# Hermann's tortoise (*Testudo hermanni*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/hermanns-tortoise  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises subgroup, belonging to the family Testudinidae in the order Testudines. It is a medium-sized tortoise with an adult body mass of 1.264 kg, with reported values from 1.249 kg to 1.28 kg. The IUCN Red List assesses Hermann's tortoise as Vulnerable (VU) globally, which is a threatened category. It reaches sexual maturity at 12.5 years, has a clutch size of 4.5 with 1.7 clutches per year, and its eggs incubate for 68 days.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.25 kg – 1.28 kg |
| Length | up to 28 cm |
| Lifespan | 40 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 127 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Egg incubation | 68 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 12 |
| Age at maturity | 12 years – 12.7 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.67 – 3 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Testudines
- family: Testudinidae
- genus: Testudo
- species: *Testudo hermanni* Gmelin, 1789

Synonyms: *Testudo enriquesi*, *Testudo graeca bettai*, *Testudo graeca hercegovinensis*, *Testudo graeca var. boettgeri*, *Testudo graeca var. hercegovinensis*, *Testudo hercegovinensis*, *Testudo hermanni robertmertensi*

## Common questions

### How heavy is Hermann's tortoise?

Adult Hermann's tortoises weigh 1.264 kg, with reported values from 1.249 kg to 1.28 kg. This places it in the medium size class.

### Is Hermann's tortoise endangered?

Hermann's tortoise is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does Hermann's tortoise live?

Hermann's tortoise has a lifespan of 40 years, and our sources report values up to 127 years.

### What kind of animal is Hermann's tortoise?

It is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises subgroup, in the family Testudinidae, suborder Cryptodira and order Testudines.

### Who named Hermann's tortoise?

Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni, was named by Gmelin in 1789.

### How many eggs does Hermann's tortoise lay?

Hermann's tortoise has 4.5 per clutch and 1.7 clutches per year, and the eggs incubate for 68 days.

### When does Hermann's tortoise reach sexual maturity?

Hermann's tortoise reaches sexual maturity at 12.5 years, with reported values from 12.0 to 12.7 years.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/hermanns-tortoise