Dwarf Hermann tortoise

[Toncica]

Hi all,

Great to be here, even i was reading last few weeks…

I am mum from London, my 15 years old son got cute 1.6 months old dwarf hermann tortoise. She is really cute, but i end up with taking care and, i find her really enjoyable. We are having her last 4 weeks, and learning slowly which makes me very worried as i think Toncica started pyramiding.
So, her housing is indoor, bedding coco choir, spraying often. Diet is, maybe a problem - no live plants yet, we are on the way to buy them (any advice are welcome), but realise its been to dry for her… or, giving her to much food? Will mix different greens (kale, chicory, lamb or pea salat, bok choi, beitish greens, or cabbage). As we are in the flat, we are having residential garden with grass, dandelion leaf, but i am not sure to give her that? It is harder in winter, no? I know there isn’t pesticides, but shell i try to give her same? I bought some dry mix with grass, dandelion, flowers but not sure she likes it…
She looks happy and fit little girl, but here are some photos, so you can see her.
I bath her every day first 3 weeks, now i am doing every 2 days, but i think will so every day as i am reading how to help little one with humidity… oh, yes… tomorrow going to buy moss, pls advice which one is good for hermanns? I am giving her calcium powder every day.
Thank you so much, and let mw know your opinion.
Enjoy your evening

 

[wellington]

Oh boy, I'm afraid everything is wrong.
There is no dwarf Hermann's. The enclosure is way too small. S/he, to young to sex, should be in a closed chamber with 80% humidity. The basking temp with an incandescent flood bulb or regular incandescent bulb of at least 60watt should be 95-100. A tube florescent for uvb and a ceramic heat for any added day heat temp should be 75-80 during the day needed and for night heat of 70.
Do not feed cabbage. The others you mentioned sounds fine. Also add endive, arugula, water cress cactus.

 

[wellington]

Please read this
Thread 'The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

 

[Toncica]

Oh boy, I'm afraid everything is wrong.
There is no dwarf Hermann's. The enclosure is way too small. S/he, to young to sex, should be in a closed chamber with 80% humidity. The basking temp with an incandescent flood bulb or regular incandescent bulb of at least 60watt should be 95-100. A tube florescent for uvb and a ceramic heat for any added day heat temp should be 75-80 during the day needed and for night heat of 70.
Do not feed cabbage. The others you mentioned sounds fine. Also add endive, arugula, water cress cactus.

Thanks 🙏 forgot to tell watercress, cress, wild rocket. Not sure what you mean by too small as when we bought it all was in the kit?

 

[zolasmum]

Don't get any moss - she mught eat some, and it could block her insides. It is very dangerous.
Also, I think you might be giving her too much calcium - a very small pinch on her food twice a week is enough - too much is bad for her.
Are you living in London UK ? I have a Hermanns tortoise who is now 23 years old , and he will eat salad from Morrisons or Sainsburys, for example, such as rocket, pea shoots, and watercress,that you can get in small bags. He loves radicchio, but we can't get that as easily. Give her as much food as she wants, cutting it up small, to make it easier for her.
Zola is not a "dwarf" hermanns tortoise, but he is quite small - he weighs just a little over one kilo - the male ones especially are smaller usually than the females.
He is a wonderful little friend and my husband and I are so happy to have him - he is definitely the most important member of the family ! We live in Devon, by the way.
Angie

 

[Toncica]

Don't get any moss - she mught eat some, and it could block her insides. It is very dangerous.
Also, I think you might be giving her too much calcium - a very small pinch on her food twice a week is enough - too much is bad for her.
Are you living in London UK ? I have a Hermanns tortoise who is now 23 years old , and he will eat salad from Morrisons or Sainsburys, for example, such as rocket, pea shoots, and watercress,that you can get in small bags. He loves radicchio, but we can't get that as easily. Give her as much food as she wants, cutting it up small, to make it easier for her.
Zola is not a "dwarf" hermanns tortoise, but he is quite small - he weighs just a little over one kilo - the male ones especially are smaller usually than the females.
He is a wonderful little friend and my husband and I are so happy to have him - he is definitely the most important member of the family ! We live in Devon, by the way.
Angie

