| Armenian tortoise | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Testudo |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | T. g. armeniaca |
| Trinomial name | |
| Testudo graeca armeniaca Chkhikvadze and Bakradse, 1991 | |
The Armenian tortoise (Testudo graeca armeniaca) or Araxes tortoise is a subspecies of the Greek tortoise
It can be found in Armenia, mainly in semi-desert habitats of Araks Valley, as well as in the Ijevan, Noyemberyan, and Shamshadin regions.
It can be found in various habitats, including the dry steppes and grassy slopes of hills or mountains with bushes, forests, meadows, and fields. It avoids the saline soils and areas with thick vegetation.
This turtle has a flattened carapace, dark brown and yellow-cream in color, with a height equal to half the length of the carapace. The "annual rings" are clearly recognizable. The "toes" on front legs are flat and adapted for digging. Its size varies from 20 to 23 cm. [1]
A concentration of 0.5 – 2.0 tortoises per hectare were registered in the Ijevan region. The approximate population in Armenia is a few thousand. Testudo graeca armeniaca is threatened with the complete disappearance in the medium term; the harvest and the conquest of human habitats are real threats to its future. Nevertheless, it enjoys a protected area in the Khosrov State Reserve in Armenia. Specimens are kept in a number zoos of the world, in the Institute of Zoology of Armenia, and in the Center for Conservation of Biodiversity of the Institute of Botany of Armenia. Often, they are kept by terrarium keepers. [2]
Researched and devised by Dr. Oliphant Jackson, the Jackson ratio is a method of determining whether a member of the tortoise species Testudo graeca or Testudo hermanni is maintaining its optimum bodyweight, which is necessary for a successful hibernation.
Tortoises are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines. They are particularly distinguished from other turtles by being exclusively land-dwelling, while many other turtle species are at least partly aquatic. Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backwards into the shell to protect them.
The marginated tortoise is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Greece, Italy, and the Balkans in Southern Europe. It is the largest European tortoise. The marginated tortoise is herbivorous, and hibernates for the winter.
The Greek tortoise, also known commonly as the spur-thighed tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. Testudo graeca is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoises. The other four species are Hermann's tortoise, the Egyptian tortoise, the marginated tortoise, and the Russian tortoise. The Greek tortoise is a very long-lived animal, achieving a lifespan upwards of 125 years, with some unverified reports up to 200 years.
Hermann's tortoise is a species of tortoise. Two subspecies are known: the western Hermann's tortoise and the eastern Hermann's tortoise. Sometimes mentioned as a subspecies, T. h. peleponnesica is not yet confirmed to be genetically different from T. h. boettgeri.
The Aldabra giant tortoise is a species of tortoise endemic to the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. It is one of the largest tortoises in the world. Historically, giant tortoises were found on many of the western Indian Ocean islands, as well as Madagascar, and the fossil record indicates giant tortoises once occurred on every continent and many islands with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. Many of the Indian Ocean species were thought to be driven to extinction by over-exploitation by European sailors, and they were all seemingly extinct by 1840 with the exception of the Aldabran giant tortoise on the island atoll of Aldabra. Although some remnant individuals of A. g. hololissa and A. g. arnoldi may remain in captivity, in recent times, these have all been reduced as subspecies of A. gigantea.
The leopard tortoise is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only extant member of the genus Stigmochelys, although in the past, it was commonly placed in Geochelone. This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or aardvark holes. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favors succulents and thistles.
The red-footed tortoise is a species of tortoise from northern South America. These medium-sized tortoises generally average 30 cm (12 in) as adults, but can reach over 40 cm (16 in). They have dark-colored, loaf-shaped carapaces with a lighter patch in the middle of each scute, and dark limbs with brightly colored scales that range from pale yellow to dark red. Recognized differences are seen between red-footed tortoises from different regions. They are closely related to the yellow-footed tortoise from the Amazon Basin. They are popularly kept as pets, and over-collection has caused them to be vulnerable to extinction.The species name has often been misspelled as carbonaria, an error introduced in the 1980s when Chelonoidis was elevated to genus and mistakenly treated as feminine, an error recognized and fixed in 2017.
