🦎Hermann's tortoise: gear and buying guides

Hermann's tortoise is a hardy, endearing land tortoise, but it is a multi-decade commitment best kept in a secure outdoor enclosure, with indoor housing only as a backup for juveniles. Plan strong UVB indoors, annual hibernation and, in France, mandatory paperwork before any purchase.

Profile : 18 to 25 cm as an adult, commonly over 50 years of lifespan, intermediate level due to legal obligations and hibernation.

Species profile

Lifespan

50 to 80 years

Adult size

18 to 25 cm

Basking spot

32 to 35 °C

Humidity

40 to 60 %

Minimum enclosure

120 × 60 × 30 cm

Temperament

A hardy, endearing land tortoise, it calmly patrols its territory but remains a display animal that dislikes handling.

Health watch

shell pyramiding (overgrowth from an unsuitable diet or humidity) · chronic runny nose syndrome and complications from a poorly prepared hibernation

Legal status

A protected species, CITES Appendix II and Annex A of EU Regulation 338/97: keeping requires a prefectural declaration (and an establishment authorisation beyond 6 animals), a microchipped animal and an intra-Community certificate.

🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.

Hermann's tortoise gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  Strictly herbivorous: wild plants (dandelion, plantain, clover), endive and edible flowers, with cuttlebone available for calcium. Fruit only very occasionally, never kibble or animal products.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Weekly lukewarm baths for juveniles, plus checks of beak, claws and shell (a bumpy shell often signals overgrowth). Preparing and monitoring hibernation is the main technical point.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  A varied enclosure beats any toy: mounds, rocks, digging areas, free-grazing edible plants and shaded shelters that keep it patrolling its territory.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  An outdoor enclosure of at least 10 m² for an adult, with buried fencing as it digs, an insulated shelter and a frost-free hibernation area. Temporary indoor housing: a tortoise table with basking lamp and strong UVB.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A snug rigid box with hay, kept calm and at moderate temperature. Reminder: keeping this species is regulated in France, and the animal must be identified and travel with its paperwork.

• 🧰 Accessories

  UVB and basking lamps for indoor use, an outdoor shelter, a hibernation box with min-max thermometer, cuttlebone and a small scale for weight tracking. Expect 300 to 600 € excluding a built enclosure.

Guides to read

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• 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.