Dedicated to CALIFORNIA TURTLE & TORTOISE CLUB Turtle & Tortoise Conservation, Preservation the Tortuga Gazette and Education Since 1964 Volume 55, Number 6 • November/December 2019 Testudo graeca, the Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise, photographed at Balcalı, Adana, Turkey. Photo © 2018 by Zeynel Cebeci. Source Wikimedia Com- mons; license: CC-BY-SA-4.0.. Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca (Linnaeus 1758) The Greek Tortoise Complex by M. A. Cohen Members of the genera Testudo tortoise family, the Testudinidae, projection) on the outer surface and Agrionemys, the Mediterra- which consists of some 11 genera of each thigh, and some may have nean tortoise species are endemic and 40 to 50 species, depending two or three tubercles per thigh. to arid regions of Mediterranean on the authority one consults. All subspecies lack keratinized tips Europe, North Africa, and portions Generally speaking, T. graeca is a on their tails. The males of each of the Middle East. The Mediterra- small- to medium-sized tortoise subspecies have longer, thicker nean species include the following: found in “semi-dry grassland and tails than the females. 8 Testudo graeca, the brush areas” throughout its range A cautionary note: Testudinid her- spur-thighed tortoise; (Turtles of the World, n.d.). All sub- 8 Testudo hermanni, Her- pesvirus 3 (TeHV-3) is a growing species are primarily herbivorous, threat to wild and captive popu- mann’s tortoise; feeding on forbs (herbaceous 8 Agrionemys. horsfieldi, the lations of tortoises, and members flowering plants) and grasses re- of the genus Testudo seem par- Russian tortoise; gardless of the region they inhabit. 8 Testudo kleinmanni, the ticularly vulnerable to it. TeHV-3 At least one subspecies is some- causes an infection with extremely Egyptian tortoise; and what omnivorous. 8 Testudo marginata, the Mar- high mortality rates. If the tortoise ginated tortoise. As the common name (spur-thigh- does survive the infection, it be- ed tortoise) implies, all T. graeca comes an “asymptomatic carrier” The Testudo and Agrionemys subspecies have at least one of the virus for the rest of its life genera both belong to the land conical tubercle (a small rounded (Science 2.0, 2015). 2 Tortuga Gazette 55(6) • November/December 2019 The Greek Tortoise Complex by M. A. Cohen 1 C Dr. Kristin Berry Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award 4 O How a Hashtag Aims to Save Endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles N Neurological Signals from the Turtle’s Spinal Cord Surprise Scientists 5 T The Turtle’s Garden: Tree Mallow (Lavatera maritima) 6 E ARCHELON—The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece 8 N Mike’s Turtle Net Picks by Michael J. Connor, Ph.D. 10 T Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative Update (Galápagos Conservancy) 11 Meetings and Programs S Causes and Prevention of URTD in Grazing Tortoises by Dr. Todd Driggers 12 T. graeca Subspecies islands of Sardinia and Sicily and Although there are at least 20 on mainland Italy, the subspecies published subspecies names cur- exists, but has likely been intro- rently in use, there is no consensus duced in these locations (Turtles as to the validity of all these of the World, n.d.). names. In addition, there are doz- T. g. graeca is sometimes called ens of synonyms that have been the Moorish spur-thighed tortoise, used historically, creating even presumably because it inhabits more taxonomic confusion. North Africa and Spain, where the Testudo graeca ibera. A wild juvenile tortoise pho- tographed at the Bolata Reserve on the Black Sea While the taxonomy (classification) Muslim civilization known as the th coast of northeastern Bulgaria. Photo © 2012 by of T. graeca remains in flux, there Moors flourished between the 8 MrPanyGoff. Source: Wikimedia Commons; license: th is general agreement on at least and 15 centuries. CC-BY-SA-3.0. three subspecies. Additionally, The carapacial color of T. g. graeca A larger subspecies, the Eurasian there is one member of the com- is typically cream, yellow or tan spur-thighed tortoise reaches plex that some chelonian biologists with brown or black markings. Its up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) regard as a graeca subspecies, plastron is similarly light in color when mature. T. g. ibera displays while other biologists consider it to with highly contrasting, symmetri- considerable variation in the col- be a completely separate species. cal dark markings. The head of this oration of its carapace. Some subspecies is usually dark. One of Testudo graeca graeca individuals are nearly solid black, the smaller subspecies, T. g. graeca while others are tan with brown or grows to 8 inches (20 centime- ocher markings. The shape of its ters) at maturity. carapace is somewhat flatter and Testudo graeca ibera rounder than others in the graeca There are differences of opinion complex (Soler, Silvestre and Fer- among taxonomists about whether nandez, 2009). this taxon is a graeca subspecies While it is primarily herbivorous, T. or a completely separate species. g. ibera is an omnivore, especial- In this article, the taxon