Mediterranean Tortoise
Testudo graeca
Overview
Mediterranean Tortoise in Georgia
The Mediterranean tortoise (Testudo graeca) is Georgia’s only land tortoise. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as a native, biologically confirmed species. It has no venom. T. g. ibera is widespread in eastern Georgia; T. g. nikolskii was described from western Georgia and is considered rare. In measured eastern Georgian animals, mean straight carapace length is 17.9 cm in males (15.2–19.8 cm) and 21.0 cm in females (15.0–25.0 cm); an older Georgian maximum is 26 cm. Georgia’s 2014 Red List treats it as Vulnerable (VU). IUCN also lists the species as VU; that global assessment dates from 1996. A barcoded specimen is from Tbilisi — a locality, not a full-country map.
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Identification
How to identify Mediterranean Tortoise
Georgia’s only land tortoise. A high-domed shell, columnar legs, and thigh spurs separate it from pond turtles.
High-domed shell, not the flatter shell of a freshwater turtle. Colour ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown, often with darker marks on the scutes. The exact pattern varies among individuals and is not enough to assign a subspecies in the field.
Columnar legs with five claws in front and four behind. No webbed swimming feet. The head is rounded; the mouth is a horny beak, with no teeth.
Usually one small conical keratinous spur on each thigh — the “spur-thighed” field mark. Georgia has no other land tortoise, so shell and legs are enough to separate it from water turtles.
In eastern Georgia (Auer & Herz 2021) mean carapace length is 17.9 cm in males and 21.0 cm in females. Females are generally larger; males have a longer tail and a concave plastron. Juveniles are smaller, often with a stronger contrast in the pattern.
The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica), and introduced slider (Trachemys scripta) are freshwater species: flatter shells, webbed feet, often basking on banks. T. s. elegans has a broad red stripe behind the eye. Testudo hermanni does not occur in Georgia.
The checklist keeps two subspecies: T. g. ibera (east) and T. g. nikolskii (west, rare). Van der Kuyl et al. 2005 distinguish only graeca and ibera clearly; TFTSG 2023 treats nikolskii as a synonym of ibera. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 keep the name for phenotype and a distinct range; genetic distinction is not yet demonstrated. Do not assign a wild Georgian animal to a subspecies with certainty.
Biology
Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation
Habitat and range
It lives on land in open, dry country: steppe, shrub, semi-desert, and the edge of light woodland. It is not a pond turtle. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: T. g. ibera is widespread in eastern Georgia; T. g. nikolskii was described from the west and is rare. Named points cited by Türkozan et al. 2023 from Chkhikvadze 2009 and Auer & Herz 2021 are Gori (Shida Kartli), Tbilisi, Bolnisi (Kvemo Kartli), and Vashlovani National Park (Kakheti, near the Azerbaijan border). Muskhelishvili 1970 gives 800–1000 m — a literature elevation, not a range re-measured for this atlas. Records near Kobuleti may be translocated animals; Adjara is not coloured on this map. The Tbilisi barcode is one specimen site. Do not assume even density across the country, including humid Colchic forest. A municipality-by-municipality list is not compiled here.
Diet
It is mainly herbivorous: grasses, herbs, and flowers. In eastern parts of the species range, animal matter is recorded only rarely — that is not a Georgian stomach study. A separate diet analysis for Georgia is not published on this page. Do not feed wild animals.
Behavior
It is terrestrial. In warm weather it is active by day; in heat it often shelters at the base of shrubs, in burrows, or under other cover. It does not swim like Georgia’s pond, Caspian, or slider turtles. An hourly or monthly calendar has not been published for Georgia on this page. Nearby Caucasus literature (Dagestan, Armenia) describes activity from about March to October — an analogue, not a Georgian field calendar. It lays eggs. For eastern subspecies clades, females produce 1–3 clutches a year, often in May–July, with 2–19 eggs per clutch — a species-level range, not a Georgian count. Overwintering (brumation) is documented in northern and montane populations of the species; Georgian dates are not given separately here. Do not pick it up.
Conservation
A native, biologically confirmed species. Georgia’s 2014 Red List (Resolution No. 190) lists it as Vulnerable (VU), citing IUCN as the source of the category. Globally IUCN also lists it as VU (assessment 1996); the European regional assessment is VU (2009). TFTSG 2023 notes that the global assessment is outdated. It is on CITES Appendix II as a member of Testudinidae — take and trade of wild animals is regulated. T. g. nikolskii is treated as rare on the checklist; a separate national category for that subspecies is not cited here. At species level the main pressures are habitat loss, fire, agriculture, and collection for pets or trade. A national population trend is not quantified on this page. Do not take a wild tortoise home.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Mediterranean Tortoise.
Yes. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as a native, biologically confirmed species. It is Georgia’s only land tortoise.
Mainly in dry, open country in the east. Named points include Gori, Tbilisi, Bolnisi, and Vashlovani. It is rare in the west. The map does not cover the whole country.
No. It is a land tortoise. Pond, Caspian, and slider turtles are freshwater species.
A high-domed shell, columnar unwebbed legs, and often a spur on each thigh. It walks slowly on land and does not bask on pond banks the way water turtles do.
In eastern Georgia carapace length is often about 15–25 cm; females are larger on average. Muskhelishvili 1970 cites a maximum of 26 cm.
It has no venom. It is harmless to people if left alone. It may bite if handled. Do not take it home.
Mainly grasses and herbaceous plants. Diet has not been measured separately for Georgia on this page.
Georgia’s 2014 Red List lists it as Vulnerable (VU). It is on CITES Appendix II. Collecting wild animals is prohibited or tightly restricted.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Nikolskii 1913 — Georgian records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- Muskhelishvili 1970 — Georgian records, size and elevation cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 and Türkozan et al. 2023
- Bannikov et al. 1977 — Georgian records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- Chkhikvadze 2009 — Georgian localities cited in Türkozan et al. 2023
- Auer & Herz 2021 — eastern Georgia measurements and localities, cited in Türkozan et al. 2023
- Türkozan et al. 2023 — IUCN/SSC TFTSG account, eastern Testudo graeca clades
- Van der Kuyl et al. 2005 — subspecies distinction graeca vs ibera
- Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996 — IUCN Red List, Testudo graeca
- საქართველოს მთავრობის დადგენილება №190 (2014) — წითელი ნუსხა
- CITES Appendix II — Testudinidae spp.
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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