Hemann's tortoise is one of the representative species of European tortoises. Its strong physique, lively and cheerful personality, moderate price and medium size make it a very qualified introductory variety.

Hermann's tortoise has a long lifespan, about 70-80 years without hibernation under feeding conditions, and about 120 years with regular hibernation. It is not recommended to hibernate small turtles within 5 cm of the carapace. A tortoise that is very suitable for rearing in mainland China and is not very demanding on the environment. Because of the low difficulty of raising and the high ability to adapt to the environment, there are few cases of being raised to death by players, so it is recommended to raise small artificial individuals as much as possible. Wild large individuals are more likely to carry herpes pathogens, and parasites.

【Characteristics of Hermann's Tortoise】

Hermann Man tortoise is one of the representative species of European tortoises. Strong physique, lively character, moderate price and medium size make it a very qualified entry species. Hermann's tortoises are distributed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. Generally speaking, the Hermann tortoise has two subspecies: the western Hermann is distributed in the western half of the Mediterranean from Spain to northwestern Italy; and the eastern Hermann Thboettgeri is distributed in Eastern Europe from southern Italy to the Balkans. Accurately identifying the differences between the Herman subspecies is not an easy task for beginners. It is widely circulated that the western Herman has yellow scales behind the eyes while the eastern Herman does not. At the same time, the proportions of the chest shield and the thigh shield of the two plastrons are different. However, these two characteristics are not obvious in many individuals, especially It is a juvenile under 10 cm. Many people can find faint yellow scales behind their Herman eyes, but what they have is precisely Thboettgeri. There are even some unscrupulous merchants who think that gimmicks can make huge profits. The reason for this situation is mostly because the imported individual Midwest Heman is relatively small. Another reason is probably that there is a “Western Heman” on a very popular Chinese website. The statement that Mann's carapace is towering and bright in color has caused many beginners to blindly pursue Western Herman.

No matter how high the European tortoise carapace is, the radiant tortoise is not as high as the radiant tortoise, so don't be deceived by the merchants because of these, of course, if it is a crazy collector of European tortoise subspecies, of course Forget it. Hermann's tortoises are quite easy to use. In captivity, they prefer a slightly higher humidity environment than European tortoises such as four-clawed tortoises or golden European tortoises. The humidity of the breeding box can be set at 40%-50%. Even higher. For juveniles under 10 cm, the night temperature should not be lower than 25 degrees. It will be safer and more comfortable to maintain 28-30 degrees during the day. For larger adults, keep it at 16 degrees at night. above degree is enough. Too high temperature and too dry environment may bring about respiratory diseases.

A healthy Hermann tortoise should be very active and voracious. Although each tortoise has different tastes and special food preferences, only one or two tastes will be eaten if present. The presence of a thicker diet should alert breeders, possibly because of a problem with the tortoise's digestive system, or because they may have a dangerous order of parasites in their bodies. Under artificial conditions, it is recommended to feed dark green vegetables such as kale, mustard, vegetable core, rapeseed, etc. If you can get enough dandelion, plantain and other wild vegetables, it will be better. Flowers are also the favorite food of Hermann's tortoises. For larvae, supplements such as feed and vitamin d3 can be added to ensure that they can absorb calcium well.

Hermann tortoises love legumes and cats, dog food and even meat, however these foods can be difficult for beginners to grasp at a safe dose, so, Under the conditions of artificial feeding, it is still necessary to feed a complete vegetarian diet, and mainly vegetables, wild vegetables and pastures with dark green, high absolute calcium content and a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio greater than 2:1. Daily management is very important. Although Hermann tortoises are not prone to stones, daily bathing is still necessary, or if the breeding environment is large enough, a shallow basin that allows them to immerse their whole body will almost reduce the chance of stones. 0. They will be observed expelling acid in the water, as they do in the wild ^^, and Hermann tortoises have active drinking behavior. If the tortoises cannot be given the opportunity to sunbathe of their own choice, then a lamp with UVB will be a must-have facility, especially for larvae and subterranean bodies.

Hermann's tortoise has a burrowing habit, but it is easier for the four-clawed tortoise to adapt to the environment that cannot dig down under artificial conditions, but it is still recommended to give a cave to hide at night, which can make Tortoises feel safe and stress-free. Male Hermann tortoises will fight for mates during the breeding season. At the same time, they will also be oppressed and fight due to the excessively small environment, so it is best to keep them separately. Of course, this is not the case. The legend is so serious. In a large enough environment, Hermann tortoises tend to show a curious and friendly personality towards their companions, although it is not recommended to breed them~ In a wild environment, Hermann tortoises are dormant in winter. Habits, however, are not recommended for tortoises for beginners, and it is never possible to imagine how quickly a problem in hibernation can lead to death. Therefore, when there is no ability and confidence to deal with all the negative factors brought by hibernation, it is still recommended to overwinter with heating. Based on several years of Herman breeding experience, no negative effects of not hibernating have been observed on tortoises. Don't worry about this.

As far as the individuals of Herman appearing in the Chinese market, it is not easy to find individuals with CB. Here, a concept must be emphasized, larvae are not equal to CB. If you are unlucky, you will find a CB. 6 cm small Herman may suffer from trauma, internal parasites and other problems. Other individuals may have respiratory and digestive diseases. However, for healthy individuals, they will be very strong after mastering the correct feeding methods. , less prone to disease and sudden deaths of unknown circumstances. Moreover, the bold and lively personality makes the Hermann tortoise rarely refuse to eat because of tension and oppression, and will soon become familiar with the tortoise and maintain a good relationship and interaction, and they will recognize it, so it is difficult to raise the Hermann tortoise It's not big, so it's great for getting started.

【How to raise Hermann's tortoise】

Location

Hermann's tortoise is the most common entry tortoise in Europe and a representative of temperate tortoises , They are distributed in the area around the Mediterranean Sea in southern Europe, so they are considered temperate tortoises, and therefore have the habit of hibernating. Because the native place where Heman grows is basically the same as the latitude in northern China, it is very suitable for turtle friends in the north.

Acid discharge

A 13 cm adult Hermann tortoise, although it is an adult, his acid discharge amount and frequency are still very shocking, almost every It has to be lined up 2-3 times a week, and the amount is also very large. Among the turtles of the genus Testudo that I have contacted, it is the most diligent in expelling acid, so I remind all turtle friends who raise little Herman that it is necessary to take a bath frequently.

Humidity

The humidity that Herman needs is not very high. In winter, when the humidity is only 20, he will not be seen drinking from the basin, and both Star and Burma will be There is a phenomenon of drinking a lot of water and sleeping in water. In summer, when the humidity is as high as 80, there will be diarrhea. This proves that Herman is not suitable for the environment with high humidity. The humidity of 35-50 people feels the most suitable.

Temperature

The temperature required by Herman should not be too high, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 34 degrees. When the injection point temperature is 35 degrees, the heater must be turned on to control the temperature, otherwise Herman Maybe aestivation, this temperature is harmful to Herman, because the temperature is too high to easily lead to dehydration of turtles.