Hi Angie, thanks for your replay. Good to see some older tortoise 😊
So, no moss? Oh… i thought that will be good for her as need more humidity 😖 yes, i am buying organic as much i can, as we are eating too. Devon sound wonderful!
Thanks

 

[wellington]

Just because it was bought as a kit doesn't make it a proper enclosure. Most stuff sold at pet stores, etc are not good.
What are the dimensions? It looks smaller then the ones sold here that are also no good
Your tort is pyramiding and needs a closed chamber enclosure with high humidity to stop it.
It needs room to exercise to keep insides working properly and to keep muscles built up so it can stay walking properly.
For now at least a 3x4 or 4x4 and in about in another 6 months to a year or so will need at least a 4x8.
Orchid or fir bark is good for substrate and holding humidity and so is coconut coir.

 

[Toncica]

Just because it was bought as a kit doesn't make it a proper enclosure. Most stuff sold at pet stores, etc are not good.
What are the dimensions? It looks smaller then the ones sold here that are also no good
Your tort is pyramiding and needs a closed chamber enclosure with high humidity to stop it.
It needs room to exercise to keep insides working properly and to keep muscles built up so it can stay walking properly.
For now at least a 3x4 or 4x4 and in about in another 6 months to a year or so will need at least a 4x8.
Orchid or fir bark is good for substrate and holding humidity and so is coconut coir.

Thanks… not sure how will work to buy and change enclosure 🙈 measures are 80x50. She is walking around and happily in… i am overwhelmed with it all, and stressed as owner trying to do the best for little creature. Makes me very sad our tortoise started to pyramiding, and not sure how to change it all now.
Thanks a lot… its hard one 😉

 

[wellington]

You can stop the pyramiding by changing what I said and using a closed chamber.
Unfortunately people find our forum and the right care too late, after they purchased a tortoise and listened to the pet stores or breeders that don't do it right either. You aren't the first one and you won't be the last. A lot of us did the same thing.
Once you get it right though, it will be much easier and healthier for your tort.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Tom]

Thanks… not sure how will work to buy and change enclosure 🙈 measures are 80x50. She is walking around and happily in… i am overwhelmed with it all, and stressed as owner trying to do the best for little creature. Makes me very sad our tortoise started to pyramiding, and not sure how to change it all now.
Thanks a lot… its hard one 😉

Hello and welcome.

The Western Hermanni are a different sub-species, a little smaller than the eastern subspecies, and over there they are sometimes referred to as "dwarf", but they really aren't.

I am not seeing pyramiding, but the top of the shell is unusually lumpy for a hermanni. I'm going to guess that is because of the open topped enclosure and the mercury vapor bulb. I would change both of those so that future growth comes in smoother and better. How to do that is explained in the thread that Wellington linked for you in post number three. Here is more info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

None of this is urgent. Go ahead and breathe. We will help you figure it all out. Your questions are welcome.

 

[wellington]

If the enclosure is 6x4 foot then it's good for a while. Now just do some diy and put/build a tent over it so it's closed and all lights can hang inside. You can also buy a pop up portable greenhouse to put over it. They are not expensive.

 

[Tom]

If the enclosure is 6x4 foot then it's good for a while. Now just do some diy and put/build a tent over it so it's closed and all lights can hang inside. You can also buy a pop up portable greenhouse to put over it. They are not expensive.

80x50cm is 30x20 inches.

 

[wellington]

80x50cm is 30x20 inches.

Oh shoot, I didn't even think cm but thought it looked very small. Which it is way too small.

 

[Toncica]

If the enclosure is 6x4 foot then it's good for a while. Now just do some diy and put/build a tent over it so it's closed and all lights can hang inside. You can also buy a pop up portable greenhouse to put over it. They are not expensive.

Thanks 😊 will try to do something about it…

 

[Toncica]

80x50cm is 30x20 inches.

Sounds good 👍 thanks

 

[Toncica]

Welcome!

Thanks x

 

[Tom]

Sounds good 👍 thanks

No. This is not good. It is way too small. You need a large enclosure on the order of 122x244cm. And the outdoor enclosure for the summer months and warm spells should be even larger. There are some reptiles that do fine in relatively small indoor enclosures. Not tortoises. Tortoises need huge floor space inside their heated and lit enclosures.

Letting them roam on the floor is not safe and cannot be made safe, so that is not an option for someone with an enclosure that is too small.