T. marginata
         T. hermanni
         L. trilineata
         B. bufo

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) :: 2001/08/18 :: Pagania, Argalasti :: © A.Papadopoulos Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) :: 2001/08/18 :: Pagania, Argalasti :: © A.Papadopoulos Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) :: 2001/08/18 :: Pagania, Argalasti :: © A.Papadopoulos Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) :: 2001/06/03 :: Pagania, Argalasti :: © A.Papadopoulos Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) :: 2001/08/18 :: Pagania, Argalasti :: © A.Papadopoulos

Marginated Tortoise

Testudo Marginata

This tortoise has a very limited distribution range. It can only be found in parts of Greece, south of Mt. Olympus, some offshore islands and Sardinia, where it was almost certainly introduced.

 Carapace of adults, which is often up to 30 cm (11 4/5 in) long, is strongly  flared at the rear, mainly black with a characteristic light orange or yellowish patch on each large plate. Hatchlings are very similar to the young of other species, inasmuch as they are rounded and lack the distinctive coloring and flaring of adults.

Half-grown animals may lack flaring, but the shell is longer than in similar sized animals of the other species and often has the distinctive T. marginata pattern.

The specimen depicted above was discovered in a plowed olive-grove, halfway between Horto and Argalasti, dining on its favorite salad. It was getting dark, so I had to use my camera's flash. When done, I took off to find another subject, only to return, 5 or 10 minutes later, to take a couple more shots. The tortoise had become accustomed to my presence by that time, so it didn't bother to retreat into its carapace. Amazingly, however, it kept its eyes firmly shut, until I got up and left. I guess all that light must have gotten on its nerves!

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Fact Sheet

Food
Mainly  herbivorous. May eat varying amounts of  faeces, carrion, and  invertebrates.

Active
Between May and September. Like most tortoises, it tends to be active in the morning and evenings, spending the remainder of the day resting.

Habitat
Like other tortoises, it is usually found on scrub-covered, rocky hillsides. In areas where it occurs with T. hermanni, it tends to be more montane than the latter.

Distribution
Greece from Mt. Olympus southwards, some small offshore islands, Skyros and Poros in the Aegean, and Sardinia, where it was almost certainly introduced. May possibly be introduced elsewhere.


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Taxonomy


Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Chordata; Superclass: Gnathostomata; Class: Reptilia; Order: Chelonia; Suborder: Cryptodira; Superfamily: Testudinoidea; Family: Testudinidae; Genus: Testudo; Species: marginata

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