Hibiscus

• Suitable clover in moderation

• Other verified tortoise-safe weeds and flowers

Variety is extremely important.

Before feeding wild plants, make absolutely sure you can correctly identify them and that they haven't been exposed to pesticides, weedkillers or roadside contamination.

🥬 Shop-Bought Foods

When suitable weeds are difficult to obtain, particularly during winter, appropriate shop-bought greens can help provide variety.

Suitable choices can include selected leafy greens and herbs.

However, avoid relying on one type of supermarket lettuce every day.

A tortoise's diet should be varied, high in fibre and appropriate for a Mediterranean grazing species.

🍓 Fruit

Fruit should not form a regular part of a Hermann’s Tortoise's diet.

Their digestive system is adapted for fibrous vegetation rather than a high-sugar fruit diet.

Avoid routinely feeding:

• Strawberries

• Grapes

• Banana

• Melon

• Apple

• Other sweet fruits

A Hermann’s Tortoise is very different from tropical fruit-eating tortoise species.

❌ Foods to Avoid

Do not feed:

• Meat

• Dog or cat food

• Bread

• Dairy products

• Processed human foods

• High-sugar foods

• Regular fruit

• Avocado

• Rhubarb

• Onion

• Toxic garden plants

If you're unsure whether a particular plant is safe, check before feeding it.

🦴 Calcium

Calcium is extremely important for healthy bones and shell development.

Food should be appropriately supplemented with a quality reptile calcium product.

A piece of cuttlefish bone can also be left in the enclosure.

Your tortoise may chew it when required, and it can also help with natural beak wear.

Calcium works alongside correct UVB exposure, so providing calcium without proper UVB does not compensate for inadequate lighting.

💧 Water

Fresh, clean water should always be available.

Provide a shallow, heavy water dish that your tortoise can easily climb into and out of.

The water should not be deep enough to create a drowning risk.

Change the water every day and whenever it becomes dirty.

Tortoises may walk through their water dish, so expect it to require regular cleaning.

🛁 Bathing & Hydration

Young tortoises in particular can benefit from regular shallow warm-water soaks to support hydration.

Use:

• Shallow lukewarm water

• A secure container

• Constant supervision

The water should remain shallow enough that the tortoise can easily keep its head above the surface.

Never leave a tortoise unattended during soaking.

Fresh drinking water should still be available in the normal enclosure.

🐢 Handling

Hermann’s Tortoises can become comfortable around their owners, but they aren't animals that need constant handling.

When lifting:

• Use both hands

• Support the entire body

• Keep the tortoise upright

• Hold securely but gently

• Keep close to the ground where practical

Never pick a tortoise up by its legs or tail.

Avoid unnecessary handling, particularly when the animal is newly introduced to its home.

🏃 Exercise

Tortoises need far more space than many people expect.

They naturally spend considerable time walking, grazing and exploring.

A properly designed enclosure should allow plenty of movement.

Don't routinely allow a tortoise to wander unsupervised around the house.

Household floors can expose them to:

• Draughts

• Accidental injury

• Other pets

• Foreign objects

• Inappropriate temperatures

• Cleaning chemicals

A properly designed tortoise enclosure or secure outdoor area is much safer.

🌞 Outdoor Time

During suitable warm UK weather, Hermann’s Tortoises can benefit enormously from access to a secure outdoor enclosure and natural sunlight.

An outdoor enclosure should:

• Be completely escape-proof

• Protect against predators

• Provide sunny areas

• Provide shade

• Include hides

• Provide fresh water

• Contain safe edible plants where possible

• Prevent the tortoise digging underneath the boundary

Never simply put a tortoise loose in the garden and assume it will stay nearby.

They can climb, dig and escape surprisingly well.

🦊 Outdoor Safety

Outdoor tortoises can be vulnerable to:

• Dogs

• Foxes

• Rats

• Birds

• Lawn equipment

• Ponds

• Toxic plants

• Pesticides

• Weedkillers

• Escape

A secure enclosure is essential.

Check the garden carefully before allowing access.

😴 Hibernation

Hermann’s Tortoises are a species that can naturally hibernate under appropriate conditions.

However, hibernation should never simply mean allowing a tortoise to become cold and go to sleep.

Incorrect hibernation can be extremely dangerous.

Before considering hibernation, factors including the tortoise's:

• Species/subspecies

• Age

• Weight

• Body condition

• Health

• Hydration

• Feeding history

must be considered.

Only a healthy, appropriately prepared tortoise should be considered for hibernation.

We recommend obtaining experienced advice and, where appropriate, a pre-hibernation health check from a reptile/exotics-experienced vet.

⚠️ Never Hibernate an Unwell Tortoise

Do not hibernate a tortoise that is:

• Underweight

• Unwell

• Dehydrated

• Recovering from illness

• Showing respiratory symptoms

• Carrying a significant parasite burden

• Of uncertain health

If you're unsure, seek professional advice rather than taking a risk.

🐚 Shell Care

A healthy shell should be firm and develop gradually as the tortoise grows.

Correct shell development depends on:

• Proper UVB

• Calcium

• Appropriate diet

• Correct temperatures

• Hydration

• Exercise

• Suitable growth rate

Do not apply oils, polish or household products to your tortoise's shell.

The shell does not need to be made shiny.

🦴 Metabolic Bone Disease

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is a serious condition often associated with inadequate UVB, calcium or inappropriate husbandry.

Signs can include:

• Soft shell

• Abnormal shell growth

• Weakness

• Difficulty walking

• Deformed limbs

• Abnormal jaw

• Tremors

MBD is much easier to prevent than treat.

Correct UVB + calcium + diet + heating are all essential.

Seek veterinary advice if you suspect a problem.

📈 Shell Pyramiding

Pyramiding describes abnormal raised growth of the shell scutes.

