As with other Testudo species, Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis should be housed on an appropriate substrate that provides ample drainage – either cypress mulch or packed organic top soil work well for this.
Tortoises enjoy being misted regularly using a spray bottle to mimic the natural rainfall they experience in their wild habitats.
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Feeding
As with many complex subjects, tortoise diet can fill volumes. Accurate advice about tortoise nutrition requires an understanding of their species, its environment and some food chemistry; unfortunately however, much of what is published online or printed does not contain these necessary elements.
Captive captive fish require high quality commercial diets like Mazuri LS pellets softened in water 2-3 times weekly to promote proper growth and body condition. Store bought greens such as romaine lettuce, mustard greens, turnips and kale should only comprise a small part of the diet due to low fibre and nutritional values; for optimal performance a combination of high quality commercial feed and fresh vegetables should make up most of their diet.
Tortoises that inhabit tropical rain forest environments regularly come across carrion and fallen fruit; similarly those living in dry grassland savannah environments consume succulents as a diet option and may consume carrion if living alone. Eating such foods carries significant health risks that could potentially lead to nutritional issues for these tortoises.
Diet
As with other tortoises, tortoise diets should include a range of plants. Furthermore, it is crucial that animals receive no additional protein-rich meals like peas, beans or “bean sprouts”, as this may prove too rich for their digestive systems and be detrimental!
Hermann’s tortoises in the wild are herbivores, feeding off seasonal vegetation that is fresh, green, succulent or dry and shriveled.
As is true for tortoises in general, supplementation of multi-mineral powder is key for maintaining their health. Natural sunlight also plays an important role, providing free UV-B radiation needed for synthesizing Vitamin D3. This allows tortoises to absorb essential trace elements through their gills while using calcium from its diet as fuel. Store-bought greens like curly endive, escarole collard greens or turnip greens should only form an occasional part of their diet and should not become an overwhelming source.
Exercise
Exercise for testudines is of utmost importance in maintaining their health and warding off illness. To this end, encourage the tortoise to climb and dig, add a sloping area in their enclosure, and provide fresh shallow water sources as means to do this effectively.
Testudo graeca and Testudo ibera (more omnivorous) Mediterranean tortoises generally consume their food through eating fibrous plants with high flower concentration, supplemented by some fruit. A supplementation may be provided when feeding is appropriate.
Diets consisting primarily of meat-based products can deprive an animal of essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D3. A Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata), raised on such a diet, experienced severe reduction and deformity to his carapace as well as metabolic bone disease – symptoms only temporary before leading to permanent health damage and severe, lasting illness.
Health
Tortoises only survive for short periods on diets that are too unbalanced, such as those rich in sugar or fats, which will ingrain into their systems, eventually leading them to refuse healthy foods later in life.
Testudo graeca and other Mediterranean tortoise species feed upon grasses, weeds, flowers, berries, leafy greens, carrot tops, turnips and small amounts of fruit (Divers 2003).
Store bought greens lack essential fiber and nutrients, so should only be fed occasionally and sparingly. Fruit can cause digestive and kidney issues; so for best results it should only be fed occasionally and rarely. Furthermore, egg-laying females and juvenile tortoises should receive quality phosphorus free calcium and vitamin D3 supplements regularly as these could indicate they’re lacking enough of these key elements of their diets. Furthermore, signs of pyramiding indicating they’re lacking sufficient fiber, protein, or minerals are an indicator they aren’t getting what their bodies require in their diet should also be observed as this may indicate lack of essential nutrition in their diet – something store bought greens cannot provide.
