Testudo marginata

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Habitat

Biome: Terrestrial [1].

Ecology: It characteristically inhabits 'Phrygana' and Macchia scrub , dense thorny scrub among rocky outcrops, but also a range of other vegetation types , from coastal dunes to olive groves, small-scale agricultural landscapes and damp areas. It ranges up to 1300m, but mostly occurs below 800m. It generally prefers drier, hotter areas than the sympatric T. hermanni boettgeri. (Willemsen 1995b; Bringsoe et al. 2001). Clutches consist of four to seven eggs , perhaps up to 15; females produce one to three clutches per year (review by Bringsoe et al. 2001). Animals require about eight to 14 years to reach maturity (review by Bringsoe et al. 2001). Testudo m. weissingeri inhabits both Phrygana (Spartan shrubby rocky areas) as well as more lush habitats such as olive groves with dense herbaceous ground cover (Artner 2000; Bringsoe et al. 2001: 309-311). This taxon ranges from near sea level to about 1,300m altitude (Mueller1908, Bour 1996, in Bringsoe et al. 2001: 311), and feeds on a variety of herbs (Bour 1996, in Bringsoe et al. 2001: 312). Its clutch size is a maximum of four, perhaps six eggs (Bour 1996, in Bringsoe et al. 2001: 314; Artner 2000).[1].

List of Habitats:

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.4     Forest - Temperate   
  
•     3     Shrubland   
  
•     3.8     Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation   
  
•     14     Artificial/Terrestrial   
  
•     14.2     Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland   
  
•     14.3     Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations   
  
•     14.4     Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens   
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Taxonomy

Synonyms

Testudo campanulata Strauch 1862 • Testudo graja Hermann 1804 • Testudo marginata • Testudo marginata weissingeri Fritz 2002 • Testudo marginata weissingeri Pieh & Philippen 2007 • Testudo marginata weissingeri Trutnau 1994 • Testudo marginata Boulenger 1889 • Testudo marginata Dumril & Bibron 1835: 37 • Testudo marginata Engelmann Et Al 1993 • Testudo marginata Lapparent De Broin 2001 • Testudo nemoralis Schreiber 1875 • Testudo tabulata var. campanulata WALBAUM (Nomen Illegitimum) 1782 • Testudo weissingeri • Testudo weissingeri Bour 1996

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Lectotype : MZUS 143 designated by Bour 1987:118. Holotype: MNHN 1989: 3317 (weissingeri) Testudo marginata and Testudo graeca ibera have been reported to produce viable hybrids (STEMMLER-GYGER 1963, 1964). Testudo weissingeri differs from T. marginata in size and coloration . However, the presence of thigh-spurs is not a reliable character to distinguish between the two species. It has been postulated that T. weissingeri is a dwarf form of T. marginata, the largest European tortoise species. FRITZ et al (2005) detected no differentiation between T. marginata and T. weissingeri. They conclude that T. weissingeri is not a distinct evolutionary unit and suggest that its small size is the result of suboptimal environmental conditions with limited resources . As a consequence, T. weissingeri was synonymized with T. marginata.

The recognised subspecies are marginata, sarda, and weissingeri. The subspecies weissingeri was elevated to species rank by Bour (1996), but it is frequently considered a to be subspecies of Testudo marginata. It is not even accorded subspecies status by some authors , but it was validated as a full species by Perala (2002a). In this account we include weissingeri within T. marginata, pending resolution of its taxonomic status.[1].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Testudo

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 14 species and subspecies in this genus:

