Greek tortoise

Greek tortoise
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Testudo
Species:	T. graeca
Binomial name
Testudo graeca Linnaeus, 1758
Note allopatric ranges of "Maghreb" (graeca) and "Greek" (ibera) populations
Synonyms
Testudo graeca graeca Testudo pusilla — Linnaeus, 1758 Chersine pusilla — Merrem, 1820 Testudo mauritanica — Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Testudo mauritonica — Kercado, 1835 (ex errore) Testudo whitei — Bennett, 1836 Peltastes mauritanicus — Gray, 1873 Testudo graeca graeca — Mertens, 1946 Testudo gracea — Nutaphand, 1979 (ex errore) Testudo whitie — Highfield & Martin, 1989 (ex errore) Furculachelys whitei — Highfield, 1990 Testudo graeca sarda — Ballasina, 1995 (nomen nudum) Testudo graeca whitei — Artner, 1996 Testudo graeca anamurensis Testudo graeca anamurensis — Weissinger, 1987 Testudo ibera anamurensis — Highfield, 1990 Testudo terrestris anamurensis — David, 1994 Testudo anamurensis — Vetter, 2002 Testudo graeca amurensis — Ferri, 2002 (ex errore) Testudo graeca antakyensis Testudo antakyensis — Perälä, 1996 Testudo graeca antakyensis — Zwartepoorte, 2000 Testudo terrestris antakyensis — Bour, 2002 Testudo ibera antakyensis — Artner, 2003 Testudo graeca armeniaca Testudo graeca armeniaca — Chkhikvadze, 1989 (nomen nudum) Testudo graeca armeniaca — Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 1991 Testudo graeca armaniaca — Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 1991 (ex errore) Testudo armeniaca — Vetter, 2002 Testudo terrestris armeniaca — Bour, 2002 Testudo graeca buxtoni Testudo ecaudata — Pallas, 1814 Testudo buxtoni — Boulenger, 1921 Testudo terrestris buxtoni — Bour, 2002 Testudo ibera buxtoni — Artner, 2003 Testudo graeca cyrenaica Testudo graeca cyrenaica — Pieh & Perälä, 2002 Testudo cyrenaica — Vetter, 2002 Testudo cyrenaika — Stettner, 2004 (ex errore) Testudo graeca floweri Testudo floweri — Bodenheimer, 1935 Testudo graeca floweri — Mertens, 1946 Testudo terrestris floweri — David, 1994 Testudo ibera floweri — Artner, 2003 Testudo graeca ibera Testudo ibera — Pallas, 1814 Chersus iberus — Brandt, 1852 Testudo iberia — Blyth, 1853 (ex errore) Medaestia ibera — Wussow, 1916 Testudo ibera racovitzai — Călinescu, 1931 Testudo graeca ibera — Mertens, 1946 Testudo ibera ibera — Gmira, 1993 Testudo terrestris ibera — David, 1994 Testudo graeca lamberti Testudo graeca lamberti — Pieh & Perälä, 2004 Testudo lamberti — Perälä, 2004 Testudo graeca marokkensis Testudo graeca marokkensis — Pieh & Perälä, 2004 Testudo marokkensis — Perälä, 2004 Testudo graeca nabeulensis Testudo flavominimaralis — Highfield & Martin, 1989 Furculachelys nabeulensis — Highfield, 1990 Testudo nabeulensis — Welch, 1994 Testudo graeca flavominimaralis — Artner, 1996 Testudo graeca nabeulensis — Artner, 1996 Testudo graeca nikolskii Testudo graeca nikolskii — Chkhikvadze & Tuniyev, 1986 Testudo ibera nikolskii — Highfield, 1990 Testudo terrestris nikolskii — David, 1994 Testudo graeca niiolskii — Paull, 1997 (ex errore) Testudo nikolskii — Vetter, 2002 Testudo graeca pallasi Testudo graeca pallasi — Chkhikvadze, 1989 (nomen nudum) Testudo graeca pallasi — Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 2002 Testudo pallasi — Danilov & Milto, 2004 Testudo graeca perses Testudo perses — Perälä, 2002 Testudo ibera perses — Artner, 2003 Testudo graeca soussensis Testudo graeca soussensis — Pieh, 2001 Testudo soussensis — Vetter, 2002 Testudo graeca terrestris Testudo terrestris — Forsskål, 1775 Testudo zolhafa — Forsskål, 1831 (nomen nudum) Testudo zolkafa — Forsskål, 1831 (nomen nudum) Testudo zohalfa — Forsskål, 1835 (nomen nudum) Testudo graeca terrestris — Wermuth, 1958 Testudo terrestris terrestris — David, 1994 Testudo ibera terrestris — Artner, 2003 Testudo graeca zarudnyi Testudo zarudnyi — Nikolsky, 1896 Testudo graeca zarudnyi — Mertens, 1946 Testudo ibera zarudnyi — Gmira, 1993 Testudo terrestris zarudnyi — David, 1994

The spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) or Greek tortoise is one of four European members of the Testudinidae family of tortoises. The other members of the family are Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), the Marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) and Horsfield's Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii).

