General Information:
The hermanns tortoise makes an excellent choice for your first tortoise, however you should bare in mind that they like up to 60+ years. On average hermans tortoises grow to 8-10”, with females tending to be the larger of the two and takes 5-7 years to reach adult size.

Tank Size:
 A single tortoise will require a 48” x 18” x 18” wooden vivarium for adequate moving space. Although larger tanks with a larger floor space would be beneficial and highly recommended. Alternatively tortoise tables can be used, following the same floor space requirements as vivarium's, however ensure the sides on the table are high enough to prevent escapes.
Tortoise’s should not be kept in glass tanks as there reflections can stress them, as well as the fact that glass tanks rarely hold the ambient temperature required. We advise against putting tortoises’s outside, other than on the hottest days of the year as our climate in rarely ideal for the tortoise. Also it helps reduce the risk of viral, bacterial & parasitic pathogens effecting the animal.

Tank Décor:
Ideally the only form of decor required with tortoises are log hides, allowing the tortoise to get out of the glare of the UV tube, making it feel more secure and reducing stress.

Substrate:
Beech Chip- Standard beech chip can be used for the hermans tortoise, although keepers should bare in mind that the bark can go moldy when wet, such as around the water bowl.

Orchid Bark- Orchid bark makes an ideal substrate for the hermans tortoise, as it allows for partial absorption. Also orchid bark tends to look more natural and aesthetically pleasing.

Herbi-floor- Herbi-floor is the safest substrate to use with tortoises, because it has been designed to be easily digested if it is inadvertently ingested. Further more herbi-floor allows for good absorption, and it’s herb base helps prevent nasty odours.

Tortoise life substrate- The Tortoise life substrate by ProRep is a species specifically designed substrate, made to meet the needs of tortoises originating from arid habitats, particularly Mediterranean and Russian tortoises.

Tank Décor:
As Rankin’s Dragons like to climb, it is usually recommended to provide stable climbing media under the heat bulb so that the dragon can bask in a raised position in the tank, as it would do in the wild. Ideal climbing media includes branches, bogwood and good sized rocks that have some height to them. A potentially beneficial piece of décor to add would be some sort of hide for the Dragon to shelter in the shade if it wishes; this can be easily done with a curved piece of cork bark or a half log hide.

Water:
Tortoise’s ideally require a water dish about the same size as them selves, however only about 1 cm deep, to allow the tortoise to easily get in/ out of the bowl. Water should be changed daily as the tortoise will often
defecate in the water, as well as leaving loose substrate in the water.

Heating:
Ideal heating for a hermans tortoise would be provided by a heat bulb suspended over one end of the tank, allowing for a heat gradient between the two ends. The heat bulb should be am infra-red night basking spot lamp, as this will not disrupt the tortoise at night. All heat bulbs should be controlled on some sort of thermostat (unless stated otherwise), such as the Habistat Dimmerstat. The basking point at the one hot end should be 86-88°F with a 10-15°F at night.

Lighting:
The hermans tortoise will require 5% UV lighting running the length of it’s tank, as this allows for the proper utilization of calcium, (allowing proper bone & shell growth). Lack of ultraviolet lighting can cause serious problems such as MBD (metabolic bone disease) & soft shells.
Tip: All UV lights need changing on average once a year (depending on make) as the UV element to the tube will break down, regardless if the the tube its self is still working.

Feeding:
Tortoises re herbivores and will only eat plant matter, the hermans tortoise should have a varied diet of salad’s (not ice burg), soft cabbages, rocket, carrot, water cress and kale. Additionally a few slices of tomatoes, cucumber, red/ green peppers can be used as occasional additions to the tortoises food.

Presentation- Food is best provided in a shallow dish which the tortoise can get into/ out of easily. Food should be chopped up to make it easier for the tortoise to eat and mixed up, to ensure a proper mixed diet, reducing the chance of particular food item selection.

Supplements- The hermans tortoise require that you supplement its de with a calcium & vitamin mix such as Nutrobal. This should be done twice a week for a tortoise up to 5 years old and once a week for 5+ years old. Additionally it is advised that you provide additional calcium in the tortoise diet, this can be provided by sprinkling pure calcium on the tortoises food. Alternatively extra calcium can be provided in the form of cuttle fish, which also allows the tortoise to wear down any excess growth of its beak.

Hibernation:
Despite popular belief it is not necessary to hibernate a mediterranean tortoise. A tortoise under five should be hibernated at all, due to potential risks. Should you wish to hibernate your tortoise, you may do so, but only a period of 6-8 weeks. However please check with a vet, that your tortoise is healthy before proceeding to hibernate.

Hermans Tortoise Shopping List
 48” long wooden vivarium
 5% reptile UV tube
 Starter unit for florescent light
 Dimmerstat
 60w red basking spot lamp
 Spot lamp bulb holder
 3 pin plug
 3 core electrical cable
 Water bowl
 Food bowl
 Thermometer
 Nutrobal or similar
 Substrate
 Hide