Testudo hermanni
Hermann's tortoise
A secure outdoor pen in mild weather, or an indoor enclosure with UVB and a basking zone.
Legal status
- EU Annex A · Article 10 certificate
- CITES II
CITES Appendix II through TESTUDINIDAE spp., except Appendix I species. Testudo kleinmanni is Appendix I; Testudo hermanni is not. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 lists Testudo hermanni (II) with the Annex A tortoises. Commercial use of an Annex A specimen needs an Article 10 certificate under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97. Repticentra does not publish a rehoming listing unless you enter a certificate or permit number. Wallonia’s positive list includes Testudo hermanni ssp. boettgeri and ssp. “hercegovinensis”, not every subspecies. Not venomous. Not on the EU invasive-alien-species list. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 20–32°C
- Basking
- 32–35°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Minimum enclosure
- An outdoor pen, or at least 120 × 60 cm indoors for a small adult
- Adult size
- Often 15–20 cm. Subspecies differ.
- Lifespan
- Many decades. Plan for a long life.
- Difficulty
- advanced
Diet and feeding
Weeds, flowers, and leafy greens daily. Fruit is rare. This is an EU Annex A species. Weeds available daily.
Substrate
Soil, not cedar shavings.
Health
Pyramiding, metabolic bone disease, and herpesvirus in Mediterranean tortoises.
Handling
Two hands under the shell.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.