Help! New Hermann Owner

[katfinlou]

Hi, I'm Kay from Northumberland UK. I was given a female Hermann yesterday. Ive not got the first idea what to do with her. She's in a large ferplast plastic rodent enclosure for now which I hope is better than the tiny card box she had been in since the previous day without food or water... I was told prior to that she was kept in a dark outhouse. I ordered a lovely tortoise table for her yesterday which won't arrive til Wednesday and im worried about the lack of lighting I know she needs. What will be the best substrate to use in the new enclosure? She's currently on some sort of pellets recommended by the pet shop. The pet shop also recommended dry tortoise food even though ive read fresh leaves are best. There's so much conflicting advice ive either read or been given i don't know where I am! I really hope I can get some help here, I want to give her the best home possible. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! i know only a bit about hermanns. here is an extremely good care sheet http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks for the welcome and the help

 

[Jabuticaba]

Hello and welcome, Kay! Good to have you here. That's a pretty Hermann's you got.

Hope you've had a chance to read thru the care sheet. Please ask any questions and as many as you'd like. We'll try to help you as much as we can. There are a few UK members here who might be able to give you a better idea about where to buy proper lighting, substrate, food (during winter), etc. A lot of us grow our own tort food indoors during the the winter, so be sure to check the food section of the forum. Here's a good website: http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/search_7.asp?issearch=true

I, too, was given my Hermann's torts. I have 2 of them, a male (Merlin, ~10yo) and a female, (Darwin, ~7yo). Because I had no idea what about their health, my first stop was at the vet's clinic for a checkup. They're both healthy, thankfully.

I built a grazing pen outdoors, but they live mainly indoors. Outdoor time is very important, during the summer, for their physical and mental wellbeing. However, in Canada, our winters are very long and bitterly cold! Once the temps drop below 20°C, it's no longer safe for them to be outside. I don't let them brumate (hibernate), so I move them indoors for the cold season.

Here, they're munching on some pansies (Darwin is on the right):

This is Darwin's indoor enclosure. It's about 4'x4'. Merlin's is the same and both are made out of shipping crates.

(Yes, even though I have a pair, they're kept in separate enclosures. Torts are solitary creatures and don't live in herds/groups. They only meet to mate, for as long as a few minutes at a time. So you'll never have to worry about getting your tort a companion.)

May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Your pet store is a font of misinformation. Their business is to sell stuff on a regular basis. Pellets are a terrible substrate. Dry food is easy to feed and can be part of the diet, (easy and unambiguous if you need a house sitter) but fresh is better.

Many of us use coconut coir as substrate. I mix mine with fine organic compost from my garden. Others use top soil. Make sure there are no additives such as perlite or vermiculite.

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks for all the help everyone. At the moment all she wants to do is eat and eat and eat!! Is this normal? Ive no idea how often/how much is good and when I should expect pees and poopsies. She had a soak yesterday and seemed to enjoy it. From what I've been told anything I do will be better than her living conditions before coming here. I just want to do my very best for her. She will be seeing a vet to make sure all is ok, im just waiting for the tortoise table and lights to be delivered Wednesday then I will be happy. I will order some new substrate from Amazon, these pellets she's on are horrible and she slides all over on them...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I agree. Most pet shop employees...even the owners don"t know SQUAT about the animals that they sell. Here on this forum, however, is everything you'll ever need in the care of your tort. I wish the answers to the rest of lifes questions were so simple!! Welcome from southern Florida!

 

[katfinlou]

Bought the tortoise table but it's rather smaller than I expected...extension coming next week. She is really enjoying the uv light though bless her

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Yes, that is too small. Does the extension make it twice as big? Be thinking about an outdoor enclosure for when the weather is warmer.

 

[katfinlou]

I have the perfect enclosure for her in the summer, i also have an enclosed back yard that she can walk around when I am sitting out. Presumably it will still be ok to bring her indoors at night for safety if nothing else? Do you think doubling the size will be enough over winter?

 

[katfinlou]

She's booked to see a vet on Monday, ive learned that she's got awful pyramiding from either too much protein or lack of uv light. She was apparently kept in an outhouse before she came to me so I think it may be the latter...still haven't thought of a name for her either so she's listed at the vets as "girlie" for now lol

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

the enclosure needs to 4ft by 8ft minimal. she also needs a water dish that can fit her entire body in.

 

[katfinlou]

Oh I will sort that first thing. The local pet store recommended the one she has in the enclosure. Thanks for the tip, im learning new things every day

 

[katfinlou]

Soaked my little Hermanns (still has no name) just now but she didn't seem to enjoy it much. She kept rubbing her face with the front legs then seemed to try to submerge her entire face in the water. It wasn't deep enough for her to do this but I panicked and took her out. Is this normal for a tortoise to do this or is something wrong?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Don't panic. She's trying to clean her eyes. They submerge their faces to drink. The water should be deep enough for that.

She needs a water dish available at all times, big enough to fit in. she should be able to drink or soak at will. A shallow plant saucer is good for this.

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks for the advice johnsonboswell. I was afraid she would inhale the water and drown so ive been keeping it shallow. Im soaking her daily at the moment until I extend her table on Wednesday and can fit a big enough water saucer in for her

 

[johnsonnboswell]

They drink through their nares (nostrils). Take out the fake plants and put in a saucer for her. She'll walk through it if it's in her way.

What are you using for substrate now?

 

[katfinlou]

I had some horrible pellets, then moved on to a sand soil mix but have been recommended to use coconut fibre which im waiting for AMAZON to deliver. The plants are out now anyway as she was trying to eat them. Am I supposed to free feed her, or stick to set meal times? She eats enormous amounts, not sure if she's just been extra hungry at her other home and is making it up now...

 

[katfinlou]

I had no idea they drank that way. I was so scared she was going to drown!! If I put a tray of water in does she still need her soaks from me?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

yes she still needs soaks in warm water a couple times a week