# Today, I got my hermanns tortoise baby. Question about the desirable temperature.



## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

I am very excited that I finally got my hermanns tortoise baby today. It is a four months old well-started hatchling. And this is my first tortoise. 

I am trying to make sure the tempature I have in the enclosure is ideal for the baby hermanns. 

What should be the right temperature during day time and night time. And in winter, should the setting be different from the summer setting?

I was trying to search the answer on the forum but couldn’t find anything directly related to Hermanns baby. 

I am using 80W PowerSun Mercury Vapor UVB bulb for day time and a ceramic bulb for the night. 

I also have an Inkbird Temperature control device that can help to regulate the temperature during night. During day time, I leave the PowerSun bulb on all the time. 

Any idea or suggestion will be appreciated!


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## gurgleblaster (Dec 18, 2020)

Go to HermaniHaven.com there is a comprehensive fact sheet for Herman's there as well as an associate's youtube garden state tortoises. Best info for raising I have found. Also Shelly says high to fellow hwrmans


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## KarenSoCal (Dec 18, 2020)

We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?






Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED


Josh and I corresponded last week about making an updated version of the Hermann's tortoise care sheet since the old one we have posted here is a bit outdated and a little too brief in my opinion. So, here is the new one equipped with photos. Look out for the April 2015 issue of Reptiles...




www.tortoiseforum.org


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is a eastern hermanns. thanks for the care sheet


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> We have a care sheet for Hermann's. Do you know what kind of Hermann's you have? Eastern, Western, etc?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?


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## KarenSoCal (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?



I have never personally kept a Hermann's, so have no experience to draw on.

We generally recommend that all baby torts be kept at a minimum of 80°F at night. But the care sheet I linked, written by an expert on Hermann's, advises on keeping baby Hermann's as low as the low 70's at night, but no lower. BTW, the author of the care sheet is a member here, @HermanniChris .

If I was doing it, I would put the ceramic bulb on the thermostat set at 75°. It should run very little, but protect in the event it drops lower. With other species, one night really low and they get RI's. I'm a safe rather than sorry type.


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## Yossarian (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?



Cold air requires less moisture (water vapour) to become saturated than warm air. If you are not adding moisture to the system, heating the air will reduce relative humidity. Basically the CHE is coming on, heating the space up which increases the capacity of the air to hold moisture, in turn reducing the relative humidity. The fix is to use a subtrate of coco coir and or orchid bark, several inches deep, and keep it damp. As the space heats up then, more moisture will evaporate from the substrate to increase the relative humidity along with the temperature.

70ish fahrenheit at night is only tolerable for an adult hermanns. For a baby, I would keep it warmer (80+) and it needs to be fully enclosed ideally to keep humidity high enough while its young. I would use the CHE if it is dropping lower than that for sure. Also, take a plastic tub a suitable size for your tort to use as a hide, cut a door in it big enough for your tort, make sure the substrate under it is damp each night, and place it near the CHE. The heat emitter will heat up the tub material, this will in turn heat the air inside the tub, causing moisture to evaporate and be trapped in the microclimate of the hide. As a baby, it shouldnt have a choice, this is where you want it to sleep.

I will say, I have never had a baby hermanns, but after keeping a greek tort for several years, if I did, this is what I would be trying to achieve.


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## JoesMum (Dec 18, 2020)

Hi

Why not post photos of your enclosure and lighting? It will help us to understand what’s going on more quickly and advise you


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## method89 (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> I do notice that when I use the ceramic blub at night, the humidity level drops significantly. My room temp does not drop under 73F at night. Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?


Most Testudo do not need night heat. If you are certain that your room temp stays at 70 or above then you don't need the ceramic bulb.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

JoesMum said:


> Hi
> 
> Why not post photos of your enclosure and lighting? It will help us to understand what’s going on more quickly and advise you


That is a good idea. The only problem is i am still waiting on the actual enclosure to arrive and the current one is a temp one which will only be used for a few days.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

method89 said:


> Most Testudo do not need night heat. If you are certain that your room temp stays at 70 or above then you don't need the ceramic bulb.


Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?


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## Ink (Dec 18, 2020)

Congrats on your new tortoise, enjoy!


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> I have never personally kept a Hermann's, so have no experience to draw on.
> 
> We generally recommend that all baby torts be kept at a minimum of 80°F at night. But the care sheet I linked, written by an expert on Hermann's, advises on keeping baby Hermann's as low as the low 70's at night, but no lower. BTW, the author of the care sheet is a member here, @HermanniChris .
> 
> If I was doing it, I would put the ceramic bulb on the thermostat set at 75°. It should run very little, but protect in the event it drops lower. With other species, one night really low and they get RI's. I'm a safe rather than sorry type.


