The Mediterranean tortoise (Testudo graeca) is Georgia’s only land tortoise and a native, confirmed species in the country. In eastern Georgia, the form T. g. ibera is widespread; T. g. nikolskii, described from western Georgia, is considered rare. Based on specimens measured in eastern Georgia, male carapace length averages about 18 cm and female carapace length about 21 cm. Females are usually larger. Georgia’s 2014 Red List lists the species as Vulnerable (VU). Globally, IUCN also assesses it as Vulnerable, though that assessment is old.
Identification
How to identify Mediterranean Tortoise
Georgia’s only land tortoise. Its high, domed shell and thick, columnar legs help separate it from water turtles.
Often confused with
The shell is high and domed, unlike the flatter shells of water turtles. Colour ranges from yellowish brown to dark brown and often includes dark marks. Shell pattern varies greatly among individuals, so colour or pattern alone is not reliable for subspecies identification.
The legs are thick and columnar. It has five claws on the front feet and four on the hind feet. It lacks the swimming webs typical of water turtles. The head is rounded, and the mouth ends in a horny beak. It has no teeth.
It usually has one small conical horny spur on each hind thigh. Georgia has no other land tortoise, so the simplest marks for separating it from water turtles are the high shell and thick legs without swimming webs.
Based on specimens measured in eastern Georgia, male carapace length averages about 17.9 cm and female carapace length about 21 cm. Females are usually larger. Males have a longer tail and often a slightly concave plastron. Juveniles are smaller, and their shell pattern is often more contrasting.
The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica), and introduced red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) are associated with freshwater and have flatter shells and feet better adapted for swimming. The familiar form of the red-eared slider, T. s. elegans, has a broad red stripe behind the eye. Testudo hermanni is not confirmed in Georgia.
Two forms of the Mediterranean tortoise are named for Georgia: T. g. ibera from the east and the rare T. g. nikolskii from the west. Different sources treat the recognition of T. g. nikolskii differently, and its genetic separation is not finally demonstrated. For that reason, assigning a wild animal to subspecies by appearance alone is not reliable.
The Mediterranean tortoise lives in dry, open terrestrial habitats: steppe, shrubland, semi-desert, and the edges of open woodland. It does not live in water. In Georgia it is especially widespread in the eastern part of the country. Records named on this page include Gori, Tbilisi, Bolnisi, and Vashlovani National Park. In western Georgia, the species is much rarer. Literature also describes its Georgian range up to about 800–1000 m elevation, though this is not a strict upper limit for the species.
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
The Mediterranean tortoise feeds mainly on plant food: grasses, other herbaceous plants, and flowers. Animal food has occasionally been recorded in other parts of its range, but its diet in Georgia has not been studied fully here. Do not feed wild tortoises.
Behavior
The Mediterranean tortoise lives entirely on land. In warm weather it is active by day; in strong heat it often shelters at the base of shrubs, in burrows, or under other cover. A full seasonal calendar for Georgia is not described separately here. Data from the neighbouring Caucasus suggest an active period from roughly spring to autumn, but that should not be treated as a direct Georgian calendar. The species lays eggs. Several-egg clutches are known at species level, but full breeding data for Georgia are not available on this page.
Conservation
The Mediterranean tortoise is a native and confirmed species in Georgia. Georgia’s 2014 Red List lists it as Vulnerable (VU). Globally, IUCN also assesses it as Vulnerable, though the current global assessment is considered outdated. The species is on CITES Appendix II, so international trade in wild individuals is regulated. Main threats include habitat loss, fire, agriculture-related changes, and collection of tortoises from the wild. Do not take a wild tortoise home.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Mediterranean Tortoise.
Yes. The Mediterranean tortoise is a native, biologically confirmed species in Georgia. It is the country’s only land tortoise.
In Georgia, the Mediterranean tortoise is found mostly in dry, open places in the east. Places named on this page include Gori, Tbilisi, Bolnisi, and Vashlovani National Park. In western Georgia, the species is rare, and these records do not mean it is evenly distributed across the whole country.
No. The Mediterranean tortoise is a land species. The European pond turtle, Caspian turtle, and red-eared slider are associated with freshwater.
Look for a high, domed shell, thick columnar legs, and no swimming webs. It often also has small horny spurs on the hind thighs.
In individuals measured in eastern Georgia, carapace length was mostly about 15–25 cm. Females are larger than males on average. An older Georgian source gives a maximum size of about 26 cm.
No. The Mediterranean tortoise has no venom and is not dangerous to people. It may bite defensively if picked up, so do not disturb it and leave it in place.
It feeds mainly on grasses and other herbaceous plants. Its diet in Georgia has not been studied fully here.
Georgia’s 2014 Red List lists the Mediterranean tortoise as Vulnerable (VU). The species is also on CITES Appendix II. Taking wild tortoises from nature or trading them is subject to legal restrictions.
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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