Spur-thighed tortoise
Testudo graeca
Terrestrial: steppe, scrub, and open foothills. It does not live in water. Eastern regions are coloured on the map.
Turtles in Georgia
Turtles in Georgia
Four taxa in the atlas: one land tortoise, two native freshwater turtles, and one introduced species — identify, compare, and open full profiles.
4
Turtles in the atlas
3
Families
1 · 2 · 1
Land · water · introduced
Guide
Georgia’s turtles in one guide
This hub gathers turtles confirmed or listed for Georgia: habitats, distribution records, and identification cues — one land tortoise, two native freshwater turtles, and one introduced species.
From here open the species index, the land or freshwater guide, the identification page, or a full species profile. Detailed field comparison lives on the identify guide — this page is the category entrance.
Species
Turtle species of Georgia
The atlas currently lists four taxa. Each card shows type, status, scientific name, and a short context line — the profile holds photos, field marks, and sources.
Native species — 3
The spur-thighed tortoise and two freshwater turtles from Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. Regional records are on each profile and in the regional atlas.
Introduced — 1
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) is listed as introduced — not part of Georgia’s native fauna.
Range
Turtle distribution in Georgia
The land tortoise belongs to open, dry, grassy habitats; freshwater turtles use ponds, lakes, wetlands, and slow waters. Habitat links a species to place, but the administrative map only colours verified records.
Regional records live in the regional atlas. If a species is missing from a region list, that means we do not yet have a named administrative unit here — not that the species is absent from the country.
Habitat
Where do turtles occur in Georgia?
A short contrast among the four species — based only on profiles and regional data.
European pond turtle
Emys orbicularis
Native freshwater turtle — ponds, wetlands, and slow waters. Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti is coloured from the sample locality.
Caspian turtle
Mauremys caspica
Native freshwater turtle of south-eastern Georgia. Tbilisi is coloured as the sample-locality region.
Identification
Can’t tell which turtle it is?
Start with land vs water, then shell and head marks, then native vs introduced. The full comparison guide is a separate page — this is only the pathway.
01
Land or water
High-domed shell and walking on land — spur-thighed tortoise. Flatter shell and water — pond, Caspian, or slider.
02
Shell shape
The land tortoise shell is high; freshwater turtles have a lower, flatter profile.
03
Head markings
The red-eared slider often has a red stripe behind the eye. Native water turtles lack that mark.
04
Native or introduced
Three species are native; the red-eared slider is introduced. Status is on each profile.
Land
Land turtles
The atlas has one land tortoise — the spur-thighed tortoise. The guide gathers habitat and identification; freshwater species live on a separate page.
Water
Freshwater turtles
Two native freshwater turtles and one introduced red-eared slider. The guide gathers habitat and comparison.
Other categories
Continue in other categories
Each category gathers the relevant species on one guide page, where you can continue to a specific snake’s full profile.
FAQ
What people ask about turtles
Short answers — depth lives on profiles and thematic guides.
This atlas lists four species: spur-thighed tortoise, European pond turtle, Caspian turtle, and the introduced red-eared slider — following Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026.
Three are native: spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca), European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), and Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica). The red-eared slider is introduced.
Only the spur-thighed tortoise is terrestrial. Pond, Caspian, and red-eared slider turtles are freshwater species.
Start with land vs water, then shell and head marks. Full comparison is on the turtle identification guide; concrete traits are on each species profile.
The land tortoise uses open dry habitats; water turtles use ponds and wetlands. Verified regions are on each profile and in the regional atlas — the map only colours named records.
T. s. elegans often has a broad red stripe behind the eye; native water turtles lack that mark. Status is introduced — details are on the profile.
Both are native freshwater turtles from different families. The pond turtle is Emydidae; the Caspian turtle is Geoemydidae. Field marks and range are on the profiles — we do not repeat a full comparison here.
Do not take wild turtles home — collection harms populations. Observe, photograph, and compare with the atlas. This page is a field atlas and does not give keeping or legal advice.
Next step
From turtle list to profile and region
Open a species, compare on the identify guide, or find local lists in the regional atlas.
