A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Testudo graeca subsp. ibera
A female mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca). T. graeca is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoise (genus Testudo, family Testudinidae). It is a threatened species considered vulnerable to extinction according the IUCN Red List. Some of the main charateristics in ordet to distinguish it from Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) are: Notable spurs on each thigh, undivided carapace over the tail (see photo 4) and large scales on the front legs (see photos 1-3).
Spotted on a forest road in Seih-Sou, the suburban forest of Thessaloniki (Greece).
Greek common name: Ελληνική χελώνα (Greek Tortoise). Common names are quite confusing: Testudo hermanni is "Greek Tortoise" in EOL and Testudo graeca ibera is "Asia Minor Tortoise" in EOL while Testudo graeca is "Greek Tortoise" in Wikipedia.
Spotted on Apr 17, 2016
Submitted on Apr 19, 2016
3 Comments
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Thank you Ava!
Nice pictures and notes. And congratulations! This is the first of this sub-species on Project Noah!