欧博娱乐Hermann's Tortoise Care Guide
Hatchling Testudo hermanni are suitable for indoor keeping and by choosing this method in the beginning we are protecting them from harsh elements and possible predation. Outdoor keeping at this stage of life does work well but can pose problems especially for an inexperienced keeper. We have managed to successfully house neonates and juveniles in both outdoor and indoor settings but you may find it more comforting and easier to monitor them if indoor housing is your method of choice. Never use glass aquariums for tortoises. They create a constant “greenhouse” effect inside causing them to rapidly dehydrate. They also drive the tortoises crazy because they cannot comprehend what glass is and why they can see through it but not move forward. This sends stress levels through the roof. Use Rubbermaid containers instead or “tortoise tables” built from ply wood. For 2 to 3 hatchlings, a container roughly 2x3 feet will suffice. It should be at least 6” tall. Do not go too big while they are so small because they may become “lost” in the environment and you will find yourself constantly digging around to find them. As the T. hermanni grow, the size of the container can be increased to accommodate them. Several neonates can be raised together without issue if space permits but watch out for any weaker individuals who may have trouble competing for food. A suitable substrate is clean top soil mixed with coconut coir or peat moss. I prefer to ad sand into this mix to help generate a substrate that replicates what they experience in nature more closely. However, using sand has been known to cause impaction in reptiles which can lead to death. Although in more than 20 years we have never experienced this with any of our tortoises kept on it, this does not mean it won’t happen to your animal(s). Use caution or simply don’t use the sand. The substrate can be up to 4” deep to allow for burrowing. Burrowing is 100% normal! Do not be alarmed by his behavior while they are this young. They are babies after all and babies sleep. I also recommend adding cypress mulch as a 2” top layer but you can also mix it in to the existing substrate. The mulch aids in keeping an adequate humidity level which should be around 70%. Do not let the substrate dry out entirely by keeping a spray bottle filled with water on hand to mist the enclosure. A common misconception regarding tortoise keeping is thinking they must be kept very dry. This is in fact not true and we now know that pyramiding (unnatural, lumpy growth of the carapace scutes)is directly linked to improper humidity levels along with insufficient hydration. In nature, baby tortoises spend a great deal of time burrowed into the ground, under leaf litter or jammed under debris. There, it is humid, moist and dark. They are programmed to hide and typically do not venture out anywhere near as much as older specimens. By doing this they are constantly subjected to a higher level of humidity than one might assume. Although wild tortoises can sometimes appear lumpy or pyramided, this is only in extreme cases where severe droughts are common. Most will exhibit beautiful growth and smooth shells. In the evening after the lights are turned off, I place the lid on the rubbermaid containers that house our baby tortoises. This helps to mimic the dark, humid refuges the neonates confide in when in nature. The humidity builds up overnight and in the morning it is released when the lids are taken off. I do not doubt for one second that this method has something to do with the natural, smooth shells our tortoises attain as they grow.