Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've seen a number of Greek tortoises on the market lately that aren't the standard Testudo Ibera fare. These Golden Greeks and "Normal" Greeks seem to be more desert oriented. Among the ones I have purchased, I've also noticed different combat and mating rituals (biting versus butting, distinct mating croaks, for example). They all seem to share similar physical features, but the variations are such that one could even make an argument for divergent species. In the interest of protecting the genetic integrity of these new arrivals, does anyone have any information as to where these tortoises originated?

They originated from Europe along with the Russian, Hermans, and Marginated Tortoises.

No offense, but that doesn't narrow the field. The only Testudos that live in Europe are Testudo hermanni (Hermanns, all subspecies included), Testudo marginata (the Marginated confined to Greece and certain islands), and Testudo graeca graeca (the Moorish or Morrocan Tortoise that extends into Spain). If you want to go so far as consider Testudo ibera of Turkey among these, fine. However, the Middle-East is the mystery to me. I'm interested in specific countries of origin and variation. Anyone out there know anything?

Most all of the Greeks coming in the past 3 or 4 years have been coming through Lebanon and Libya. Some of the greeks that are native to Lebanon, like antakyensis and floweri have come in as well as anamurensis from southwestern Turkey and this year an undescribed specie from central and northern Israel came in, you can see some good pictures of these in the first volume of the Terralog. I picked up a pair of these really nice animals. It's possible too that terrestris has come in with these shipments. The animals from Libya seem to be just the Tunisian greeks and not the Libyian ones for some reason. Not sure why that is.

Thanks. I have a bunch of male and female Greeks that I just acquired. Most of them seem to be doing well, but I have the males and females separated. I guess I have some homework to do before I even begin to think of breeding them.

T.G.