Notable Morphs & Locales

There are two primary subspecies of the Hermann's Tortoise available in the pet trade:

• *Eastern Hermann's (Testudo hermanni boettgeri):* The most common subspecies. They grow slightly larger and have a somewhat muted, brownish-yellow shell. They are incredibly hardy.
• *Western Hermann's (Testudo hermanni hermanni):* Smaller and highly prized for their vibrant, high-contrast yellow and black shells. They feature a distinct "keyhole" marking on the supracaudal scute above their tail.

Housing & Enclosure

Enclosure Size

• Indoor Minimum: A 4 feet Long x 2 feet Wide (8 square feet) "tortoise table" or terrarium. Open-topped wooden tables provide excellent ventilation.
• Outdoor Housing: Highly recommended during the summer. A secure outdoor pen with wire mesh sunk into the ground (to prevent digging out) and a secure lid (to prevent raccoons/birds of prey from getting in) is ideal.

Enclosure Setup

• Substrate: They need deep substrate to dig shallow scrapes to sleep in. Use 4–5 inches of coconut coir, organic topsoil, and cypress mulch, kept lightly damp underneath and drier under the basking lamp. Never use sand.
• Decor: Provide low, heavy hides (like half-logs or rock lairs), slate rocks to feed on (which naturally files their beak down), and small sight-breaks like fake plants to reduce stress.

Humidity & Water

• Humidity: Moderate (40%–50% in the air). They are not desert animals, nor are they rainforest animals. They do best with a dry surface but slightly damp lower layers of substrate so they can dig down to find moisture.
• Water Source: Provide a shallow water dish (like a terra cotta plant saucer) sunk flush with the substrate so they can easily climb in to soak and drink without tipping over.

Temperature & Lighting

• Warm Side / Basking Spot: 95–100°F (35–38°C), on a thermostat.
• Cool Side Ambient: 75–80°F (24–27°C).
• Nighttime: A little cooler at night is fine, like their natural Mediterranean nights.
• Lighting: A high-output UVB bulb (T5 10% or 12% Desert Bulb) spanning at least half the enclosure is absolutely mandatory indoors to prevent Metabolic Bone Disease.

Diet & Nutrition

The Strict Herbivore

Like their cousin the Russian Tortoise, Hermann's tortoises are strict herbivores. Their digestive tracts are designed to ferment tough, fibrous weeds.

• 80% Leafy Greens & Weeds: Dandelion greens, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, endive, escarole, and hibiscus leaves.
• 20% Grasses/Hay: Orchard grass or timothy hay (though they eat less hay than Sulcatas).
• TOXIC / AVOID: No fruit (causes severe diarrhea and gut flora blooms), no animal protein (destroys the kidneys), no iceberg lettuce (zero nutrition), and avoid high-oxalate greens like spinach in large quantities.

Supplements

• Calcium: Dust their greens with calcium 3–4 times a week. Ask our staff which calcium we recommend for a tortoise kept indoors.
• Vitamins: A reptile multivitamin, used as its label directs.
• Cuttlebone: Leave a cuttlebone in the enclosure for natural beak trimming and supplemental calcium.

Health & Husbandry

Common Health Issues

1. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) — Symptoms: Soft, spongy shell; weak legs; dragging the back end. / Cause: Lack of UVB lighting or calcium. / Treatment: Requires immediate veterinary intervention to stop progression.
2. Pyramiding — Symptoms: Lumpy, raised scutes on the shell instead of smooth growth. / Cause: Lack of humidity during the first two years of life, or too much protein in the diet.
3. Overgrown Beak — Symptoms: The front of the mouth extends like a parrot beak, making eating difficult. / Cause: Eating exclusively soft foods off of soft bedding. / Prevention: Always feed on a piece of rough slate or tile.

What We Use & Recommend

These are products we use and recommend for Indoor Hermann's Tortoise setups. Stock varies by store, so ask us what we have in store today.

Last updated: 2026-08-04

How We Keep Them at Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply

• Beating Dry Oregon Furnace Air (and Summer Heat Spikes): Across the Willamette Valley and Portland Metro, running the house furnace all winter drops indoor humidity to 25–35%, which quickly causes stuck sheds and dehydration in screen-top tanks. To hold 40–50% air humidity over lightly damp soil reliably for Hermann's Tortoise, our crew uses a deep 3–5" substrate bed (or our store-shelf 10-Part Bioactive Mix of ReptiSoil, Coco Fiber, Orchiata Bark, Sphagnum Moss, and Leaf Litter), a dedicated humid hide packed with damp sphagnum moss, and partial screen cover when needed.
• Thermostat & Linear UVB Standard: Every heating element in our Newberg and Gresham reptile rooms runs on a thermostat probe set to 95°–100°F on the warm side with a 75°–80°F cool retreat, paired with species-appropriate lighting on a 12-hour day/night timer. In summer, if an upstairs room climbs above 82°F, a dimming thermostat automatically backs down the basking lamp so the cool side never overheats.
• Shopping at Newberg & Gresham: For enclosures, thermostats, UVB lighting, bioactive supplies, springtails, isopods and feeders at Critter Cabana (Newberg) and Gresham Pet Supply, ask us what we have in store today.

Common Questions (FAQ)

What size tank does an adult Hermann's Tortoise actually need?

An adult Hermann's Tortoise needs at least a 4x2 foot open tortoise table, with a 95–100°F basking spot and a 75–80°F cool side.

How do I keep Hermann's Tortoise humidity at 40–50% during dry Oregon winters?

Oregon winter furnace heat dries out thin bedding fast. Use a 3–5 inch moisture-retaining substrate mix (such as Zoo Med ReptiSoil blended with coco fiber, Orchiata bark, and sphagnum moss), provide an enclosed humid hide, and cover 50–70% of an open screen top with HVAC foil tape or a PVC panel if ambient humidity drops too low.

Where can I get Hermann's Tortoise setup supplies, live feeders, and thermostats in Oregon?

Ask us what we have in store today at Critter Cabana in Newberg (514 E First St, 503-537-2887) and Gresham Pet Supply (2185 NW Burnside Rd, 503-665-7606).