I also found that the baby likes to sleep a lot. l counted the hours and it slept 12 hours straight. In the next morning, I got worried about it and woke it up and put it in the water to soak. After 15 minutes soaking, It started to eat and basking under the light blub. But, when I look at it closely, it is actually sleeping under the basking light. 

Is this normal for a baby Hermanns? or should I even wake it up for soaking and eating?


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## method89 (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?


70 at night is good for a baby. During the day you want to be 80-85, with a basking area @95.


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## Maggie3fan (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Yes. I am certain. Because I measure the room tempature every day. Every morning I wake up, the temp is usually around 72F. Will the baby also be good with the 70F? I will have a safeguard to setup my ink bird device to turn on the heat bulb if the temp drops under 70F. but is the 70F ok with the baby?


No 70 is too cold for a baby, 70 at night maybe but 85 or so daily.and it IS a baby. For about a year the baby will eat and sleep, just like human babies. but if you handle him a bit and tame him sorta the fun begins

from KarenSoCal


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

maggie3fan said:


> No 70 is too cold for a baby, 70 at night maybe but 85 or so daily.and it IS a baby. For about a year the baby will eat and sleep, just like human babies. but if you handle him a bit and tame him sorta the fun begins
> 
> from KarenSoCal





method89 said:


> 70 at night is good for a baby. During the day you want to be 80-85, with a basking area @95.


During day time, the temp is around 92F directly under the basking area (I will lower the light a bit to make the temp goes up) and 75F at the coolest spot (in the hiding shelter furthest away from the heat source).


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## HermanniChris (Dec 18, 2020)

70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.


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## Tom (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Should I even use the ceramic blub at all? Especially for a baby?


No. Unless you live in a refrigerator, you should not need night heat for a hermanni. low 70s is fine. Low 60s is Fien as long as it warms up during the day.

Here is the current and correct care info:





The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise


I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...




tortoiseforum.org


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

Tom said:


> No. Unless you live in a refrigerator, you should not need night heat for a hermanni. low 70s is fine. Low 60s is Fien as long as it warms up during the day.
> 
> Here is the current and correct care info:
> 
> ...


Thank you Tom for replying! I will make sure it does not go below 70F. 

Also, I've seen the baby sleeping a lot. Is it normal for a baby Hermanns to sleep 12 hours straight in the hide under the bedding (it burrows under the substrate to sleep at night) and during the day, after eating, it sleeps under the basking light. As I am typing right now, it is laying down and sleeping... I am thinking, just like human baby, tortoise baby should sleep a lot, but I am not sure if that is normal. I had to wake the baby up in the morning for soaking in the water, or I feel that it can continue to sleep under the substrate. Should I wake it up? or just let it sleep.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 18, 2020)

HermanniChris said:


> 70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
> Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.


THANK YOU!! this is so helpful! I will keep this in mind.


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## Tom (Dec 18, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Thank you Tom for replying! I will make sure it does not go below 70F.
> 
> Also, I've seen the baby sleeping a lot. Is it normal for a baby Hermanns to sleep 12 hours straight in the hide under the bedding (it burrows under the substrate to sleep at night) and during the day, after eating, it sleeps under the basking light. As I am typing right now, it is laying down and sleeping... I am thinking, just like human baby, tortoise baby should sleep a lot, but I am not sure if that is normal. I had to wake the baby up in the morning for soaking in the water, or I feel that it can continue to sleep under the substrate. Should I wake it up? or just let it sleep.


I would dig it up and soak it daily. This time of year, many of them just want to sleep. Warm soaks usually wake them up and stimulate appetite too.

If your tortoise is basking a lot, you might want to warm up the day time ambient temps a bit. It can still get cool at night, but warmer ambient temps during the day might discourage the excessive basking. You can use your thermostat and a timer with your CHE for this. Set the CHE on a thermostat to 80-ish, and plus the thermostat into an appliance timer. Set the daytime heat to come on a couple of hours after the basking lamps, and go off a couple hours before the basking lamps. This will simulate the cooler morning and evenings outside while still giving your baby lots of daytime warmth. Adjust as needed depending on behavior. This will also tend to dry things out in an opened topped enclosure, so be mindful of the dryness and add moisture as needed.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 19, 2020)

Tom said:


> I would dig it up and soak it daily. This time of year, many of them just want to sleep. Warm soaks usually wake them up and stimulate appetite too.
> 
> If your tortoise is basking a lot, you might want to warm up the day time ambient temps a bit. It can still get cool at night, but warmer ambient temps during the day might discourage the excessive basking. You can use your thermostat and a timer with your CHE for this. Set the CHE on a thermostat to 80-ish, and plus the thermostat into an appliance timer. Set the daytime heat to come on a couple of hours after the basking lamps, and go off a couple hours before the basking lamps. This will simulate the cooler morning and evenings outside while still giving your baby lots of daytime warmth. Adjust as needed depending on behavior. This will also tend to dry things out in an opened topped enclosure, so be mindful of the dryness and add moisture as needed.