is consid- ly in the wild, consuming insects ered a subspecies, the conclusion Testudo graeca graeca photographed at the and mollusks as well as forbs and of a study published in Chelonian Labenne Zoo in France. Photo © 2019 by Vorlod. grasses. Source: Wikimedia Commons; license: CC-BY- Conservation and Biology in 2012. Testudo graeca terrestris SA-4.0 Sometimes called the Asia Minor Ranging through southern Turkey, or Eurasian spur-thighed tortoise, Found in North Africa and south- Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and west- T. g. ibera is native to northeast ern Europe, T. g. graeca occurs in ward from Israel to northern Egypt Greece and the northern Aegean northern Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria or Libya, T. g. terrestris is some- islands, portions of the Balkan and Libya, on the Pityusae Islands times called the “Golden Greek states, and parts of Turkey south- of the Balearic Islands, and in tortoise” because its carapace ward to Iran or Iraq (Pollock and southern Spain (Ernst and Barbo- is comparatively lighter in color- Kanis, 2015). ur, 1989). On the Mediterranean ation than that of other graeca 3 Tortuga Gazette 55(6) • November/December 2019 elongated, high-domed carapace Dormancy and a single spur on each thigh. While T. graeca in the southern The head of the Iranian tortoise is portions of the species’ range typically plain gray in coloration. estivate throughout the summer T. g. zarudnyi appears to be the and do not brumate, in the colder least studied member of the grae- northern portions of the range, ca complex, and very little general they typically brumate until late information exists about this rare March or early April. subspecies. Threats and Conservation Once very popular in the Euro- T. g. terrestris, photographed at the Dibbeen Range and Habitat pean pet trade, thousands of The range of the T. graeca complex Forest Reserve in northwest Jordan. Photo © spur-thighed tortoises were re- 2013; source: Wikimedia Commons; license: CC- spans three continents, Asia, Af- moved from the wild, causing the BY-SA-3.0. rica, and Europe. According to the extinction of some local popula- Red List of the International Union subspecies. However, “Golden tions (Ernst and Barbour, 1989). for the Conservation of Nature, Greek” is a misnomer because this Today conservation measures offer the species is endemic to “Albania; subspecies is not found in the na- the species some protection. tion of Greece Algeria; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bul- garia; Egypt; Georgia; Greece; Iran, Last assessed in 1996 by the T. g. terrestris is sometimes called Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; IUCN, T. graeca was designated the Mesopotamian tortoise, re- Jordan; Libya; Moldova; Morocco; as “Vulnerable” to extinction. An ferring to its occurrence in the North Macedonia; Romania; Rus- annotation in the Red List indi- region historically known as Mes- sian Federation; Spain; Syrian Arab cates that the assessment “needs opotamia, the territory of the Republic; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine” updating.” Along with all other Tigris-Euphrates River System. (The IUCN Red List of Threatened members of the Testudinidae fam- Another small tortoise in the grae- Species, 1996). ily, T. graeca is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International ca complex, this subspecies grows A categorization widely-accepted Trade in Endangered Species of to 8 inches (20 centimeters) at by the scientific community is the maturity. Wild Fauna and Flora (The IUCN division of the graeca complex into Red List of Threatened Species, Testudo graeca zarudnyi two groups, one from North Africa 1996). [ and southern Spain, and the other from Eurasia and the Middle East References Ernst, C. and Barbour, R. (1989). Turtles of the (Turtles of the World, n.d.). World. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institu- Composed solely of Testudo grae- tion Press, pp.266-267. ca graeca, the North African/ The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. southern Spain group inhabits (1996). Testudo graeca. [online] Available at: ecosystems from sea level to http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996. RLTS.T21646A9305693.en. montane areas of some 6,000 feet (1,900 meters) of elevation Pollock, C. and Kanis, C. (2015). Greek or Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca in the Atlas Mountains. Often complex). [online] LaFeberVet. Available at: found in semi-dry grasslands, this https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information- subspecies also lives on coastal sheet-greek-or-spur-thighed-tortoise/ dunes, the margins of marshlands, Science 2.0. (2015). The Tortoise and the Testudo graeca zarudnyi, photographed by Omid brush-covered hillsides, and pine Herpes Virus. [online] Available at: https:// Mozaffari in 2006 in the Bidoieh Protected Area, www.science20.com/news_articles/ Kerman, Iran, Islamic Republic of. Source: CalPho- woods (Turtles of the World, n.d.). the_tortoise_and_the_herpes_virus-158249 tos. Public domain. The other graeca group, consisting Soler, J., Silvestre, A.