It's a well-known fact that keeping wild animals according to their biological needs should be guided by nature.

Not only do I share my own decades of experience in keeping and breeding, but also the results of my studies of testudo hermanni in the wild.

I have always kept and bred my tortoises in species-appropriate conditions, guided by the knowledge I have accumulated over the 50 years of field herpetological work. Consequently, my methods have become the standard for all dedicated keepers. My work has molded most publications and internet presentations about species-appropriate keeping of Mediterranean tortoises. This book details first-hand the necessities for keeping and breeding, leaving no questions unanswered.

The comprehensive book is structured in the chapters Preface, Introduction, General Notes, Conservation, Acquisition, Anatomy, Sensory Organs, Description of the Subspecies, Distribution, Climate, Threats, Outdoor Enclosure, Diet, Raising, Growth, Propagation, Hibernation, Diseases, The Chelonarium of the Author's, Theft, Holidays, Most Important Factors at a Glance, Epilogue, and an Appendix.

While the book focuses on the Hermann's tortoise, the information provided generally applies to all European tortoises, including the Central Asian or Horsfield's tortoise.

I hope that this English edition of my book will contribute to a change in attitude towards European tortoises. While the continued survival of European tortoises is threatened in the wild, those kept in human care need to be regarded as wild animals and afforded conditions that agree with their natural requirements as closely as possible.