Spur-thighed tortoise

Spur-thighed tortoise

Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Testudo
Species:	T. graeca
Binomial name
*Testudo graeca* Linnaeus, 1758

Note allopatric ranges of "Maghreb" (T. g. graeca) and "Greek" (T. g. ibera) populations
Synonyms^[1]
T. g. 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 T. g. 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) T. g. antakyensis Testudo antakyensis Perälä, 1996 Testudo graeca antakyensis Zwartepoorte, 2000 Testudo terrestris antakyensis Bour, 2002 Testudo ibera antakyensis Artner, 2003 T. g. 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 T. g. buxtoni Testudo ecaudata Pallas, 1814 Testudo buxtoni Boulenger, 1921 Testudo terrestris buxtoni Bour, 2002 Testudo ibera buxtoni Artner, 2003 T. g. cyrenaica Testudo graeca cyrenaica Pieh & Perälä, 2002 Testudo cyrenaica Vetter, 2002 Testudo cyrenaika Stettner, 2004 (ex errore) T. g. floweri Testudo floweri Bodenheimer, 1935 Testudo graeca floweri Mertens, 1946 Testudo terrestris floweri David, 1994 Testudo ibera floweri Artner, 2003 T. g. 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 T. g. lamberti Testudo graeca lamberti Pieh & Perälä, 2004 Testudo lamberti Perälä, 2004 T. g. marokkensis Testudo graeca marokkensis Pieh & Perälä, 2004 Testudo marokkensis Perälä, 2004 T. g. nabeulensis Testudo flavominimaralis Highfield & Martin, 1989 Furculachelys nabeulensis Highfield, 1990 Testudo nabeulensis Welch, 1994 Testudo graeca flavominimaralis Artner, 1996 Testudo graeca nabeulensis Artner, 1996 T. g. 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 T. g. pallasi Testudo graeca pallasi Chkhikvadze, 1989 (nomen nudum) Testudo graeca pallasi Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 2002 Testudo pallasi Danilov & Milto, 2004 T. g. perses Testudo perses Perälä, 2002 Testudo ibera perses Artner, 2003 T. g. soussensis Testudo graeca soussensis Pieh, 2001 Testudo soussensis Vetter, 2002 T. g. 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 T. g. zarudnyi Testudo zarudnyi Nikolsky, 1896 Testudo graeca zarudnyi Mertens, 1946 Testudo ibera zarudnyi Gmira, 1993 Testudo terrestris zarudnyi David, 1994

The spur-thighed tortoise (or Greek tortoise) (Testudo graeca) is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoise (genus Testudo, family Testudinidae). The other four species are the Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii), Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni), and marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata). The spur-thighed tortoise is a very long lived animal, achieving a lifespan of upwards of 125 years, with some unverified reports of up to 200 years. ^[2]

Distribution

The spur-thighed tortoise's habitat is North Africa, southern Europe, and southwest Asia. 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, and Azerbaijan.

Characteristics

The Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera) is often confused with Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni). However, notable differences 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 spur-thighed 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. Currently, at least 20 subspecies are published:

T. g. graeca (North Africa and South Spain)
T. g. soussensis (South Morocco)
T. g. marokkensis (North Morocco)
T. g. nabeulensis - Tunisian spur-thighed tortoise (Tunisia)
T. g. cyrenaica (Libya)
T. g. ibera (Turkey)
T. g. armeniaca - Armenian tortoise (Armenia)
T. g. buxtoni (Caspian Sea)
T. g. terrestris (Israel/Lebanon)
T. g. zarudnyi (Iran/Azerbaijan)
T. g. 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 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 long hibernation.

At the other extreme, animals from northeastern Turkey are very robust, such as Hermann's tortoise. The largest specimens come from Bulgaria. Specimens of 7 kilograms (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.

