hermanniabout

THE WESTERN HERMANN'S TORTOISE: Testudo hermanni hermanni, the Western Hermann's tortoise or Italian tortoise is the smaller,
rarer and generally more attractive subspecies of Hermann's tortoise. They are found naturally in Southern France (Massif des Maures, Varoise
or Var.), Corsica, the Baleares islands, and parts of mainland Italy as well as Sardinia and Sicily. These tortoises are disappearing rapidly in
their native habitats and are in serious trouble. They remain rare in most collections especially in the USA. These tortoises are set apart from
other Hermann's tortoises due to several distinguishing features. A small size of usually no more than 16cm for females and 13cm for males is
typical for these animals however, very large specimens reaching sizes closer to that of their eastern cousins are found in both Corsica and
Sardinia. Two jet black, unbroken, longitudinal bands running parallel on the plastron are easily visible. A marking that resembles the shape of
a keyhole is found on the fifth vertebral scute in conjunction with well defined and clear markings throughout the carapace. The head is rather
snake-like in appearance with relatively large eyes and a bright yellow fleck or spot just underneath and behind the eye is present in most
animals. The plastron also exhibits a femoral scute seam that is usually longer than that of the pectoral scute seam. The skin is much like that of
the ground color of the shell, being a golden yellow with some dark areas. These tortoises also sport a rounder, smoother shape than other
subspecies of Hermann's tortoise and the highest point of the carapace is situated towards the center rather than towards the back. Testudo
hermanni hermanni varies in overall shape and color from locale to locale and may even vary within a given population. The following photos,
diagrams and descriptions depict differences in these tortoises and will give you an idea of what my animals are, as well as aid you in
understanding this species as a whole.

TESTUDO HERMANNI HERMANNI

TESTUDO HERMANNI HERMANNI
VS.
TESTUDO HERMANNI BOETTGERI

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

GARDEN STATE TORTOISE:: Here, two different locales of Testudo hermanni hermanni are maintained and bred, a breeding group of
tortoises from the island of Mallorca, Spain and a breeding group from Puglia, Italy. The two groups differ from each other quite a bit in both
appearance and even behavor to an extent. To read more about each group click the images below.

Mallorca, spain

puglia, italy