How big does a male Greek tortoise get?
Male Greek tortoises are usually smaller than females, but again, there are exceptions. At hatching, most Greek tortoises are no more than an inch in length. They can grow rapidly when overfed and reports of them reaching 4 inches in less than two years is common, but not recommended.
Where can I find a healthy Greek tortoise?
Depending on the subspecies, Greek tortoises are readily available. Forms such as the Ibera Greek and now the golden Greek have produced well under captive conditions and healthy hatchlings can be found at reptile expos, pet stores, online dealers and private breeders.
How old was Thomas the tortoise when she died?
Hilditch had received Thomas a gift from her father in 1922. He was friends with a reptile keeper at the London Zoo who said that Thomas was 40 years old, putting her birth date sometime around 1882. Le Gallez also has two other tortoises, Gorky and Carstaias, who are both 50 years old at the time of Thomas’ death.
Where are the spurs located on a Greek tortoise?
One to three raised scales, spurs or tubercles are located on either side of the tail, on each thigh (these spurs are the reason for the alternate name, the Mediterranean spur-thigh tortoise). The head is blunt with large eyes and the front legs exhibit large scales and thick, powerful claws.
How big does a Greek spur thighed tortoise get?
Testudo graeca graeca is relatively small: 13-16 cm (5-6 in) (Hernández-Divers 2003). This species can measure up to 30 cm (12 in) in length (or more) with a maximum weight of approximately 6 kg (13 lb). The carapace is brownish yellow with black patches.
Is the spur thighed tortoise on the IUCN Red List?
Wild populations are listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List and are included in CITES Appendix II. Taxonomy of spur-thighed tortoises has been in a state of flux for decades.
Where are Testudo graeca terrestris tortoises found?
Testudo graeca graeca are found from northern Morocco to Libya, in southern Spain, and in Sardinia or Sicily. Testudo graeca terrestris are found in southern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and from Israel to northern Egypt or Libya.
What kind of herpes does a Mediterranean tortoise have?
Tortoise herpesvirus 3 has been frequently described in genus Testudo . Urolithiasis is also a relatively common disorder in Testudo graeca. The Ferlavirus genus of paramyxoviruses has also been detected in Testudo graeca. See the Mediterranean Tortoise Basic Information Sheet for additional information.
