Tortoise - Mediterranean Species Identification

What is the species of tortoise commonly kept in the United Kingdom?

The vast majority of tortoises in the UK are members of the genus Testudo and it is the identification of the species in this group which is covered here. However, other species are being imported in large numbers, eg Leopard Tortoises, Geochelone pardalis, African Spurred Tortoises, Geochelone sulcata, Red-Footed Tortoises, Geochelone carbonaria. The husbandry requirements (including need to hibernate) may vary considerably from the traditional Mediterranean species, so it is vital initially to determine that yours is a Testudo. In addition we give some information on the natural habitat and habits of these animals that relate to their management in captivity.

Testudo graeca

The spur-thighed tortoise is the most commonly kept Mediterranean species. They have a moderately domed carapace (upper portion of the shell) and five claws on each forelimb. The most obvious feature, as the name suggests, is the prominent spur in the thigh region of each hindlimb. This is a large group of tortoise species and subspecies, with different geographical locations rather than a single species. Their natural range covers North Africa, Greece, Asia Minor and the Middle East. Most of the tortoises imported into Britain years ago were taken from Asia Minor and Morocco. Note the temperature in that country which, while it may drop precipitously at night, the average overall daytime temperature is higher than that ever experienced in the UK. The animal is almost entirely vegetarian in the wild. The smaller North African subspecies (often named Testudo graeca graeca) are often considered more fragile in captivity and may not be able to withstand hibernation as well as being more susceptible to some of the tortoise viruses. These may be distinguished by a highly patterned shell, small adult size and yellow spot on the head. A related species to these North African spur-thighs is the Tunisian tortoise Furculachelys naebulensis. This is extremely fragile in captivity and must not be hibernated. It can be recognised as being similar to the North African spur thighs but with a curled scute extending over the tail

Testudo hermanni

Hermann's tortoise, is an entirely European species, being found in southern Italy, Sicily, Greece and Turkey. There are two subspecies; one Eastern and one Western - the latter is smaller with a more domed shell. The shell is a yellower colour than that of Testudo graeca but the main difference is the lack of hindlimb tubercles and the presence of a horny claw-like tip to the tail. The more temperate environment inhabited by this species means that it is more used to hibernation, normally from November to March in southern France, for example.

Testudo marginata

The 'margined' tortoise, Testudo marginata, should really be the species named the Greek tortoise. As we said above Testudo graeca is more often found in North Africa than Greece, while Testudo marginata is almost entirely confined to southern Greece. Interestingly Linnaeus used the term Graeca not because the species came from Greece but rather because the scute pattern of the carapace looked to him like a Greek mosaic! Testudo marginata often has a carapace which is dark in colour while the plastron (underneath of the shell) is an almost uniform background yellow with dark triangles on each of the plastron scutes. The species can grow to a large size, just over 30 cm in length at maximum.

Testudo horsfieldi

Testudo horsfieldi, often known as the Afghan, Russian or Steppe tortoise, is the most eastern of the Testudo genus with a distribution as far East as Afghanistan and Pakistan. While many individuals have a light tan carapace, they are more commonly seen with extensive dark pigmentation. The most distinctive feature of them is the rounded carapace and the strong well developed forelimbs have four claws while all other members of the genus have five.