in the Genus Testudo
With
thanks from Richard Gibson, Durrell Wildlife Protection Trust
Females
up to 180mm SCL and-1300g
Posterior
marginals not flared or serrate. Supracaudal
undivided and not ventrally intro-flexed.
Front
vertebral scute has clearly rounded anterior margin.
Ground
colour yellow to sandy brown - each scute marked with black with characteristic
centre/surround (laterally and anteriorly) Scales of head and limbs are yellow.
Small
spurs present on thighs.
Lacks
tail spur.
4-6
rows of enlarged scales on forelimbs.
Claws
- front 5, rear 4.
Bulgaria,
S.E.Romania, (southern Yugoslavia?),
Males
may have flared and serrate posterior marginals.
Supracaudal
rarely divided.
Front
vertebral scute has angular anterior margin.
Ground
colour greenish to light brown - larger scutes marked with a dark-brown to black
central areolar.
older.specimens
regularly lose keratin from the surface of the carapace exposing large irregular
areas of orange pigment.
Head
and nose relatively broad and blunt.
Eyes
relatively large.
Limbs
relatively short and thick.
1
or 2 well defined spurs present on thighs.
Testudo
graeca terrestris
Highly
domed shell.
Yellow
spot on either side of the head.
Testudo
graeca zarudnyi
Posterior
marginals flared.
Supracaudal
usually undivided.
5th
vertebral scute not broader than the 3rd. Nuchal
long and narrow.
Ground
colour dark-brown to olive -little visible pattern, marginal edges may have
translucent yellow tips.
Skin
light olive-brown.
Front
leg scales black - 5 claws (one smaller). Pointed
scales on heels of hind legs.
Ground
colour bright yellow - central dark dot present in vertebral and costal scutes.
Marginals edged, sometimes indistinctly with dots "saw-tooth"
pattern distinctive in T.g.graeca is ill-defined
or absent.
Further
dark spotting often present over entire carapace.
Skin
orange to yellow - maybe flecked with black.
Neck and head bright yellow (Face mask) - bright yellow scale on the top
of the head. Front legs yellow with
black flecks.
Plastron
duller with dark markings centered around the femoral and abdominal scutes.
Testudo (graeca)
whitei! (not yet recog. Placed in the genus
Females
upto 280mm SCL and 3500g
Median
carapace width greater than posterior marginal width.
Posterior
marginals often flared and serrate.
Ground
colour typically golden yellow - lacks centre/surround markings, this is
sometimes replaced by a medullary "ray" pattern on vertebral and
costal scutes.
Head
often yellowish.
Scales
of front legs large and overlapping.
Large,
laterally in-turned spurs present on thighs.
Claws - front 5 , rear 4.
Plastron
features large diffuse expanse of black markings.
Hind
feet have spiky yellow scales around heels.
Small thigh spurs present, sometimes paired.
Testudo
hermanni hermanni (robertmertensi)
Black
markings on a yellow ground colour.
Plastron
with two solid dark bands running
longitudinally
from the anal to pectoral scutes, not reaching gular.
Fixed
xiphiplastron.
Supracaudal
often divided.
Pale
yellow/green spot on either side of head. No
thigh spurs present.
Large
horny tip to tail, more pronounced in males.
Mid-line depth of pectoral scute shortened - 1.5 times smaller than
femoral.
Five
claws front and back.
Black
markings, less well defined than in nominate form, on pale yellow/brown base.
Plastron
markings poorly defined and diffuse. Fixed
xiphiplastron.
Supracaudal
often divided.
No
thigh spurs present.
Large
horny tip to tail, more pronounced in males.
Four claws front and back (a feature more usually associated with T.horsfieldi).
Testudo
(Agrionemys) horsfieldi
Distribution
; Southern Russia, eastern Iran, Afghanistan and
Females
up to 190mm SCL and 14OOg
Skin
yellowish.
Four
claws front and back.
Fixed
xiphiplastron.
Supracaudal
undivided.
Long
narrow nuchal shield.
Posterior
marginals may be serrate.
Group
of enlarged tubercules present either side of the tail - not large enough to
refer to as spurs. Hard horny.tip
to tail.
Testudo
marginata
Females
240-280mm SCL and upto 3000g
Almost
entirely dark grey to black, sometimes with pale areolar to larger scutes.
Plastron
tan coloured with distinct triangular markings in pairs.
Supracaudal
undivided.
Small
nuchal shield.
No
tail or thigh spurs.
Five
claws at the front and four at the rear.
Testudo
(Pseudotestudo) kleinmanni
Females
average 120-150mm SCL and up to 400g
Plastron
pale tan with distinct triangular markings usually present.
All carapace and plastron markings are less distinct or even absent in
animals from Libya.
Supracaudal
undivided.
No
tail
or thigh spurs.