Thank you for the advice！one quick question, how do I keep the soaking water warm for the entire 20 minutes? I tried to use the water with 90F but within 5 minutes it gets colder. I had to change the water but still cool down quickly, then i tried to keep the soaking tub in the enclosure under the basking light bulb. Is there a better way to keep the water warm?


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## Yossarian (Dec 19, 2020)

Just soak them in a plastic tub in the bath or sink, when the water starts to cool down, add more hot to it.


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## Tom (Dec 19, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Thank you for the advice！one quick question, how do I keep the soaking water warm for the entire 20 minutes? I tried to use the water with 90F but within 5 minutes it gets colder. I had to change the water but still cool down quickly, then i tried to keep the soaking tub in the enclosure under the basking light bulb. Is there a better way to keep the water warm?


Add more warm water, or soak in a warmer area. You can put the soaking tray inside the warm enclosure. In warmer weather you can use the sun, be be very careful. Make sure that as the sun moves the soaking pan moves more into the shade, and not more into the sun. Overheating and death is a real possibility if this is not done very carefully. I have an area on my ranch where I do this. The bins are continually moving into the shade and I have to scoot them more into the sun every few minutes. If I were to get distracted and forget them, the tubs would be in full shade, and no harm would come to the tortoises. Obviously, this method doesn't work well unless its fairly warm outside.


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## Yossarian (Dec 20, 2020)

HermanniChris said:


> 70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
> Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.



This is good to know, I would have thought babies needed to be kept warmer so thanks for the input.


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## Jerrysmommy (Dec 20, 2020)

HermanniChris said:


> 70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
> Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.


Thank you. It definitely helps me. This has been a worry for me but now, I see we have been fine all along.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 20, 2020)

HermanniChris said:


> 70 to 75 is the limit range for a baby Hermann’s at night and I consider it too high except for during the summer. One of the biggest misconceptions in tortoise keeping, particularly for Testudos such as Hermann’s is thinking they should be warm at night. That does little for the animal and is nothing more than over-pampering. These animals need a nighttime cool down. It’s how it goes in nature and when the sun sets, the temps begin to fall and that triggers the animals to exhibit a natural response. More often than not, overly warm nighttime temps force a baby to sit out instead of hiding into a moist microclimate. This leads to dehydration and many times it is irreversible. These aren’t babies that need a “blanket” at night. They are wild at heart and the vast majority of Hermann’s come from areas where temps fall considerably at night. In the peak of summer this is often a different story as nighttime temps are sometimes still quite high. This however is only for a brief period of time. The night cool down is beneficial in many ways particularly for appropriate moisture build up and because it sparks that hiding instinct in them. It was 19F out last night here in southern NJ. Every single one of our Hermann’s from just a few months of age to some well over 60 handled it just fine as they really begin their winter slumber. In spring and fall, the daytime temps can reach the high 70s to low 80s and then fall to as low as the upper 40s or low 50s. The tortoises of all ages know exactly what to do.
> Each year the young grow bigger, better, stronger, more colorful and more self sufficient. Rain, snow (occasional here), wind, extreme heat, humidity, drought spells and everything in between are excellent in their own right and allow the animals to form into brawny, robust specimens. By being subjected to a sufficiently cool night from day one of their lives, the tortoises obtain appropriate moisture without being forced to soak constantly and as I’ve already said, they are able to tap into those natural behaviors and responses. I would highly, highly, advise against any kind of nighttime heat source for any Hermann’s of any age. The only time I’d ever even possibly suggest it is if an animal is being housed indoors during the summer months and the temperature inside the keeper’s home falls to the mid to low 60s overnight from an AC unit. That would be it. Hermann’s are not tropical animals nor are the desert animals. They come from regions than have at least some form of seasons and many of them are buried under snow for the winter. Hope this helps.


Thanks again as I come back to this comment and read your advice again! One more question, what should be the desirable temp directly underneath the basking light and what should be the ambient temp during day time? I setup a timer to turn on the light at 8am and turn it off at 9pm. The spot directly below the basking light can sometime reaches to 97F, I will spray mist to cool it down a bit. Is it too high? Not enough? Or about right?


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## GMDVM (Dec 22, 2020)

Congratulations on your new tortoise!!! I have a 5 month old Western Hermann - got him in August. My first tortoise and I am smitten! 
I use a CHE - my basking area is 95 degrees. It can be warmer once they are adults The enclosure ranges from 75-85 degrees Heat lamp is off at night so about 68-70 degrees at night He wakes up after the heat lamp comes on and he sees morning light. I don’t wake him up. Best to avoid stress. Most important is humidity. At least 70% ambient. I have a clear shower curtain draped over the plastic enclosure which is 33X19 inches. I only need to occasionally mist the enclosure Substrate is moist but not soggy. I use coconut coir and cypress chips. I boil these before using because I don’t want fungus gnats. I soak him under his heat lamp so the water stays fairly warm 
i also bought a gram scale to monitor weight.
I am sure you will do just fine with everything!
Merry Christmas from Honey B !!


