Mediterranean Tortoise
Testudo graeca
Land tortoise · Native
Only land tortoise: dome, columnar legs, thigh spurs.
View profileReptiles
Turtle identification in Georgia — what turtle is this?
Start with a few clear field marks: land or water, shell shape, head and neck. The key below narrows to four atlas checklist options — open a profile afterward to confirm and go deeper.
Field key
Identification finishes on this page
The atlas checklist has four turtles: one land tortoise (Testudo graeca), two native freshwater turtles (Emys orbicularis, Mauremys caspica), and one introduced slider (Trachemys scripta). Below is a photo-backed decision path.
The full table and empty fields live in the turtle species index. This page is for identification, not the catalog.
Key
How to identify a turtle in Georgia
Start with where you saw it. Then, for water turtles, check for a red ear stripe. If that mark is absent, compare the pond turtle and the Caspian turtle.
Step 1 — where did you see it?
Walking on open, dry ground with a high dome — land branch. Pond, lake, marsh, or basking on a bank — water branch.
Land branch — Testudo graeca
Georgia’s only land tortoise. Separated from water turtles by the dome, columnar legs, and often thigh spurs.
Mediterranean Tortoise
Testudo graeca
Only land tortoise: dome, columnar legs, thigh spurs.
View profileStep 2 — water turtle: red mark behind the eye?
T. s. elegans has a broad red or orange stripe behind the eye. If that mark is clear — introduced slider. If not — compare the two native freshwater turtles.
Introduced — Trachemys scripta
An introduced species; wild populations are confirmed near Tbilisi and Batumi. Not native.
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
Broad red stripe behind the eye; introduced — Tbilisi and Batumi.
View profileMain comparison
Pond turtle or Caspian turtle — how to tell them apart
Both are native freshwater turtles and lack the slider’s red ear stripe. Below are the most useful field marks for telling them apart.
European Pond Turtle
Emys orbicularis
Often a dark shell with yellow dots; head and neck dark with dots or short streaks.
Caspian Turtle
Mauremys caspica
Pale lengthwise neck stripes often present; shell usually more striped than speckled.
| Trait | Pond turtle (Emys) | Caspian turtle (Mauremys) |
|---|---|---|
| Shell | Low, oval; usually dark olive, brown, or black; often yellow dots or streaks. | Flatter than a land-tortoise dome; usually more striped than speckled. |
| Head and neck | Dark head, neck, and legs with yellow dots or short streaks; no red ear stripe. | Pale lengthwise neck stripes often present; no red ear stripe. |
| Plastron (lower shell) | Paler plastron; Emys has a movable hinge. | Practically rigid — lacks the Emys hinge. |
| Habitat | Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes; webbed feet; often basks on banks. | Ponds, lakes, and slow waters; webbed feet; often basks on banks. |
| Range cue | Western and eastern Georgia (per profile); the map does not yet fully shade eastern regions. | Southeastern Georgia (Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026); figure specimen from Lisi Lake (Tbilisi) is a locality, not a full map. |
Matrix
Four turtles — diagnostic comparison
Short field marks from the profiles. Undocumented cells are left blank.
| Trait | Mediterranean Tortoise | European Pond Turtle | Caspian Turtle | Pond Slider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | Open, dry land | Pond, lake, marsh | Pond / slow water (SE) | Pond / lake (Tbilisi, Batumi) |
| Shell shape | High dome | Low, oval | Flat (not a dome) | Flat (not a dome) |
| Shell pattern | Yellowish–brown, often dark blotches | Dark; often yellow dots | More striped than speckled | Often bolder striping |
| Head mark | Rounded head; keratinous beak | Dark head with yellow dots; no red ear | No red ear | T. s. elegans: broad red stripe behind eye |
| Neck mark | — | Dots / short streaks | Often pale lengthwise stripes | — |
| Easiest field mark | Dome + columnar legs (+ thigh spurs) | Dark shell + yellow dots; no red ear | Lengthwise neck stripes; no red ear | Red stripe behind the eye |
| Status | Native | Native | Native | Introduced |
Next step
Four main options
After the key, open a profile to confirm, see more photos, and check sources.
European Pond Turtle
Emys orbicularis
Freshwater turtle · Native
Dark shell with yellow dots; movable plastron hinge; no red ear.
View profileCaspian Turtle
Mauremys caspica
Freshwater turtle · Native
Lengthwise pale neck stripes; southeast; no red ear.
View profilePond Slider
Trachemys scripta
Freshwater turtle · Introduced
Broad red stripe behind the eye; introduced — Tbilisi and Batumi.
View profileMap
Regions already linked in the atlas
Only administrative units where a species is already mapped. A full national map is still incomplete.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Identification, range, safety, and species indexes — stay in the same topic instead of returning to the homepage.
FAQ
Extra questions
Answers that do not merely repeat the key.
Emys often has a dark shell with yellow dots and a movable plastron hinge; Mauremys often has pale lengthwise neck stripes and a practically rigid plastron. Neither has a red ear stripe.
Do not take wild turtles. The spur-thighed tortoise is on Georgia’s Red List (VU) and in CITES Appendix II. The slider is a pet species, but releasing it into the wild creates new introduced populations.
No. It is introduced; wild populations are confirmed near Tbilisi and Batumi.
No. The checklist treats the slider as a pet and an unintentional introduction. Do not release pet turtles into ponds or lakes.
Next step
From ID to a profile
Identify with the key, then open a profile, the index, or the land and water guides.