Distribution

Mediterranean tortoise habitat is North Africa, southern Europe and southwest Asia. In the former Soviet Union, it is prevalent in the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (from Russia Anapa to Abkhazia Sukhumi to the south) as well as in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Dagestan.

Characteristics

The Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera) is often confused with Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni). However, there are nine notable differences that enable them to be distinguished.

Testudo graeca ibera

Testudo graeca, male

Greek tortoise	Hermann's tortoise
Large symmetrical markings on the top of the head	Only small scales on the head
Large scales on the front legs	Small scales on the front legs
Undivided carapace over the tail	Tail carapace almost always divided
Notable spurs on each thigh	No spurs
Isolated flecks on the spine and rib plates	Isolated flecks only on the spinal plates
Dark central fleck on the underside	Two black bands on the underside
Shell somewhat oblong rectangular	Oval shell shape
Widely stretched spinal plates	Small spinal plates
Movable posterior plates on underside	Fixed plates on underside

Subspecies

Testudo graeca, 4 years.

The division of Greek tortoises into subspecies is difficult and confusing. Given the huge range over three continents, the various terrains, climates, and biotopes have produced a huge number of varieties, with new subspecies constantly being discovered. There are currently at least twenty published subspecies.

• Testudo graeca graeca (North Africa and South Spain)
• Testudo graeca soussensis (South Morocco)
• Testudo graeca marokkensis (North Morocco)
• Testudo graeca nabeulensis (Tunisia)
• Testudo graeca cyrenaica (Libya)
• Testudo graeca ibera (Turkey)
• Testudo graeca armeniaca (Armenia)
• Testudo graeca buxtoni (Caspian Sea)
• Testudo graeca terrestris (Israel/Lebanon)
• Testudo graeca zarudnyi (Iran)
• Testudo graeca whitei (Algeria)

This incomplete listing shows the problems in division into subspecies. The differences in form are primarily in size and weight, as well as coloration, which ranges from dark brown to bright yellow, and the types of flecks, ranging from solid colors to many spots. Also, the bending-up of the edges of the carapace ranges from minimal to pronounced. So as not to become lost in the number of subspecies, recently a few tortoises previously classified as Testudo graeca have been assigned to different species, or even different genera.

The genetic richness of Testudo graeca is also shown in their crossbreeding. Tortoises of different form groups often mate, producing offspring with widely differing shapes and color. Perhaps the best means of identification for the future is simply the place of origin.

The smallest, and perhaps the prettiest, of the subspecies is the Tunisian Spur-Thighed Tortoise. It has a particularly bright and striking coloration. However, these are also the most sensitive tortoises of the species, so that they cannot be kept outdoors in temperate climates, as cold and rainy summers quickly cause the animals to become ill. They are also incapable of a long hibernation.

At the other extreme, animals from northeastern Turkey are very robust, like Hermann's tortoise. The largest specimens come from Bulgaria. Specimens of 7 kg (15 lb) have been reported. In comparison, the Tunisian tortoise has a maximum weight of 0.7 kg (1.5 lb). Testudo graeca is also closely related to the marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata). The two species can interbreed, producing offspring capable of reproduction.

Identification of sex

Males differ from females in 6 main points. Firstly, they are generally smaller. Their tails are longer and taper to a point evenly, and the cloacal opening is farther from the base of the tail. The underside is somewhat curved, while females have a flat shell on the underside. The rear portion of a male's carapace is wider than it is long. Finally, the posterior plates of the carapace often flange outward.

Mating and reproduction

Tunisian Spur-thighed Tortoise

File:Graeca 075.jpg

Testudo graeca may be kept outdoor from March to October.

Testudo graeca ibera

Testudo graeca.

Immediately after waking from hibernation, the mating instinct starts up. The males follow the females with great interest, encircling them, biting them in the limbs, ramming them, and trying to mount them. During copulation, the male opens his mouth, showing his red tongue and making squeaking sounds.

During mating, the female stands still, bracing herself with her front legs, moving the front part of the body to the left and right in the same rhythm as the male's cries. One successful mating will allow the female to lay eggs multiple times. When breeding in captivity, the pairs of females and males must be kept separate. If there are multiple males in a pen, one takes on a dominant role and will try to mate with the other males in the pen. If there are more males than females, the males might kill each other in order to mate with the female.

One or two weeks before egg-laying, the animals become notably agitated, moving around to smell and dig in the dirt, even tasting it, before choosing the ideal spot to lay the eggs. One or two days before egg laying, the female takes on an aggressive, dominant behavior, mounting another animal as for copulation and making the same squeaking sound the male produces during copulation. The purpose for this behavior is to produce respect in the tortoise community, so that the female will not be disturbed by the others during egg laying. Further details of egg-laying behavior are the same as those detailed for the Marginated tortoise.

Individual

Main article: Timothy (tortoise)

See also

• Mediterranean tortoise
• List of reptiles of Italy

References

• Template:IUCN2006 Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1cd v2.3)

External links

• European Tortoises (in German)
• Broasca Testoasa Greaca - Testudo Graeca (in Romanian)