Shell development can be influenced by several husbandry factors, including:

• Growth rate

• Diet

• Hydration

• Humidity

• Environment

Good husbandry from a young age is important for healthy shell development.

✂️ Beak & Claws

A healthy tortoise's beak and claws should wear naturally through normal feeding, digging and movement over varied surfaces.

If the beak or claws become excessively overgrown, don't simply cut them yourself unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Seek advice from an experienced reptile professional or vet.

🩺 Health

A healthy Hermann’s Tortoise should generally be:

• Bright and alert when warm

• Active

• Eating normally

• Clear-eyed

• Clear around the nostrils

• Walking normally

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Producing normal waste

• Developing a firm, healthy shell

Learn what is normal for your individual tortoise.

⚠️ Signs to Watch For

Contact a reptile/exotics-experienced vet if you notice:

• Persistent refusal to eat

• Significant weight loss

• Runny nose

• Bubbles around the nostrils

• Wheezing

• Open-mouth breathing

• Swollen or closed eyes

• Severe lethargy

• Difficulty walking

• Soft shell

• Abnormal shell damage

• Persistent diarrhoea

• Unusual swelling

• Prolapse

• Wounds or injuries

Reptiles can hide illness, so don't wait until your tortoise becomes severely unwell.

⚖️ Monitoring Weight

Regular weighing is an excellent way to monitor your tortoise's health and growth.

Use accurate digital scales and keep a record.

Young tortoises should grow steadily rather than being deliberately overfed to encourage rapid growth.

Unexpected or continuing weight loss should be investigated.

Weight records are particularly important when assessing suitability for hibernation.

🦠 Hygiene & Salmonella

Like other reptiles, tortoises can naturally carry Salmonella bacteria without appearing ill.

Always:

• Wash your hands after handling

• Wash your hands after enclosure maintenance

• Keep tortoise equipment away from food preparation areas

• Supervise children's hygiene

• Clean contaminated surfaces appropriately

Never kiss your tortoise or allow it near your face or food.

🐢 Can Hermann’s Tortoises Live Together?

Keeping tortoises together isn't always as straightforward as it appears.

Problems can include:

• Bullying

• Biting

• Ramming

• Competition for food

• Persistent mating behaviour

• Stress

Male tortoises can be particularly territorial.

Two animals sitting together does not necessarily mean they are enjoying each other's company.

For many pet homes, keeping a Hermann’s Tortoise individually is the simplest and safest option.

If keeping more than one, provide considerably more space and be prepared to separate them permanently if necessary.

📄 Important – Paperwork & Identification

Hermann’s Tortoises are protected under wildlife trade regulations and their legal sale can require the appropriate Article 10 (A10) documentation, depending on the circumstances and specimen.

Where required, the paperwork relates to the individual tortoise and should be kept safe throughout its life.

Some tortoises may also require permanent identification, such as a microchip, once they meet the applicable requirements.

Never lose or discard paperwork supplied with your tortoise.

If you later sell or transfer the animal, the relevant documentation may be extremely important.

🏡 Bringing Your New Hermann’s Tortoise Home

Before collecting your tortoise, its enclosure should already be:

• Fully set up

• At the correct temperatures

• Equipped with suitable UVB

• Providing a proper basking area

• Furnished with suitable substrate

• Equipped with hides

• Supplied with fresh water

• Ready with suitable food and calcium

When you bring your tortoise home:

• Allow it time to settle

• Keep unnecessary handling to a minimum

• Maintain consistent temperatures

• Maintain its normal lighting routine

• Offer appropriate food

• Monitor eating and activity

It's normal for a new tortoise to take some time to become familiar with its surroundings.

👨👩👧 Is a Hermann’s Tortoise Right for You?

Hermann’s Tortoises can make fantastic pets, but they're a lifetime commitment.

Before buying one, remember that they:

• Can live for 50 years or considerably longer

• Need substantial space

• Require correct heating

• Require high-quality UVB

• Need a varied weed-based diet

• Require calcium

• Benefit from secure outdoor accommodation

• Need regular cleaning and monitoring

• May require specialist veterinary treatment

• Require careful consideration before hibernation

• May require important legal documentation to be retained

A small baby tortoise eventually becomes an adult requiring considerably more space.

Plan for the animal's adult requirements from the beginning.

❤️ The Most Important Things to Remember

A happy, healthy Hermann’s Tortoise needs plenty of space, a proper basking area, high-quality UVB, a varied weed-based diet, calcium, fresh water, suitable substrate and opportunities to explore.

Remember:

☀️ UVB is essential indoors.
🌡️ Provide a proper basking temperature and cooler area.
🌿 Feed a varied, suitable weed-and-leaf-based diet.
🦴 Provide appropriate calcium.
💧 Keep your tortoise properly hydrated.
🌞 Provide secure outdoor time when conditions are suitable.
😴 Never hibernate a tortoise without proper preparation and advice.
📄 Keep all relevant paperwork safe.

Have the complete enclosure set up and running correctly before bringing your Hermann’s Tortoise home.

🐢 Roxy's Pet Shop

Need help with your Hermann’s Tortoise?

Whether you're choosing a tortoise table, heating, UVB, thermostat, substrate, calcium, food or outdoor setup, please ask us. No question is too small or silly – we'd much rather you ask.

We recommend having your complete setup ready and running at the correct temperatures before collecting your tortoise.

Roxy's Pet Shop
Bloxwich High Street, WS3 3LA
☎️ 01922 492521
🌐 roxyspetshop.co.uk

This care guide provides general husbandry information and does not replace veterinary or legal advice. Requirements can vary depending on the individual tortoise, its age, enclosure and circumstances. If you are concerned about your tortoise's health, contact a qualified reptile/exotics-experienced veterinary professional.