Testudo, the Mediterranean tortoises, are a genus of tortoises found in North Africa, Western Asia, and Europe. Several species are under threat in the wild, mainly from habitat destruction.
The radiated tortoise is a tortoise species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius. It is a very long-lived species, with recorded lifespans of up to 188 years. These tortoises are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, mainly because of the destruction of their habitat and because of poaching.
The pancake tortoise is a species of flat-shelled tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Tanzania and Kenya. Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell.
The Tunisian tortoise or Nabeul tortoise is a subspecies of Greek tortoises. It was originally described as a new species in 1990, and even placed in a distinct genus. The spur-thighed or "Greek" tortoises are usually collectively referred to as Testudo graeca, but this covers a wide variety of subspecies that have very different ecological and morphological characteristics and appear to comprise at least three phylogenetic lineages. As its name implies, it is found in Tunisia and nearby Algeria.
The Galápagos tortoise complex or Galápagos giant tortoise complex is a species complex of 15 very large tortoise species in the genus Chelonoidis. They are the largest living species of tortoise, with some modern Galápagos tortoises weighing up to 417 kg (919 lb). With lifespans in the wild of over 100 years, they are one of the longest-lived vertebrates. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years. For example, a captive individual, Harriet, lived for at least 175 years. Spanish explorers, who discovered the islands in the 16th century, named them after the Spanish galápago, meaning "tortoise".
Kleinmann's tortoise, also called commonly the Egyptian tortoise, Leith's tortoise, and the Negev tortoise, is a critically endangered species of neck-hiding tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Egypt, Libya, and Israel. The species was once more widespread, but its numbers are now dwindling. The species is nearly extinct in Egypt, and complete extinction in the wild is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species.
The yellow-footed tortoise, also known as the Brazilian giant tortoise, commonly referred to as the Brazilian giant turtle, or more commonly, the big turtle, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae and is closely related to the red-footed tortoise. It is found in the Amazon Basin of South America. The species name has often been misspelled as denticulata, an error introduced in the 1980s when Chelonoidis was elevated to genus and mistakenly treated as feminine, an error recognized and fixed in 2017.
Hesperotestudo is an extinct genus of tortoise native to North and Central America from the Oligocene to the Late Pleistocene. Species of Hesperotesudo varied widely in size, with the largest species reaching sizes comparable to extant giant tortoises, with carapaces over a metre in length. Historically considered a subgenus of Geochelone, it is now considered to be distantly related to that genus. Its closest relatives are the extant Gopherus and the extinct Stylemys. The ancestor of the three genera arrived in North America during the Early Eocene. The bodies of Hesperotesudo species were extensively covered with large dermal ossicles, which in life were covered in keratin. It has been suggested that species of Hesperotestudo were relatively tolerant of cold weather. Hesperotestudo became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene co-incident with the arrival of the first humans in North America, and sites have been found where Hesperotestudo were butchered.
The Euphrates softshell turtle, also known as the Mesopotamian softshell turtle, is a species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. It is found throughout much of the Euphrates–Tigris river basin in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Khūzestān Province of Iran. Historically it has also been reported from Israel, but this likely involves confusion with the very similar Trionyx triunguis.
Goravan Sands Sanctuary, is a state protected area in Ararat Province, Armenia.
The angonoka tortoise is a critically endangered species of tortoise severely threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is also known as the angonoka, ploughshare tortoise, Madagascar tortoise, or Madagascar angulated tortoise. There may be less than 400 of these tortoises left in the wild. It is found only in the dry forests of the Baly Bay area of northwestern Madagascar, near the town of Soalala .A captive-breeding facility was established in 1986 by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in collaboration with the Water and Forests Department. In 1996, 75 tortoises were stolen, which later appeared for sale in the Netherlands. The project was ultimately successful, achieving 224 captive-bred juveniles out of 17 adults in 2004. Project Angonoka developed conservation plans that involved local communities making firebreaks, along with the creation of a park to protect the tortoise and the forests. Monitoring of the angonoka tortoise in the global pet trade has also continued to be advocated.
The Santiago Island giant tortoise, also known commonly as the Santiago giant tortoise and the James Island tortoise, is a species of Galápagos tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Santiago Island in the Galápagos.