T. graeca (Common Tortoise) · T. graeca anamurensis (Spur-Thighed Tortoise) · T. graeca graeca (Mediterranean Spur-Thighed Tortoise) · T. graeca var. boettgeri (Mediterranean Spur-Thighed Tortoise) · T. hermanni (Hermann's Tortoise) · T. hermanni hermanni (Western Hermann's Tortoise) · T. horsfieldii (Afghan Tortoise) · T. graeca subsp. ibera (Mediterranean Spur-Thighed Tortoise) · T. kleinmanni (Egyptian Tortoise) · T. marginata (Marginated Tortoise) · T. marginata marginata (Marginated Tortoise) · T. graeca subsp. graeca (Mediterranean Spur-Thighed Tortoise) · T. nabeulensis (Nabeul Tortoise) · T. werneri (Negev Tortoise)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A guide to the quadrupeds and reptiles of Europe: with descriptions of all the species / compiled from the latest writers by Lord Clermont. London: J. Van Voorst, 1859. url p. 161.
• A treatise on zoology / edited by E. Ray Lankester. London: A. & C. Black, 1900-1909. url p. 346.
• A treatise on zoology London, A. and C. Black, 1900-1909 url p. 346.
• Amphibia and reptiles, by Hans Gadow. 1909 London, Macmillan and co., limited, 1901. url p. 666.
• Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. url p. 158.
• Aristotle's researches in natural science, by Thomas East Lones. London, West, Newman & co., 1912. url p. 237.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 117 1957 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 169, p. 173, p. 276, p. 556.
• Catalogue of shield reptiles in the collection of the British Museum / by John Edward Gray. London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1855-1872. url p. 11, p. 5.
• Catalogue of the chelonians, rhynchocephalians, and crocodiles in the British museum (Natural history). London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1889. url p. 174, p. 175, p. 176.
• Catalogue of the tortoises, crocodiles, and amphisbaenians, in the collection of the British Museum. LondonPrinted by order of the Trustees1844 url , p. 9.
• Checklist of CITES Species CITES, WCMC url p. 180, p. 227, p. 230.
• Checklist of CITES Species: a reference to the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES url p. 166, p. 228, p. 190, p. 238.
• Checklist of herpetofauna listed in the CITES appendices and in EC Regulation 338/97 JNCC url p. 6.
• Checklist of reptiles and amphibians listed in the CITES appendices and in EC Regulation 338/97 JNCC url p. 8, p. 88.
• Checklists for the CORINE Biotopes Programme and its application in the PHARE countries of Central and East Europe: including comparisons with relevant conventions and agreements on the conservation of European species and habitats EC url p. 102.
• Contributions to the natural history of the United States of America / by Louis Agassiz. Boston, Little, Brown and Company;1857-62. url p. 446, p. 449.
• General zoology, or Systematic natural history, by George Shaw. .. with plates from the first authorities and most selected specimens, engraved principally by Mr. Heath. London, Printed for G. Kearsley, 1800-1826. url .
• Handbuch der Biologie der Wirbeltiere. Von Dr. M. Hilzheimer. unter Mitwirkung von Dr. Phil. O. Haempel. mikt 599 Textabbildungen. vii, 756 p.illus (part col.)26 cm. url p. 349.
• Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society. Oxford [etc.]Royal Microscopical Society. url p. 404.
• List of the vertebrated animals now or lately living in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London. London, Printed for the Society, 1896. url p. 564.
• Magazine of zoology and botany. Edinburgh; Dublin. url p. 59.
• Natural history, by R. Lydekker, W. F. Kirby, B. B. Woodward, R. Kirpatrick, R. I. Pocock, R. Bowdler Sharpe, W. Garstang, F. A. Bather, H. M. Bernard. New York, D. Appleton and company, 1897. url p. 767.
• Nature. London, etc., Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc. url p. 259.
• Proceedings and transactions of the South London Entomological & Natural History Society. London: The Society. url p. 21.
• Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. London: Academic Press, [etc.], 1833-1965. url p. 657, p. 662, p. 662, p. 665, p. 670, p. 670, p. 673, p. 673, p. 908, p. 908.
• Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and financial report of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents for the year ending June 30. .. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1933-1965. url p. 158.
• Reptiles and batrachians, by E. G. Boulenger, with numerous illustrations. London, E. P. Dutton & co.[1914] url p. 28.
• Reptiles and birds: a popular account of their various orders, with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting / from the French of Louis Figuier. London; Cassell, Petter, Galpin, [n.d.] url p. 145.
• Revue mthodique et critique des collections dposes dans cet tablissement. Leyden, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie. url p. 45.
• Spixiana. Mnchen: Zoologische Staatssammlung Mnchen, 1977- url p. 343.
• Synopsis reptillium; or, Short descriptions of the species of reptiles / by John Edward Gray. London: Treuttel, Wurtz, and Co., 1831. url p. 68.
• The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology being a continuation of the Annals combined with Loudon and Charlesworth's Magazine of Natural History. London, Taylor and Francis, Ltd. url p. 291, p. 340, p. 505.
• The Cambridge natural history, London, Macmillan and Co., Limited;1895-1909 url .
• The Marine Mammal Commission compendium of selected treaties, international agreements, and other relevant documents on marine resources, wildlife, and the environment / compiled by Richard L. Wallace. Washington, D.C.: The Commission; 1994 url p. 690.
• The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London. London [etc.] url p. 6.
• The animal parasites of man; a handbook for students and medical men. By Dr. Max Braun. New York, Wood, 1908. url p. 104.
• The natural history & antiquities of Selborne; &, A garden kalendar / by Gilbert White; edited by R. Bowdler Sharpe; with an introduction to the Garden kalendar by the Very Reverend S. Reynolds Hole; & numerous illustrations by Edmund J. Sullivan. London: S.T. Freemantle, 1900. url p. 163.
• The natural history and antiquities of Selborne / London: Methuen, 1901. url .
• The story of reptile life / by W.P. Pycraft. London; Hodder and Stoughton, [1905?]. url p. 33.
• The survey of western Palestine. The fauna and flora of Palestine, by H. B. Tristram. London, The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1884. url p. 156.
• Tortoises, terrapins, and turtles: drawn from life / by James de Carle Sowerby and Edward Lear. 1872 London, Paris, and Frankfort: H. Sotheran, J. Baer & co., 1872. url p. 4.
• Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. [London]: Published for the Zoological Society of London by Academic Press url p. 444, p. 444, p. 98.
• World Checklist of Threatened Amphibians and Reptiles Joint Nature Conservation Committee url p. 19, p. 73, p. 18, p. 84.
• World Checklists of Threatened Amphibians and Reptiles Nature Conservancy Council url p. 20.
• Zoologist. London.1843-1916 url p. 425.
• Zoology of Egypt / by John Anderson. London: B. Quaritch, 1898-1907. url p. 28, p. 29.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed February 1, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• TIGR Reptile Database . Release date: October 2, 2007
• Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. Testudo marginata. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Uetz, Peter. The Reptile Database
• van Dijk, P.P., Lymberakis, P. & Bhme, W. 2004. Testudo marginata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 05February2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

• European Environment Agency: EUNIS
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB: Paleobiology Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 1
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-7114
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 551869
• IUCN ID: 245788
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 12085

Footnotes

1. van Dijk, P.P., Lymberakis, P. & Böhme, W. 2004. Testudo marginata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 05 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.