The Hermann's tortoise (confirmed introduction)
The Hermann's tortoise is a representative species of European tortoises First, its strong physique, gorgeous character, moderate price and average size make it a very qualified entry-level breed. Hermann's tortoises are distributed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Baltic Peninsula and Turkey. Their resting environment is very wide, and they can be seen in forests, shrubs, and wilderness. Generally speaking, there are two subspecies of Hermann's tortoises: the western Hermann's tortoise is distributed in the western half of the Mediterranean from Spain to northwestern Italy; and the eastern Hermann's T. h. boettgeri is distributed from southern Italy to the Baltic Peninsula. of Eastern Europe. It is not a simple matter for beginners to accurately identify the differences between Heman subspecies.
It is widely believed that the western Hermann has yellow scales behind its eyes while the eastern Hermann does not. At the same time, the ratio of the breast shield to the femoral shield of the plastron is different between the two. However, these two characteristics are in many cases The appearance in individuals is not obvious, especially for larvae under 10 cm. Many people can find hazy yellow scales behind their Hermann eyes, but what they have happens to be T.h.boettgeri. There are also some unscrupulous merchants who use T.h.hermanni as a gimmick to make huge profits. The reason why this happens is generally because there are relatively few imported Hermans from the central and western regions. Another reason may be that they are on a very popular Chinese website. There is a saying that "Western Heman's back is upright and his face is bright", which has caused many beginners to blindly search for Western Heman. No matter how high the European tortoise's carapace is, it is not a radiated tortoise, so don't be fooled by merchants because of this. Of course, if you are a crazy collector of European tortoise subspecies, it is another matter.
Hermann's tortoises are quite easy to get started with. When raised in captivity, they prefer a slightly higher humidity environment than European tortoises such as four-clawed tortoises or golden European tortoises. You can put them in a breeding box. The humidity should be set at 40%-50% or even higher. For larvae under 10 cm, the temperature should not be lower than 25 degrees at night, and it will be safer and more comfortable to maintain it at 28-30 degrees during the day. For larger adults, it is okay to keep it above 16 degrees at night. Excessively high temperatures and excessively dry conditions may cause respiratory system diseases. A healthy Hermann's tortoise should be very colorful and gluttonous. Although each tortoise has a different taste and particularly preferred food, if it appears that it only eats one or two stronger-flavored tortoises, The appearance of the food should arouse the attention of the breederWarning, this situation may be due to problems with the tortoise's digestive system, or the parasites in their bodies may have reached a dangerous level. Under artificial conditions, it is recommended to feed dark green vegetables such as kale, mustard greens, cabbage cores, and rapeseed. It would be best if you can get enough dandelions, plantains and other wild vegetables. At the same time, it is non-toxic. Flowers are also a favorite food of Hermann's tortoises. For larvae, feed and additives such as vitamin D3 can be appropriately added to ensure that they can absorb calcium well.
Hermann’s tortoise likes legumes, cats, dogs and even meat. However, it is difficult for beginners to grasp the safe dosage of these foods. Therefore, in artificial breeding, Under certain conditions, it is still necessary to feed a completely vegetarian diet, mainly dark green vegetables, wild vegetables and pastures with relatively high calcium content and a calcium to phosphorus ratio greater than 2:1. General management is very important. Although Hermann's tortoises are not prone to stones, daily bathing is still necessary. Or if the housing environment is large enough, a shallow water basin that allows them to immerse their whole bodies will reduce the chance of stones. It just dropped to 0. They will be observed to excrete acid in the water, because they will do this in the wild, and the Hermann's tortoise will actively drink water. If the tortoise cannot be given the opportunity to sunbathe on its own, then a UVB-containing lamp will be a must-have, especially for larvae and larvae. Hermann's tortoises have the habit of dwelling in caves. However, it is easier for four-clawed tortoises to adapt to the situation where artificial conditions cannot dig downwards. However, it is still recommended to provide escape holes at night, so that the tortoises can Feel peaceful and not stressed.
During the growing season, male Hermann's tortoises will naturally fight due to robbing their husbands. At the same time, they will also be forced to fight if the environment is too narrow, so it is best to leave them alone. Breeding, naturally, this situation is not as serious as rumored. In a large enough environment, Hermann's tortoises often show curious and friendly personalities towards companionship, although mixed breeding is not recommended. ~Hermann's tortoises have the habit of hibernating in winter when they are alive. However, for beginners, it is not recommended to hibernate tortoises. It is never possible to imagine that a problem will occur during hibernation and lead to death. How fast it is. Therefore, when you do not have the ability and confidence to deal with all the negative factors caused by hibernation, it is still recommended to warm up for the winter. Based on several years of Herman breeding experience, it has not been observed that not hibernating will bring any negative effects to tortoises. Please rest assured on this point.
Looking at the individuals of Herman currently appearing in the Chinese market, it is not easy to find individuals of cb. One point must be emphasized here. The larvae are not equal to cb. If you are not lucky, you will A 6 cm little Herman may be troubled by trauma, internal parasites and other problems, and other individuals may have respiratory and digestive system diseases. However, for healthy individuals, correct feeding is required After treatment, they will be very strong and less susceptible to diseases and unexplained sudden death. and, The bold and cheerful personality makes the Hermann tortoise rarely refuse to eat due to stress and compulsion. It will soon become familiar with the tortoise and maintain a good relationship and interaction. They will know each other, so the breeding of the Hermann tortoise It's not too difficult and is very suitable for beginners.
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