Mediterranean Tortoises (<i>Testudo</i>spp.)

Highfield, A. C

doi:10.1002/9781119333708.ch21

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In Alanya-Anamur, Turkey (anamurensis form), males have an average SCL of 19.3 cm ± 2.4 SD (range 12.3-23.5 cm) and females average SCL = 21.2 cm ± 3.6 (range 12.3-26.0 cm) (n = 51) (Türkozan et al 2010). For this same form, Highfield (1990a) reported males with SCL of 21.8 cm, 22.0 cm (body mass = 2200 g), 23.0 cm, and 23.5 cm, and one female of 21.8 cm.…”

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Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 (Eastern Subspecies Clades: Testudo g. armeniaca, Testudo g. buxtoni, Testudo g. ibera, Testudo g. terrestris, Testudo g. zarudnyi) – Armenian Tortoise, Zagros Tortoise, Anatolian Tortoise, Levantine Tortoise, Kerman Tortoise

Türkozan,

Javanbakht,

Mazanaeva

et al. 2023

Chelonian Research Monographs

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The eastern clades of the Spur-thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca (Family Testudinidae), include small to medium-sized (maximum straightline carapace lengths [SCL] typically ≤ 30 cm, but possibly up to 46.0 cm) tortoise subspecies clades native to the Balkans (southeastern Europe) and southwestern Asia. Within this vast geographic distribution, the species occupies Mediterranean, Mediterranean-continental, and steppe climates, as well as the margins of hot deserts. In southeastern Turkey and Iran, it reaches elevations of 2500 m, the record for the species. Testudo graeca is characterized by the presence of a small conical keratinous spur on each posterior thigh, present in all eastern clade subspecies. The eastern clades show a very high degree of phenotypic variability, ranging from almost entirely black individuals (typically, but not exclusively in the north of its range) to yellowish (flavistic) individuals (primarily in southern Israel). They also show variability in the structure and shape of the carapace, ranging from flatter steppe forms to domed, higher-shelled forms. In general, adult females are slightly larger and heavier than males in most eastern clade regions and studied populations; however, in approximately 30% of surveyed populations across the range, males reach a similar or larger average size, and the few largest individuals recorded of the species are males. Female mean SCLs among the eastern subspecies clades range from 14.5-21.9 cm per region or population, with mean body mass ranging from ca. 700-2250 g (average ca. 1630 g); male mean SCLs range from 13.5-24.1 cm with mean body mass ranging from ca. 420-2700 g (average ca. 1560 g). Male dimorphic characters include a proportionally longer and thicker tail and plastral concavity. Females produce 1-3 clutches of 2-19 eggs annually between May and July. The species is still relatively common and widespread in a large part of its range. Some populations have declined drastically since the second half of the 20th century (as in Azerbaijan) and in others this decline has accelerated more recently, mainly in southwestern Russia, Armenia, and in the coastal regions of Israel. The main threats to the eastern subspecies clades of T. graeca are the degradation and loss of habitats by urbanization and development, bush fires, and agricultural mechanization, while the legal collection for the international pet trade, especially to Europe, is currently much more regulated than in previous decades.distribution. -Southeastern Europe and southwestern

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Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 (Eastern Subspecies Clades: Testudo g. armeniaca, Testudo g. buxtoni, Testudo g. ibera, Testudo g. terrestris, Testudo g. zarudnyi) – Armenian Tortoise, Zagros Tortoise, Anatolian Tortoise, Levantine Tortoise, Kerman Tortoise

Türkozan,

Javanbakht,

Mazanaeva

et al. 2023

Chelonian Research Monographs

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Seasonal and Sexual Variations in Corticosterone and Total Triiodothyronine: A Pilot Study in Mediterranean Tortoises (Testudo hermanni)

Olvera-Maneu,

Navarro,

Serres-Corral

et al. 2024

Animals

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The Mediterranean tortoise Testudo hermanni inhabits different regions bordering the northwestern Mediterranean. This species is vulnerable, protected by legislation, and involved in various breeding and reintroduction programs. Wild populations face numerous environmental and anthropogenic stressors that can potentially interfere with their conservation. While seasonal changes in stress-response biomarkers, such as glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones, have been widely studised in mammals and birds, there is a paucity of research in reptile species. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the seasonal fluctuations in corticosterone and total triiodothyronine levels in adult and juvenile Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni) as a measure of the physiological stress response. Blood samples were collected seasonally (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) and posteriorly analyzed by using a specific and validated enzyme immunoassay for both hormones, respectively. The results showed that corticosterone levels varied seasonally and differed between sexes, whereas total triiodothyronine levels changed seasonally but did not differ between sexes. Notably, juveniles exhibited no seasonal changes in either corticosterone or total triiodothyronine levels. Additionally, no correlation between blood extraction duration and hormonal concentrations was observed. This study is pioneering in its comprehensive evaluation of corticosterone and total triiodothyronine changes across all four seasons, including winter, and its focus on juvenile Hermann’s tortoises.

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