Tortoises on Herpeton Academy

Centrochelys sulcata — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Centrochelys sulcata · Sulcata Tortoise · Afrikanische Spornschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	60-90 cm
Lifespan	50-100 years
Subspecies	None commonly used in care
Origin	Sahel region of Africa
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Expert
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex B; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Large outdoor space essential in warm weather; adults need many m²
Indoor adults need a heated room or very large pen, not a standard terrarium
Juvenile starting enclosure: open table around 120 x 60 cm, upgraded quickly
Substrate: dry soil, sand, and clay mix with digging areas
Avoid: weak barriers, damp floors, slippery surfaces, cedar/pine, cat litter

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Large shelter + basking zone + shaded areas + dry walking space
Heavy water dish, flat basking stones, edible grasses, digging soil
Strong dig-proof and push-resistant fencing outdoors

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 40-45 °C

Chelonoidis carbonarius — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Chelonoidis carbonarius · Red-Footed Tortoise · Rotfuß-Schildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	28-36 cm
Lifespan	40-60 years
Subspecies	Local forms; no simple care split
Origin	Central and northern South America
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Intermediate
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex B; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Warm, spacious enclosure with cover, humidity, and dry walking areas
Outdoor use only in warm safe weather; heated indoor space often needed
Adult minimum: several m² or a very roomy indoor pen
Substrate: soil-rich mix that holds some moisture without becoming swampy
Avoid: cold rooms, arid boxes, dirty wet substrate, slippery floors

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Humid hide + shaded retreats + basking area + water tray
Leaf litter, cork bark, plants, visual cover, stable walking paths
Dry surface choices as well as humid retreats

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32-35 °C

Indian Star Tortoise — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Geochelone elegans · Indian Star Tortoise · Indian star tortoise · Star tortoise

📋 At a glance


Adult size	20-30 cm
Lifespan	40-80 years
Subspecies	No captive-care subspecies split
Origin	Geochelone elegans occurs in parts of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, where it uses warm habitats that are seasonally dry but not cold and where shelter and grazing plants are
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Intermediate
Legal	CITES: Appendix I; EU: Annex A; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoor enclosure preferred for suitable weather; indoor tortoise table or large pen for juveniles/cold season
Adult space should be measured in square meters, not small terrariums
Substrate: soil/sand/clay mix that allows walking, digging, and moisture gradient
Avoid glass tanks for adults, slippery floors, cedar/pine, and cat litter

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Basking area, cool retreat, shaded hides, edible plants, and humid hide for juveniles
Flat stones, roots, and terrain variation without sharp edges
Shallow water dish easy to enter and exit

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32-35 °C

Marginated Tortoise — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Testudo marginata · Marginated Tortoise · Marginated tortoise · Breitrandschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	25-35 cm
Lifespan	50-100 years
Subspecies	No captive-care subspecies split
Origin	The marginated tortoise is a Mediterranean species naturally found mainly in Greece and parts of the Balkans, as well as in some island populations.
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Intermediate
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex A; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoor enclosure preferred for suitable weather; indoor tortoise table or large pen for juveniles/cold season
Adult space should be measured in square meters, not small terrariums
Substrate: soil/sand/clay mix that allows walking, digging, and moisture gradient
Avoid glass tanks for adults, slippery floors, cedar/pine, and cat litter

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Basking area, cool retreat, shaded hides, edible plants, and humid hide for juveniles
Flat stones, roots, and terrain variation without sharp edges
Shallow water dish easy to enter and exit

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32-35 °C

Stigmochelys pardalis — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stigmochelys pardalis · Leopard Tortoise · Leopardschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	35-60 cm
Lifespan	50-100 years
Subspecies	Usually kept as one care species
Origin	Eastern and southern Africa
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Advanced
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex B; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoor summer enclosure strongly recommended; adults need major floor space
Indoor adult minimum: very large heated pen; 200 x 100 cm is only a bare minimum
Juveniles: open tortoise table, upgraded as they grow
Substrate: dry soil/sand mix with some digging depth
Avoid: small glass tanks, damp substrate, weak UVB, slippery floors

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Hot basking zone + dry cool zone + hides + shade
Flat stones, dry grasses, edible weeds, visual barriers
Outdoor grass enclosure is ideal in warm weather

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 45-50 °C

Testudo graeca — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Testudo graeca · Greek Tortoise · Maurische Landschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	13-28 cm
Lifespan	50-100 years
Subspecies	Variable species complex; origin matters
Origin	Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Intermediate
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex A; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoors preferred during warm months; direct sun, space, shade, secure shelter
Outdoor minimum for one adult: several m²; more is always better
Indoor: open tortoise table for juveniles, quarantine, or cold periods
Substrate: soil, sand, and clay mix that allows digging without staying wet
Avoid: closed glass tanks, cedar/pine shavings, cat litter, slippery floors

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Sunny basking zone + cool shaded zone + dry shelter + slightly humid hide
Low shrubs, edible weeds, flat stones, roots, visual barriers
Dig-proof outdoor edges; no climbable corners or loose gaps

