We investigated the relation between righting time (RT) and carapace morphology in 303 adult Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789) from two geographically close localities. Their size, shape and body mass, adjusted for size, were significantly different between males and females. Righting time differed among the populations and was related to the ambient temperature and the relative body mass and carapace shape. However, analysis showed that the impact of carapace "form" (shape plus relative body mass) alone had only moderate influence on the variation in righting time ("function"). Both "form" and "function" did not contribute much to the segregation of individuals in geometric space, based on either sex or locality. An interesting detail was that tortoises with a height/width ratio of the shell contour higher than 0.75 had quite a short righting time (less than 100 seconds), which is in accordance with the proposed theoretical model of energy balance of righting in chelonians. We suppose that interactions between general carapace "form", specific components of shell structure, physiological parameters and local environments shape variation in righting response in this species. An interdisciplinary approach combining geometric modehng with traditional biological disciphnes would be needed to support this hypothesis.

We analyzed variation in the distribution of eastern Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in a complex landscape consisting of both natural and human-altered habitats in a temperate climate region in Serbia. Our results indicated nonrandom distribution of tortoises within different habitat types with large and medium effect size for year and activity pattern, respectively. Additionally, the tortoises expressed relatively weak preference for habitats modified by human activity (e.g., vineyards, orchards, or gardens). The results suggested that these tortoises preferred some particular habitats more than others when performing specific activities. They also did not exhibit the same distribution pattern among habitats over consequent years. In other words, they were not randomly distributed among habitat types with regard to specific activity or year. The information on preferences in complex habitat systems is important for the conservation management of eastern Hermann's tortoise and should be considered when planning activities related to sustainable development within the region of study.

Hydropower plants (HPPs) have a strong environmental impact on freshwater wetlands. Small diversion HPPs (SDHPPs) with 0.1–10 MW of installed power, redirect water from small mountainous rivers into several-kilometer-long tubes, disrupting complex dynamics of local aquatic food webs and their interactions with neighbor terrestrial food webs. It certainly affects local aquatic communities, but it is often neglected that two highly threatened vertebrate groups—amphibians and reptiles—which live in and around these wetlands, could be affected as well. In the Balkan peninsula, a part of Southeastern Europe, SDHPPs recently became very attractive and profitable for potential investors after they were proclaimed as eligible for subsidies from the national budget. As a result, in year 2020, the maximal projected number of SHPPs in the Balkans increased to 4,556. According to the literature data, ~28% of amphibian species in the Balkan Peninsula use small rivers and streams in the upper parts of watersheds as feeding, breeding and/or nursery habitats. Additionally, 38% of the total number of reptile species in Europe are registered in the hilly/mountainous areas of the peninsula, and 33% of these species strictly need humid habitats. The attempt of this mini-review is to present the facts which show that SHPPs and DSHPPs, in the way they are currently being installed, present harmful energy solution for the biodiversity of the mountain parts of Balkan peninsula, particularly for local amphibian and reptile populations which rely on lotic aquatic ecosystems and/or humid terrestrial habitats.

Abstract Macro- and microhabitat preference of Testudo hermanni boettgeri, the eastern subspecies of Hermann’s tortoise, was investigated utilizing modified methodology for the western subspecies which emphasized the importance of habitat heterogeneity preservation. The study objective was to explore the habitat preferences of the eastern subspecies of T. hermanni. Research was conducted within the same year at four localities in Eastern and Southeastern Serbia. Macrohabitat determination was conducted using a 0 to 5 land cover score system (coverage with herbaceous, bushy or tree vegetation) for 4 m2 tortoise encounter surroundings. Microhabitat analysis was carried out by determining the plant species in closest contact with the tortoise in the moment of recording. Plants were classified into six groups: 1) aromatic, 2) bramble, 3) herbaceous, 4) thorny shrub, 5) tree and 6) non-thorny shrubs. test was used for comparison between expected and empirical habitat preference. Results confirmed that the most attractive macrohabitats for Eastern Hermann’s tortoises in this part of the Balkans are meadows and open shrublands, with the addition of dense forest (important in wormer months), what is concordant with earlier data from the Mediterranean part of former Yugoslavia. The most attractive microhabitats were “herbaceous plants”, followed by “bramble”.

We recorded the movements of adult Eastern Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in a local population situated in a complex forested habitat system. The average total movement range size (TMRS) calculated over three consecutive years was 4.56 ha and 7.53 ha for males and females, respectively. The largest estimated TMRS of male and female tortoises was 27 ha and 90 ha, respectively. Six females and three males (or 9% and 4%, respectively, of the overall sample) had a movement range size (MRS) greater than 10 ha. Significant differences between male and female MRS were not detected. Body size had no influence on the MRS of individuals in the sample, except on the core movement range size (CMRS) in males. Although the collected data did not enable calculation of the home range in the studied population, the results indicate that the calculated average TMRS of local Hermann tortoises is larger than the average home range in some other populations. Therefore, in the absence of information on the home range size of local adult tortoises, the MRS could be a suitable alternative for planning local species reserves.