🦎Greek tortoise: gear and buying guides

Close to Hermann's tortoise, the Greek tortoise is a peaceful land tortoise that needs sunshine, outdoor space and a strict herbivorous diet over several decades. Depending on the subspecies and its origin, hibernation must be adapted or shortened, and keeping one in France requires official paperwork.

Profile : 20 to 25 cm as an adult, commonly over 50 years of lifespan, intermediate level.

Species profile

Lifespan

50 to 100 years

Adult size

20 to 25 cm

Basking spot

32 to 35 °C

Humidity

40 to 60 %

Minimum enclosure

120 × 60 × 30 cm

Temperament

Close to Hermann's tortoise, peaceful and a grazer, it digs a little more and enjoys loose-soil areas.

Health watch

shell pyramiding and deficiencies from an unbalanced diet · herpesvirus and chronic runny nose syndrome, worsened by stress or poor hibernation

Legal status

A protected species, CITES Appendix II and Annex A of EU Regulation 338/97: keeping 1 to 6 animals requires a prefectural declaration, and an identified animal plus an intra-Community certificate are mandatory at transfer.

🩺 Our hygiene and health advice stays general: it never substitutes for an examination by a veterinarian, the only person qualified to advise on your animal.

Greek tortoise gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  Strictly herbivorous, high in fibre and calcium: varied wild plants, endive, sedums, edible flowers, cuttlebone always available. Avoid iceberg lettuce, excess fruit and any dog or cat food.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Regular lukewarm baths for juveniles, deworming on veterinary advice and monthly weigh-ins. Learn your animal's exact origin: some lines cope poorly with long, cold hibernation.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  It digs more than Hermann's tortoise: provide loose soil areas, varied terrain, sun-warmed flat stones and edible vegetation to graze on.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A spacious outdoor enclosure (10 m² and more for an adult), well drained and south-facing, with buried opaque fencing and a dry shelter. Indoors, a tortoise table with strong UVB rather than a closed terrarium.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A rigid hay-lined box, neither oversized nor slippery, at mild temperature. French regulations require identification and paperwork: keep documents with the animal whenever it travels.

• 🧰 Accessories

  High-output UVB for indoor use, a basking lamp, an insulated outdoor shelter, a ground thermometer, cuttlebone and a scale. Typical equipment budget of 300 to 600 €, enclosure not included.

Guides to read

• Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: height, ventilation and humidityBedding & habitat

  Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: why height matters more than floor space, what size fits each age, and how to manage the humidity cycle.

• Feeding a crested gecko: CGD powder, fruit and occasional insectsFood

  Feeding a crested gecko: why complete CGD powder remains the base diet, when to add insects, and how often to feed by age.

• Tail loss in crested geckos: why you should never grab one by the tailCare & grooming

  Tail loss (autotomy) in crested geckos: why the tail never grows back in this species, what handling mistakes to avoid, and what to do if it drops.

• Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: branches, hides and climbing supportsToys & enrichment

  Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: why climbing supports matter as much as décor, what hides to provide, and whether to rotate the layout.

• Transporting a Green Iguana to the Vet: Carrier, Heat and StressTravel & safety

  Rigid carrier, keeping the animal warm on the road, and grips to avoid with the tail: how to transport a green iguana to the vet without adding to its stress.

• Humidity and Shedding in the Chinese Water Dragon: Avoiding Skin ProblemsCare & grooming

  Why the Chinese water dragon needs high humidity, how to maintain it without stagnation, and the early signs of an incomplete shed.

• Feeding a Green Anole: Which Insects, and How Often?Food

  Small live insects, prey size and feeding frequency: the complete guide to feeding a green anole, a strict insectivore and a tiny lizard.

• Handling and Transporting a Pacman Frog: Limiting Stress and ContactTravel & safety

  Why the Pacman frog's permeable skin means handling should stay minimal, and how to transport it safely for a vet visit.