For A Pet Tortoise Try The Herman Tortoise

The Herman tortoise which is a relatively small sized tortoise originated in Europe and is found in almost all coasts of France and also in certain parts of Italy. This tortoise is also found in the nearby islands. This makes it widely popular in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, Hungary and south Italy. They prefer the widely dense forests of Mediterranean and in the arid regions with rocky hill slopes and scrubby vegetation. These areas make it easier for the Herman tortoise to find its food.

Basically, a Herman tortoise is herbivorous. It largely eats a diet that consists of green leaves and grasses. This tortoise also consumes other vegetables and fruits like the broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, parsley, Timothy Hay, Alfalfa grass, Bermuda grass, dandelions, weeds, cactus pads, strawberries, bananas, squash, melons, apples, apricots, grapes and peaches. However, it is important that these vegetables and fruits are consumed in smaller quantities. If you have a one as a pet, it is advised not to feed it cabbage as this vegetable and its variants like the iceberg lettuce as these may have a damaging effect. These vegetables have very less nutritional value and once the tortoise starts eating them, it will give up eating other vegetables.

There have been instances when the Herman tortoise may eat insects like snails, slugs and carrions. However, this happens only with the tortoises that are in the wild. However, a this tortoise doesn’t necessarily need a diet that contains animal proteins. You must take special care to feed this tortoise a diet that is rich in fiber and calcium. Vitamin D3 is also important for this tortoise and can be given to it in food if the natural sunlight is not provided. Young Herman tortoises have an attractive yellow and black shell. The backbone, ribs, shoulder blades and pelvis are all merged into the shell of the Herman tortoise.

The best tortoise house for the this species of tortoise is an outdoor enclosure. But care must be taken while building these outdoor enclosures to prevent the tortoise from escaping. If you plan to keep them indoors, necessary measures should be taken to provide them with a natural looking atmosphere. Also, this enclosure must be large enough with proper light and heat. A Herman tortoise is an adaptive and friendly reptile which makes them a great pet to have.

By: Alan Stables

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Alan Stables is interested in tortoises, such as the common greek tortoise. His investigation work into tortoise housing, tortoise hibernation, and other tortoise facts, helps Alan to produce useful fact sheets such as a survey on the most popular tortoise names.