Our Tortoise
We currently maintain two separate groups of Testudo hermanni hermanni (Western Hermann's tortoise) for our Project Hermanni. Additionally, we care for Testudo hermanni boettgeri (Eastern Hermann's tortoise) for our Project Boettgeri. The latter are more prevalent in the pet industry. Our collection is diverse; some of our tortoises have endured significant hardships with previous owners, resulting in long-term, irreversible damage due to improper care. Now, they are provided with optimal conditions to flourish. Caring for our group requires considerable work, money, time, and dedication. We cherish our tortoises and consider them an integral part of our family.
We strive to mimic their natural habitat to encourage instinctual behaviors. A key aspect of our care is allowing them to spend as much time outdoors as possible. For those beginning the journey of tortoise ownership, it's crucial to ensure you can provide an outdoor space with shelter and a heat source.
No artificial lighting can surpass the natural UV provided by the sun. Even on overcast days, the UV exposure is greater than the strongest reptile UV bulb available. This is the reason we strongly advocate for outdoor housing for tortoises whenever feasible.
Considerable thought has been invested in their setup. While we prefer to keep them outdoors, the British weather can often be damp and cool, conditions not ideal for a Mediterranean tortoise. For such days, our tortoises have access to cold frames equipped with thermostatically controlled tubular heaters for background heat, complemented by T5 UV and halogen heat bulbs. It's not uncommon to spot our tortoises venturing outside during rainy, cooler days; crucially, they have already basked under their lamps, 'charging their batteries,' before they soon retreat indoors to warm up again.
The outdoor enclosure features a walled design, with rocks and mesh embedded in the ground around the perimeter to prevent escapes, as they are adept diggers. Having cover is as vital as having basking spots. Despite the U.K.'s occasional weather extremes with high temperatures, in their natural scrubland habitat, tortoises find both shade and hiding places. We replicate this by using plants to provide shade and a free-draining substrate that warms well in the sun. It's advisable to avoid damp clay and such; grass is also not recommended for their habitat.
In 2018, one of our hatchlings, affectionately named Little Foot, was featured in the local press, credited by the Express & Star. Remarkably, this tiny hatchling emerged weighing only 4 grams, whereas the typical weight is usually over 10 grams.
We dose our tortoise food with reptile vitamins. We also dose food with calcium. We have cuttlefish and lump chalk, scattered around for tortoise to have a much on which gives them calcium and keeps beaks in trim. We find that leaving them outside to be weathered makes them more appealing.