Opinion on My Terrarium Set up.

I have a young Eastern Hermann's Tortoise in a Terrarium Set up. I am at school most of the time and I worry that he get's bored sometimes. I've got him a log hiding place, some fake tree leaves (these are quite large and provide shade) and branches, basking spots and a shallow drinking bowl and food bowl (I give him a diet as varied as possible). Could somebody tell me if i have enough stuff in the terrerium to keep him mentally and physically amused? Does anyone recommend anything? Thanks for your help.

Menatlly and physically amused - this is a new concept to me for a Hermann's Tortoise. I imagine it is possible that tortoises may find something amusing, but I rather tend to doubt it. If you mean, on the other hand, is this enough to keep the tortoise mentally and physically stimilated - my guess would be yes. I have to guess as to the mental aspect since I cannot get into the mind of a tortoise.

I currently am keeping two Hermann's Tortoise babies. They are doing fine in a large enough tank with a substrate of Afalfa and Timothy Hays, a water bowl, a food bowl, and a piece of artificial bark, shaped in an arch, under which they can hide (they also hide under the hay quite regularly). In the warmer months they will be outside, and whe adults they will be outside year round aloowed to hibernate in winter. They seem to be doing fabulously. Their appetities are great, they drink regularly, they bask regularly under both UV and heat lamps, they utilize both the warmer and cooler end of the enclosure (so I know the thermal gradient is good), and they are growing slowly but steadily with absolutely no pyramiding of their shells.

As for branches I do not supply any, I would be concerened they may attempt to climb them and fall over upside down (rather stressful if under the heat lamp). Nor do I supply any artificial leaves as I would be concerened they may try to eat them, and may actually ingest some part of them. Are you sure your fake leaves are nontoxic to tortoises?

On the topic of foods, what are you feeding to yours? I am interested to hear what types of food keepers on the other side of the pond are feeding to their animals. I feed mine a wide variety of greens such as: green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, escarole, Romaine lettuce, collard greens, spinach, carrot greens, kale, dandelion greens, grass from my lawn (the lawn is untreated - no chemicals), and some other greens from my yard. I also feed them other vegetable matter such as: green beans, brocolli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, radish sprouts, grated carrot, red bell peppers, tomatoes, sweet potato (the type with the orange inside), dandelion flowers, petunias (flowers and leaves), and geraniums (red flowers only) among others. I usually avoid all animal protein except for a now and then feeding (maybe twice a month) when I will feed them something of an animal protein base such as a superworm, a wax worm or other grub type insect larva or an earthworm. I supplement their diets with some powdered calcium now and then, and with some powdered vitamins also.

Good luck with your Hermann's Tort.

Best regards,
Glenn B

Thanks for your advice. Stimulated was the word. I feed my Hermanns on a varied diet, I use a staple diet of Dandelions and occasionally lettuce (about twice a week as this is rich in water and tortoises only rarely drink). I also give him tomato, strawberry, avacado (only very rarely because this has a lot of fat), grated carrots, chopped celery, apple, kiwi, oranges and lemon, broccoli (very finely chopped) and some smalll flowers in summer months. I have also heard to feed them a source of protein once per year like boiled egg, but I am unsure about this because it might cause pyramiding. I also give him a small amount of calcium carbonate powder 3 times a week and a reptile multivitimin once a week. I have also been advised to clean the carapace and plastron with vaseline one a month, to make the carapace and plastron shiny and more healthy (I haven't done this yet).