Hermann’s tortoise is the only wild land tortoise in mainland France. You can recognise it by its domed yellow-brown shell with dark seams, and the horny spur at the tip of its tail. It is perfectly suited to hot, dry Mediterranean places. It is a long-lived reptile: it can live more than 50 years, but only becomes an adult at around 10 to 12 years old. It hibernates from October to March, buried in dead leaves or under bushes. After a fire, a population can take more than 50 years to recover. It is threatened by habitat destruction, forest fires and illegal collecting, and it benefits from National Action Plans in France, Spain and Italy.