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32-35 °C

Testudo horsfieldii — Fact Sheet

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Testudo horsfieldii · Russian Tortoise · Vierzehenschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	13-25 cm
Lifespan	40-80 years
Subspecies	Regional forms; often sold by locality poorly
Origin	Central Asia
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Beginner
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex B; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoors preferred in warm, dry weather; this species needs space and digging depth
Outdoor minimum for one adult: several m² with buried or dig-proof edges
Indoor: wide open tortoise table or large pen, not a tall glass terrarium
Substrate: dry mineral soil, sand, and clay mix suitable for burrowing
Avoid: damp closed tanks, cedar/pine, cat litter, smooth floors, weak barriers

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Deep digging zone + basking area + shaded retreat + dry shelter
Uneven ground, low mounds, flat stones, roots, edible weeds
Outdoor walls must stop climbing, squeezing, and digging under

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32-35 °C

Testudo hermanni — Fact Sheet

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Testudo hermanni · Hermann’s Tortoise · Griechische Landschildkröte

📋 At a glance


Adult size	15-25 cm
Lifespan	50-100 years
Subspecies	T. h. hermanni (west), T. h. boettgeri (east)
Origin	Southern Europe, Balkans
Activity	Diurnal
Difficulty	Beginner
Legal	CITES: Appendix II; EU: Annex A; local rules still apply

🏠 Enclosure

Outdoors preferred — best option during the warm season; direct sun, space, natural plants
Outdoor minimum for one adult: several m², fully escape-proof (dig-proof base, no climbable corners)
Indoor (juveniles, quarantine, cold season): open tortoise table, not a closed glass terrarium
Substrate: mix of soil, sand, and clay — must allow digging, must not hold excessive moisture
Avoid: cedar/pine shavings, cat litter, smooth/slippery surfaces

🪨 Enclosure furniture

Dry grassy area + digging soil + shaded retreats + edible wild plants
Flat stones and roots (no sharp edges)
Humid hide or slightly moist corner (especially for juveniles)

💡 Lighting

UVB essential indoors
Best: T5 HO UVB plus separate basking heat or a measured mercury vapor system
Outdoor direct sun is excellent; glass/plastic blocks UVB
Photoperiod: 10-12 h with seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

Basking spot: 32–35 °C

Indian Star Tortoise

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Geochelone elegans is the currently accepted scientific name. In hobby and conservation material, the species is widely known as the Indian star tortoise.

English common names used in the hobby:

Indian star tortoise
Star tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Indische Sternschildkrote

📌 Description

Geochelone elegans is a medium-sized Asian tortoise famous for the radiating star pattern on the shell. Adults commonly reach around 20-30 cm depending on sex and origin, and females often become larger than males.

Red-Footed Tortoise

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Chelonoidis carbonarius is the currently accepted scientific name. In older literature and in parts of the hobby, the species is still often seen as Chelonoidis carbonaria.

English common names used in the hobby:

Red-footed tortoise
Red-foot tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Rotfuss-Schildkrote
Rotfussschildkrote

📌 Description

The red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius) is a medium-sized South American tortoise known for the red, orange, or yellow scales on the legs and head. It is a popular captive species because it stays more manageable than giant tortoises and usually adapts well to warm, humid captive setups when kept correctly.

Russian Tortoise

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Testudo horsfieldii is the currently accepted scientific name. In older literature and in parts of the pet trade, the species is still often listed as Agrionemys horsfieldii.

English common names used in the hobby:

Russian tortoise
Horsfield’s tortoise
Central Asian tortoise
Afghan tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Vierzehenschildkrote
Steppenschildkrote

📌 Description

The Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) is a small, active, and highly terrestrial tortoise from Central Asia. It is one of the most commonly kept tortoise species because adults stay more manageable in size than many Mediterranean or African tortoises, but it is still a long-lived animal that can live for decades with correct care.

Greek Tortoise

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Testudo graeca is the currently accepted scientific name.

This name is used for a broad and variable species complex, so older locality labels and trade names may refer to regional forms rather than to a different accepted species name.

English common names used in the hobby:

Greek tortoise
Spur-thighed tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Marginated Tortoise

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Testudo marginata is the currently accepted scientific name.

In care literature and in trade, this species is usually treated as a distinct Mediterranean Testudo without a major recent genus change.

English common names used in the hobby:

Marginated tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Breitrandschildkröte

📌 Description

The marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) is the largest European member of the genus Testudo. It is a diurnal, active, and long-lived Mediterranean species that can live for decades when kept properly.

Sulcata Tortoise

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Centrochelys sulcata is the currently accepted scientific name. In older literature and in parts of the pet trade, the species was often listed as Geochelone sulcata.

The latest renames that hobbyists most often encounter are:

Geochelone sulcata -> Centrochelys sulcata (modern tortoise taxonomy places the species in Centrochelys)

Older names and combinations associated with the species include:

Hermann's Tortoise

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Testudo hermanni is the currently accepted scientific name.

In husbandry and conservation literature, the two subspecies most often mentioned are T. h. hermanni and T. h. boettgeri.

English common names used in the hobby:

Hermann’s tortoise

German common names used in the hobby:

Griechische Landschildkröte

📌 Description

Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is one of the most recognizable land tortoises in Europe. It is a diurnal, active, and long-lived species that can live for decades when kept properly.

Leopard Tortoise

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Stigmochelys pardalis is the currently accepted scientific name. In older literature and in parts of the pet trade, the species was often listed as Geochelone pardalis.

The latest renames that hobbyists most often encounter are:

Geochelone pardalis -> Stigmochelys pardalis (modern tortoise taxonomy separates the species from Geochelone)

Older names and combinations associated with the species include: