I think Hermann is the best for me!

[CapnAwes0me]

Hello all,

I am new to the forums and have been doing research on getting a tortoise for my family (myself wife 21 mo. old son dog and cat) and I believe Hermann would be the best for us! We live in a house and have a large back yard as well as a spare bedroom and large unused garage. We live in Texas (north of Dallas about 30 miles) and I was wanting to get helpful tips from everything on enclosures to where to keep it in my home. Obviously it will change with season (temps) but I def need to learn a lot before getting one of the little guys. Also does anyone know of a good place to get one? Kinda dont want to have one shipped. Feels wrong.

 

[Moozillion]

They handle shipping remarkably well. I got my Hermann's from Tortoise Supply in Nevada. They are super people: responded quickly to all my emails both before and after my tort arrived. They are members of this forum and I used them because of the rave reviews I read here.

I wanted to give both me (I'm a beginner) and my tort the best chance for a good first experience, so I got a 4-inch long one instead of a hatchling. The hatchlings can be very fragile and I've seen several times on this forum about hatchlings of ANY species dying suddenly for no apparent reason. Some are just born with problems that we can't detect. At 4 inches, mine is about 3 years old so she obviously made it through the fragile stage, but still has a whole lot of growing to do.

She was shipped from Nevada to me (in south Louisiana) Fed Ex Overnight. She left Nevada at 3:00 pm and I was opening her container at 9:30 the next morning! A warm soak woke her up: she peed, pooped and was eating as soon as I put food in front of her! That was not quite 3 months ago- she has settled in great and eats from my hand!

 

[CapnAwes0me]

Oh that is so great to hear!!!! Were in South LA if you dont mind me asking. My grandparents live in Lake Charles so I am very familiar with the area. Also do you have an inside enclosure or outside or both? The weather there is mainly like mine except we get a tad colder.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

For a single Hermann's, an outside enclosure of at least 4' X 6' is OK, but bigger is even better. Make sure there's a way for it to get out of the sun at all times...I've found a "cave" made from a slab of limestone resting on other rocks keeps my 4 comfortable even on the hottest Texas day, as the stone stays cooler. Obviously, if you'll only be keeping a single tortoise, a slab about 18" X 12" is plenty large enough (my 4 share a "cave" made of a 30" X 18" slab). Set it about 8-10" off the ground and stuff some dry grasses inside, which you can wet down daily, thus keeping their siesta area humid.

Indoors, for winter living, give it at least 2' X 3', but, once again, bigger is better. A lot of folks convert an old chest of drawers, laid on it's back, into a "tortoise table". Look in "Enclosures" for ideas.

Welcome to our little slice of Chelonian Heaven.

 

[bellyboo]

Hermann's are great little guys! We have had ours for one year and one month now. We ordered a hatchling and he arrived overnight via UPS just fine. However, if I had to do it again I think I'd get an older one just for peace of mind. I know of a few people who have had their babies suddenly die.

We have our little guy in a huge rubbermaid tote right now. It's big enough that it has a cooler end, basking spot, hiding spot and tons of live plants in it. Eventually he will be in a bigger tortoise table, but while he is small this is working well. During the summer we keep him in the living room, but right now while it is so cold (in Nebraska) we have him in the laundry room. It's the warmest room in our house. We also have a 2'x3' outdoor enclosure that he gets to hang out in during the summer months.

Good luck!