Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone identify the subspecies of this Greek tortoise?

I would rather try to get information about the import origin. That will shed more light on the matter.

The morphology of the graeca complex is very very variable, even within the same populations. There are just a few morphotypes that can be easily recognised.

Anyway...I'd say it comes from Jordan, Libano...of course influenced by the fact those are some of the few countries that are exporting graeca at the moment.

Greetings from Spain,
Marcos Martínez

Thanks Marco. I wish I had more info on the origin, but I don't. It was someone's pet for several years, but he had no other info. You're the second to say Jordanian. So I would guess that means a non-hibernating, heat loving subspecies?

Thanks Marco. I wish I had more info on the origin, but I don't. It was someone's pet for several years, but he had no ther info. You're the second to say Jordanian. So I would guess that means a non-hibernating, heat loving subspecies?

Yes, more or less.

Again, it is difficult to say with certainty as it is a species with a huge home range and different adaptations in this regard.

I'd say that can tolerate a short hibernation, but can be maintained all year around. Anyway, some kind of annual cycle in terms of light, heat, humidity and food avaibility it is needed if your goal is their reproduction.

Don't think of it just as a sun loving species. Most populations aestivate naturally under extreme conditions. Not just because the high temperatures, but the scarcity of food. In captivity, outdoors, they dont follow this pattern so strictly, they are active some days and eat a little bit. Anyway their peak in activity in the mediterranean area is in spring and short while in autumn.

The ones I maintain and reproduce both hibernate and aestivate.

Best Regaards,
Marcos