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 22, 2020)

GMDVM said:


> Congratulations on your new tortoise!!! I have a 5 month old Western Hermann - got him in August. My first tortoise and I am smitten!
> I use a CHE - my basking area is 95 degrees. It can be warmer once they are adults The enclosure ranges from 75-85 degrees Heat lamp is off at night so about 68-70 degrees at night He wakes up after the heat lamp comes on and he sees morning light. I don’t wake him up. Best to avoid stress. Most important is humidity. At least 70% ambient. I have a clear shower curtain draped over the plastic enclosure which is 33X19 inches. I only need to occasionally mist the enclosure Substrate is moist but not soggy. I use coconut coir and cypress chips. I boil these before using because I don’t want fungus gnats. I soak him under his heat lamp so the water stays fairly warm
> i also bought a gram scale to monitor weight.
> I am sure you will do just fine with everything!
> Merry Christmas from Honey B !!


Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...


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## GMDVM (Dec 23, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...


Yes i use a flat rock under the basking bulb. I adjust the height of my bulb so the rock is 95 degrees. It is a 50 watt CHE. When you have a new bulb you need to run it for a day or two because it can be too strong at first for the enclosure. I also find that a laser thermometer works great to check temps quickly in specific areas


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## GMDVM (Dec 23, 2020)

Jasminemmm said:


> Merry Christmas! Honey B looks so cute~ I cover half side of the plastic enclosure and put a mini humidifier in there to put out mist. The humidity level in its sleeping burrow is around 80% and ambient level is about 40%, when the humidifier is turned off. I also bought a vivarium and still putting all the necessary lights in there and testing and adjusting the temp before I move the baby in there. Thanks for sharing your experience. one quick question, do you use basking rock for your baby? in my new vivarium, if I put the basking rock directly under the basking light, the temp can continue to go up and up over time. It had reached a point of 105F and I am using a 45W incandescent light bulb. As I am reading from online and from tortoise book, tortoises are not supposed to absorb heat from their ventral shell and if it overheats, it will cause heat jam. have you heard of this? I am thinking I should take out the basking rock...


Oh and Chris Leone does not recommend foggers for Hermanni tortoises. Ambient humidity at least 70% can be achieved by using high walled enclosure that is covered or mostly covered. But I am no expert so refer to his advice. Can’t wait to see your little one. Please post a pic What is his name?


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 23, 2020)

GMDVM said:


> Oh and Chris Leone does not recommend foggers for Hermanni tortoises. Ambient humidity at least 70% can be achieved by using high walled enclosure that is covered or mostly covered. But I am no expert so refer to his advice. Can’t wait to see your little one. Please post a pic What is his name?


Thanks for your advice! I will do more research on the rock slate and the humidifier issue in a closed chamber enclosure. I will post a picture of its enclosure once it is complete. I am still thinking of its name~~~ ( I am really bad at giving names...)


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 24, 2020)

Posting a few more pics of it I took this morning. My little eager eater~


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## Krista S (Dec 24, 2020)

Your tortoise is so adorable!! Congrats on your new little one.


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 24, 2020)

Krista S said:


> Your tortoise is so adorable!! Congrats on your new little one.


Thanks~ I love it from my heart. Watching it eating makes me happy~


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 24, 2020)

Finally, on Christmas Eve, I got the enclosure ready for my Christmas. Yes, I named it (he/she) _Christmas_. I will start a new thread for the enclosure later. Here are a few pictures.

When it wakes up tomorrow morning, it will be moved to the new home.?





When the sun goes down, the moon comes out.?


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## GMDVM (Dec 25, 2020)

Looks like luxurious accommodations!


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 25, 2020)

Moving to the new home... and exploring it...managed to get itself stuck... and i had to rescue it

So far, it seems to like the new place a lot~~~


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 28, 2020)

It needs a friend?


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## Yossarian (Dec 28, 2020)

is there a second tortoise in that last photo?


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## Jasminemmm (Dec 28, 2020)

Yossarian said:


> is there a second tortoise in that last photo?


No, it is not a second tortoise. It is a toy ( a realistic one). I was hoping that it will think that the toy is one of its kind and grow up with a company, but it does not seem to be interested in that one at all... maybe because that toy never moves...

I read that a hatching needs to grow up with other torts so that it can recognize others and behave normally when they become adult. But there are all sorts of issues with raising a pair, and I don’t have enough space for three... so I have to think out of box...


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