Spur - thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca)

 Female Adult Spur-Thighed  Male Adult Spur-Thighed (Right)

These are my favourite tortoise species. My first tortoise was a Spur-thighed. Tortoises each have their own personalities, likes and dislikes. I find that Spur-thighed tortoises have a lot of character and an almost hyperactivity to their nature. Male Spurs especially have a very energetic life due to the fascination of searching for that perfect female companion. Spur-thighed tortoises can suffer with Runny Nose Syndrome therefore, are better kept in smaller collections.

Females are typically larger than males and have a much thicker and wider tail. These are commonly known as Spur-thighed tortoises due to their tubercles or spurs on the upper thighs, next to the tail.

Distribution

There are four known sub species of the Testudo graeca taxonomy

· Testudo graeca graeca - North Africa and Spain

· Testudo graeca ibera - Greece and Turkey

· Testudo graeca zarudnyi - Iran and Afghanistan

· Testudo graeca terrestris - Libya, Israel, Syria and south western Turkey

Environment

A similar environment as for the Testudo hermanni, Very dry, arid mountain edge locality forms the preferred surroundings for spur- thighed tortoises. They are quite a robust species which proves evident in the mating season.

Diet

As the Hermanns Tortoise