Hermann's Tortoise Question

[BabyB]

First off I would like to say hello!
Secondly I have a few questions about T.H.B.
I am thinking of getting my first tortoise and I have fallen in love with these guys. I have lurked around this forum and see a lot of you guys on here keep the Hermann's tortoise.
I have a great place to build an outdoor pen but there is a cotton wood tree in the area that I have. Will this tree harm the tortoise? I have found several care sheets and lists of plants and trees that are ok to place in their pen but I cannot seem to find out anything about these trees.

Another question I have is what is a fair price for a hatchling or juvenile? I have found the T.H.B's selling from anywhere between $100-$350. That seems like a pretty large gap.

I would love to hear any advice you guys have to offer as well. I have kept a few reptiles and dart frogs but this will be my first venture with a tortoise and I appreciate any guidance.

Thanks for reading

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi BabyB:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

I don't keep the Hermann's tortoise, so I'll defer to other members to fill you in on them.

I have a couple of cotton wood trees on my property. The tortoises don't pay any attention to them or the leaves that fall.

What would you like us to call you?

..and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[BabyB]

Thank you for the welcoming! I live in Oklahoma City. Most people just call me B. irl so why not here as well

I have a reptile friend that lives close and I asked him his opinion about the cotton wood and all he had to offer was that if it is not found in its natural habitat then I shouldn't use it. It sounds like sound advice, but I am sure that there are many things that are not found where they are native and the torts do fine with.

 

[GBtortoises]

Can't tell you anything about Cottonwood trees, we don't have them here where I live. As far as pricing for Eastern Hermann's, Testudo hermanni boettgeri, reasonable breeders sell them for anywhere from $100-125, online dealers generally $120-175 and some ask even more. Anything over $150 is way too much given how commonly available babies of the species are.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

As you are starting out, can I recommend that you give Tom's Beginner mistakes thread a read. It has loads of useful tips

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Starting out, get a young adult instead of a hatchling...not much difference in price, and much hardier (even with the most diligent care, some baby tortoises just don't thrive, but one a few years old is amazingly "bullet-proof").

This is soon to be the time of year when young adult E. Hermann's torts will be available at a reasonable price ($125 + shipping, last year)...likely another month-6 weeks.

 

[Jacob]

welcome to the forum :TORT:

 

[CactusVinnie]

Perfect climate in OKC for Boettgeri, year-round! Natural habitats n Romania are considered "suboptimal" (they occur here as the northest limit), but I cannot find a more balanced USA location than central OK in terms of soil, temperatures, rainfall. Somewhat like Macedonia, wich fits entirely in "optimal".
Take a small herd, from various breeders! Be careful to get only Balkan ones, not Western Hermanns. You won't regret! Let them naturalise, hehe!

 

[BabyB]

Thank you everyone for all the answers and advice!

I started clearing out the area for my future Hermann's today. I am getting pretty excited about it

 

[BabyB]

What do you mean by year round? Don't I still need to bring them in during the winter?

 

[GBtortoises]

What do you mean by year round? Don't I still need to bring them in during the winter?

In some areas of the U.S. Mediterranean and Russian tortoises can be kept outdoors year round provided that they have adequate, safe brumation (hibernation) quarters. Outdoor brumation in captivity can be a gamble. A tortoise in the wild has limitless choices to find a safe place to brumate for the winter. In captivity they are forced to use the area that their human keeper provides them with. Many keepers, new and old alike are not comfortable taking that risk. If you choose not to, your tortoise will do just fine kept awake and active throughout the winter indoors.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

What do you mean by year round? Don't I still need to bring them in during the winter?

I've always brought mine in for the winter...hibernation/brumation outside of the specimen's normal habitat (Central Europe, in this case) should only be done by experienced keepers, because doing it wrong can kill the tortoise(s)...and quite a few of us experienced keepers prefer not to do hibernation/brumation at all, as over-wintering them makes it easier to monitor the tortoise's health and doesn't affect their breeding patterns at all.