Tortue Hermann Massif Des Maures Provence Fbonin Tortupolefrance

Fanny, 42 years old, Hermann tortoise from the Maures hills

Hello human! In this article, I, Fanny, Hermann tortoise, will be talking to you about my life in the Maures hills. You’ll find out what I eat and how I spend my days. In short, my lifestyle… It will no doubt encourage you to help protect my species, which is sadly endangered.

The Maures hills, my favourite spot

Hi, I’m Fanny, I’m 42 years old and I’m a tortoise living in the Maures hills. You can call me by my Latin name testudo hermanni, or my common name (Hermann, after the naturalist Jean Hermann from Strasbourg, who studied me in the 18th century). But Fanny is simpler. And it’s typically Provencal too! My tortoise species is the only one of its kind living in the wild in mainland France. We are an endemic species: like a lot of my brothers and sisters, I have always lived in the Massif des Maures, a mountainous hill chain located to the north of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in the Var area. This area – the wildest in Provence – features a wide variety of landscapes including cork oak forests and chestnut groves. I am very fond of it because, like all Hermann tortoises, I’m a sedentary creature. Historically, the Hermann tortoise was found throughout the Mediterranean basin. But by the 19th century, you could only find us in Provence and Roussillon. Today, some of my family live in the Estérel hills not far from here. I’ve got cousins in Corsica too.

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Une publication partagée par Coeur du Var Tourisme (@coeurduvartourisme)

Massif Des Maures Tortue Hermann Fbonin Tortupolefrance

I’m small but I can live for many years

I was born in an egg. And when I came out I weighed about 10 grams. I was really tiny! I’ve grown a lot since though. Today, I measure 16 centimetres and weigh about 800 grams (don’t mock me human, that’s about twice the weight of your brain when you were born). You’ll recognize me by the spike on the end of my tail and the pretty, orange-yellow patterns that decorate my shell. Our shell is fragile during the first few years of our life but by the time we are around 7 years old, it is sturdy enough to protect us from predators such as wild boars, badgers and dogs… At 42 years old I’m at the prime of my life – I can live to 80! Us Hermann tortoises like to take things slowly. Talking of which, did you know that my ancestors appeared on Earth a long time before yours? We were here 240 million years ago, at the same time as the first dinosaurs. Even if I’m old, I wasn’t around back then!

I like pine trees and glades

My grandma Honorine told me that when she was young, she led a pretty happy life in the hills of Provence. In those days, there was a lot of farmland here, growing vines, olive trees and chestnuts. It was the perfect environment for the Hermann tortoise because we are particularly fond of pine woods, dry maquis and forest clearings, where we can find plenty to eat. But, sadly for us, things have changed. More and more humans like yourself have left the country and gone to live in towns and forest has replaced the farmland. Then there are the forest fires that of course have a terrible effect on our natural environment. However, there is a place called Plateau du Lambert, between Collobrières and Bormes-les-Mimosas, where pastoralism is still alive and kicking and my species can continue to thrive.

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Une publication partagée par Village des Tortues Carnoules (@villagedestortuescarnoules)

Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Une publication partagée par Coeur du Var Tourisme (@coeurduvartourisme)

I like solitude and cool environments

My friend Marcel the flamingo explained to you that he lives with a gang in Camargue. I’m completely the opposite. I’m a discreet little creature and I enjoy being on my own. I get up early in the morning to start hunting for food. I’m mainly a herbivore, but I also eat plants (that’s called a folivore) and fruit (humans have a word for that too: frugivore). But I sometimes snack on snails and worms too. It all depends what I find! At noon, when the sun is beating down, I shelter in the cool bushes before heading back out for a stroll. That’s my everyday life at my busiest times of year, from May to October. And from mid-November to mid-March I hibernate. See you later!

I’m a protected species

You humans think I’m very cute. I like that, even if most people don’t realize that human activities, especially urbanization, have reduced my population a lot. Today, the Hermann tortoise is an endangered and protected species. In 2009, the Maures plain was turned into a nature reserve, in part to protect me. But our situation remains fragile: in August 2021, I lost at least 140 friends in the terrible fire that ravaged the Maures plain and hills. Many others were wounded. Luckily, the kind humans from the Tortoise Observation and Protection Centre were there to give us bowls of water before releasing us back into the wild. 30 burnt tortoises were taken into care too. So, as you can see, you really do need to look after me. If you come across me while you’re out walking – for example in the Pont des Fées area near Grimaud – you can observe me discreetly and even take a picture of me. But please don’t touch me or try to move me. Even if I look lost, I’ve got a great sense of direction and I know exactly where I’m going!

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Une publication partagée par Village des Tortues Carnoules (@villagedestortuescarnoules)

See you soon at the tortoise village in Carnoules !

If you’re not keen on hiking, perhaps we’ll get to know each other at the Tortupôle France, the tortoise village in Carnoules. This conservation centre – the only one of its kind in Europe – is home to 1,600 tortoises from fifty species, living in a space very similar to their natural environment. You’ll find Hermann tortoises like me there, as well as exotic species and giant turtles. But the tortoise village is first and foremost a refuge for friends of mine who have been abandoned or illegally smuggled. You can learn all about how to protect us there. And if you like art, don’t miss the Musée de l’Artortue! You’ll find an impressive 6,000 specimens and depictions of tortoise from every part of the world at the museum, including prohibited specimens from days gone by, toys and craftwork… Me and my friends have always fascinated humans. And that’s another good reason to look after us. I’m counting on you!

See you soon, kiss,

Fanny