Mediterranean Tortoise

Genus Notoryctes

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing Mediterranean tortoises. There are five described Mediterranean tortoise species as of this recording, and, as their name implies, these reptiles range from the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, northern Africa, and southwest Asia. They also live on islands scattered throughout the Mediterranean sea where they may have made their way there from the mainland on floating debris or by human introduction. Nearly all the Mediterranean tortoise species are facing population declines due to habitat loss and degradation, fires, and collection for the pet trade. In fact, one species, the Egyptian tortoise, is listed as critically endangered, and its prospects look grim. It's effectively extinct in the country from which it is named; Egyptian tortoises no longer live in Egypt!

Mediterranean tortoises live in dry environments such as desert dunes and scrublands, but they also inhabit patchy evergreen forests, coastal grasslands, and human-made places such as agricultural field edges and railways. They're diurnal creatures, meaning they're active during the day and rest at night. It's not uncommon for these tortoises to use shady vegetation or even rodent burrows to rest during the hottest parts of the day. In the cooler morning and evening hours, they forage for food. Mediterranean tortoises generally avoid grasses in their native range which helps avoid competition from other herbivorous animals such as ungulates. Instead, these reptiles eat herbs and fruits, often choosing plants that are poisonous to mammals which share their range.

Mediterranean tortoises are ground dwelling animals, although some pet owners advise that they are good climbers if they're given climbable objects! In size, Mediterranean tortoises range from just a few inches to nearly a foot (10 to 30 cm) in shell length. Males are typically smaller than females although they do sport a longer tail. Most Mediterranean tortoises are beige to yellow in color with darker patterns on their shell. These markings are especially prominent in juveniles. While they have their hard shell for protection, juvenile Mediterranean tortoises can be crushed under the weight of large livestock animals. These tortoises are also predated by crows and foxes but they use some stinky tactics to ward off predators. When disturbed, Mediterranean tortoises hiss, urinate, and defecate!

These tortoises can live to be decades old. It's not uncommon for them to reach at least forty years of age and some owners claim life spans nearly double this. It takes about ten years for these reptiles to reach reproductive maturity with females taking slightly longer than males on average. Females lay one to three clutches of eggs during a breeding year. She'll dig out a nest in the sand and lay her eggs inside. They'll remain there, buried, until they hatch anywhere between two to four months later depending on the species and environmental factors. There are usually fewer than a dozen eggs per nest and the babies are about the size of a golf ball when they hatch!

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