Advice needed on Hermanns tortoise

scwazrh

I have over the last year been learning about pros and cons of a few different reptiles as a pet. My choices have been a royal python, bearded dragon , chameleon or a Hermanns tortoise. I've come to the decision that a tortoise is the most suitable at this time for our family but I still have a few questions that I can't seem to find answers , so I'm hoping some one here can help.

First which is the best for indoor housing , a vivarium or a "table " type housing.

I have seen one pet shop selling the tortoise with certificates . What certs do this refer to ?

for Hibernating, what is the most suitable for our weather ? A lot of info available is from American websites and I assume that outside weather makes a massive difference.

I would prefer to buy from a reputable breeder if anyone knows one in the Leinster area. Thanks

antocann

great choice , tortoise make great pets , for a hermanns id suggest a vivarium ,

give them access to a basking spot and provide uv for them too
some species of tortoise require cites papers , hermanns are one of them that do ,

russian/horsefield tortoise are another species commonly kept as pets over here too , not to expensive either , i have a russian , i keep it on a table i built , great little guy he is

as for hibernation it really depends on how old and size of the tortoise

tallus

There's absolutley no reason not to hibernate a Hermans tortoise, no matter what the age, it's part of their natural life cycle. If they are being properly kept, or cared for, they should actually be in hibernation now.
When I kept them mine went into hibernation at the end of November.
I'd recommend a table top set up as they tend to do better with good air flow.
OP: you should visit the tortoise trust website before purchasing a tortoise, as they have exacting needs that absolutely need to be met.
It's illegal to sell a Hermans without the relevant papers as they are an endangered species in the wild.
Visit the Tortoise trust, it's the best place to go for information on chelonians.

antocann

tallus wrote: »

There's absolutley no reason not to hibernate a Hermans tortoise, no matter what the age, it's part of their natural life cycle. If they are being properly kept, or cared for, they should actually be in hibernation now.
When I kept them mine went into hibernation at the end of November.
I'd recommend a table top set up as they tend to do better with good air flow.
OP: you should visit the tortoise trust website before purchasing a tortoise, as they have exacting needs that absolutely need to be met.
It's illegal to sell a Hermans without the relevant papers as they are an endangered species in the wild.
Visit the Tortoise trust, it's the best place to go for information on chelonians.

i think you should add age and health , they need to be a few years old in captivity to hibernate

tallus

antocann wrote: »

i think you should add age and health , they need to be a few years old in captivity to hibernate

I strongly disagree Anto, not hibernating especially when tortoises are young can lead to shell deformities as they can grow faster than nature intended, even with the correct food and conditions.
I'm speaking from experience, when I got mine originally I didn't hibernate them as they were only a few months old, but as it turned out I was wrong not to, as they did grow a bit too fast and were at the beginning of developing shell deformities. Luckily I hibernated them the following years and the over growth stopped.

We're dragging the thread off topic either way.

OP I'd strongly recommend you do a LOT of research before purchasing a tortoise of any kind as they do take a lot of care especially if you're not used to keeping herps.
I wouldn't recommend any chelonian as a first pet.

tallus

My Setup from a few years back. Might give you an idea OP.

I had a combined UVB/Heatlamp, that had to be changed around every 7 - 9 months. Very important.

antocann

tallus wrote: »

My Setup from a few years back. Might give you an idea OP.

I had a combined UVB/Heatlamp, that had to be changed around every 7 - 9 months. Very important.

nice setup tallus , also shows how easy the tables are to build if op is looking to build there own table

and pics of the tort ?

tallus

antocann wrote: »

nice setup tallus , also shows how easy the tables are to build if op is looking to build there own table

and pics of the tort ?

Theee are some on heee somewhere anto ill see if i can drag them up.

tallus

You can see a bit of shell right at the bottom of the pic.

Renno123

scwazrh wrote: »

First which is the best for indoor housing , a vivarium or a "table " type housing.

my advise is not to go near a vivarium for a tortoise. stick with a table.

I have seen one pet shop selling the tortoise with certificates . What certs do this refer to ?
a lot of endangered species fall into regualtion on their trade known as 'CITIES' legislation. hermans tortoises require this document in order to sell or buy on. do not buy a hermans tortoise that does not have an article 2 document.

for Hibernating, what is the most suitable for our weather ? A lot of info available is from American websites and I assume that outside weather makes a massive difference.
Fridge hibernation. it is easier to maintain a temperature around 5 degrees Celsius.

I would prefer to buy from a reputable breeder if anyone knows one in the Leinster area. Thanks

your best bet would be to go to a reputable pet shop. reptile haven is supposed to have a good name. call into them and ask if they could source a breeder maybe?

have a look at tortoisetrust.org for detailed information