Tortoises in the genus Testudo are herbivorous land dwelling tortoises from southern Europe, West Asia and North Africa.
Hermann’s Tortoises (Testudo hermanni), Szeged Zoo.
There are several species of tortoises in this genus but their general description is quite similar.
Hermann’s Tortoise on the 2014 Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo.
Their taxonomy, on the other hand, is really messed up and there is much debate how many species there are. I have happened to take pictures of several of them recently, so I have decided to include what I have in this one post instead of trying to go species by species.
Greek Tortoises (Testudo graeca) at the 2014 Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo.
The species featured in these pictures are often kept as pets and each kind has its loyal fan base.
Greek Tortoise (Testudo graeca) at the 2014 Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo.
This is not surprising since these tortoises are relatively easy to care for, reasonably tolerant towards humans and their normal lifespan is several decades — about one human lifetime — so it is OK for their owner to get attached to them.
Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) at the 2014 Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo.
These tortoises mostly eat leafy greens with an occasional insect. Pet owners should avoid feeding their tortoise a lot of meet as a high protein diet will make them sick and die.
Further Readings:
CTTC – Russian tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii by Mary Anderson Cohen.
The Russian Tortoise
How to care for a Hermann tortoise.
A Guide to the Identification of Tortoises in the Genus Testudo on the British Chelonia Group website.
Feeding your tortoise on Tortoise Trust Web.
Hermann’s tortoise on ARKIVE.
Greek tortoise on ARKIVE.
Afghan tortoise on ARKIVE.
Testudo (genus) on Wikipedia.
Hermann’s tortoise on Wikipedia.
Greek tortoise on Wikipedia.
Russian tortoise on Wikipedia.