Tortoise, anyone?

[Sorberret]

My dd keeps talking about getting a tortoise. I don't know anything about keeping a tortoise or anyone who has one so I thought this would be a good place to start! Do they live in a hutch? What do they eat? How much do they cost? etc. etc.
Any advice greatly appreciated

I have two hermann tortoises, Dolly and Jean. Do you have a local society or group? There are some brilliant FB groups too.

Mine live in a table with a heat/uv lamp but go outside in very warm weather. Hermann are herbivores and eat stuff from the garden mostly. You'd be surprised how many weeds and wildflowers they eat. They also need a high fibre powder, fresh water daily and can have some fruit sparingly as a treat. I also give them chalk to nibble. They hibernate November to February. I think initial set up is expensive but they're a relatively inexpensive pet. Some people have converted greenhouses, some use vivarium type set ups and some have tables. No option is cheap. You need to replicate their natural habitat and this needs serious planning and consideration.

Also worth bearing in mind how long they live!

Thanks for your reply. Are Hermann the most popular breed for pets?

Also, what is the best age to get?

They live for hundreds of years. We have one who is estimated to be about 90years old.
They also are not that fun especially for children. They shouldn’t be held, don’t particularly seek out strokes.

They should have lots of space, warmth, a substrate to dig, places to hide. Ours roam around the garden during the day in hot weather and they can travel miles.

I love my 3, they live in my greenhouse, but I wouldn’t recommend them as a pet.

I am the 4th keeper of my Grandma's Hermann tortoise. She bought him in the 1920s, from a neighbour.
He was fully grown then, so he must be in his 90s at least, and passed down from Grandma, to my Auntie, and then to me.

If you do get one, it's a long haul commitment. I'm his current keeper, but he's not my pet, I'm his staff. I hope he will outlive me too!