Sexing

Males differ from females in six 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

T. g. ibera

T. 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 her 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 multiple males are in a pen, one takes on a dominant role and will try to mate with the other males in the pen. If more males than females are in a pen, the males might kill each other 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 soil, 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.

Trade

Spur-thighed tortoises are commonly traded as pets, despite the illegality of this trade. In source countries such as Morocco, this can lead to unsustainable removal of wild individuals for local pet trade and for export. There are also welfare concerns with this trade as the animals are not properly housed when being sold.^[3]

Notes

Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (1996). "Testudo graeca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 9 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1cd v2.3)

References

↑ Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 296–300. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
↑ "Testudo graeca". The Moirai - Aging Research. 2016-09-12. Retrieved 2016-12-13.
↑ Bergin & Nijman (2014). "Open, Unregulated Trade in Wildlife in Morocco’s Markets, TRAFFIC Bulletin". Retrieved 23 March 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Testudo graeca.

Tortoise family of turtles (Testudinidae)
Genus	Species of the tortoise family
Aldabrachelys	Aldabra giant tortoise
Astrochelys	Angonoka tortoise Radiated tortoise
Chelonoidis	Yellow-footed tortoise Chaco tortoise Galápagos tortoise (species) Red-footed tortoise
Chersina	Angulate tortoise
Centrochelys	African spurred tortoise
Cylindraspis†	Domed Mauritius giant tortoise† Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise† Réunion giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise†
Geochelone	Burmese star tortoise Indian star tortoise
Gopherus	Bolson tortoise Desert tortoise Gopher tortoise Sonoran Desert tortoise Texas tortoise
Homopus	Common padloper Nama padloper Karoo padloper Greater padloper Speckled padloper
Indotestudo	Elongated tortoise Forsten's tortoise Travancore tortoise
Kinixys	Bell's hinge-back tortoise Forest hinge-back tortoise Home's hinge-back tortoise Lobatse hinge-back tortoise Natal hinge-back tortoise Speke's hinge-back tortoise
Malacochersus	Pancake tortoise
Manouria	Asian forest tortoise Impressed tortoise
Psammobates	Geometric tortoise Serrated tortoise Tent tortoise
Pyxis	Flat-backed spider tortoise Spider tortoise
Stigmochelys	Leopard tortoise
Testudo	Hermann's tortoise Kleinmann's tortoise Marginated tortoise Russian tortoise Spur-thighed tortoise
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2012 update: annotated checklist. Key: †=extinct.

Extant turtle taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Chelonii or Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Subfamily	Genus

Cryptodira

Chelydridae

	Chelydra Macrochelys

Chelonioidea

Cheloniidae

Carettinae	Caretta Lepidochelys
Cheloniinae	Chelonia Eretmochelys Natator

Dermochelyidae

	Dermochelys

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae

	Dermatemys

Kinosternidae

Kinosterninae	Kinosternon Sternotherus
Staurotypinae	Claudius Staurotypus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae

Deirochelyinae	Chrysemys Deirochelys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Trachemys
Emydinae	Clemmys Emys Glyptemys Terrapene

Geoemydidae

Geoemydinae	Batagur Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Rhinoclemmydinae	Rhinoclemmys

Platysternidae

	Platysternon

Testudinidae

	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Stigmochelys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae

	Carettochelys

Trionychidae

Cyclanorbinae	Cyclanorbis Cycloderma Lissemys
Trionychinae	Amyda Apalone Chitra Dogania Nilssonia Palea Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx

Pleurodira

Chelidae

Chelinae	Acanthochelys Chelus Mesoclemmys Phrynops Platemys Rhinemys
Chelodininae	Chelodina Elseya Elusor Emydura Flaviemys Myuchelys Pseudemydura Rheodytes
Hydromedusinae	Hydromedusa

Pelomedusidae

	Pelomedusa Pelusios

Podocnemididae

	Erymnochelys Peltocephalus Podocnemis

Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2012 update: annotated checklist. Extinct turtles not included.

Portal Book See also List of Testudines families

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