Editing Greek tortoise (section)

{{Short description|Species of tortoise}}
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{{Essay-like|date=August 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|Pliocene|Holocene|earliest=late miocene}} Possible Late Miocene record
| image = Tunisian tortoise (Testudo graeca nabeulensis) male Cap Bon.jpg
| image_caption = ''T. g. nabeulensis''<br>male in Tunisia
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Tortoise. |author2=Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group |date=1996 |title=''Testudo graeca'' |volume=1996 |page=e.T21646A9305693 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T21646A9305693.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Testudo
| species = graeca
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| range_map = Areale Testudo graeca.svg
| range_map_caption = Note [[allopatric]] ranges of "Maghreb" (''T. g. graeca'') and "Greek" (''T. g. ibera'') populations
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Fritz 2007">{{Cite journal|journal=Vertebrate Zoology|title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World|year=2007|last1=Fritz|first1=Uwe|author1-link=species:Uwe Fritz|last2=Havaš|first2=Peter|author2-link=species:Peter Havaš|volume=57|issue=2|pages=296–300|doi=10.3897/vz.57.e30895 |s2cid=87809001 |issn=1864-5755|url=http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501060224/http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf|archive-date=1 May 2011|access-date=29 May 2012|url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
| ''T. g. graeca''
|''Testudo graeca'' <br />{{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''Testudo pusilla'' <br />{{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''Chersine pusilla'' <br />{{small|— [[Blasius Merrem|Merrem]], 1820}}
|''Testudo mauritanica'' <br />{{small|[[André Marie Constant Duméril|A.M.C. Duméril]] & [[Gabriel Bibron|Bibron]], 1835}}
|''Testudo mauritonica'' <br />{{small|Kercado, 1835}} ''([[ex errore]])''
|''Testudo whitei'' <br />{{small|Bennett, 1836}}
|''Peltastes mauritanicus'' <br />{{small|— [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1873}}
|''Testudo graeca graeca'' <br />{{small|— [[Robert Mertens|Mertens]], 1946}}
|''Testudo gracea'' <br />{{small|Nutaphand, 1979}} ''(ex errore)''
|''Testudo whitie'' <br />{{small|Highfield & Martin, 1989}} ''(ex errore)''
|''Furculachelys whitei'' <br />{{small|— Highfield, 1990}}
|''Testudo graeca sarda'' <br />{{small|Ballasina, 1995}} ''([[nomen nudum]])''
|''Testudo graeca whitei'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 1996}}
| ''T. g. anamurensis''
|''Testudo graeca anamurensis'' <br />{{small|Weissinger, 1987}}
|''Testudo ibera anamurensis'' <br />{{small|— Highfield, 1990}}
|''Testudo terrestris anamurensis'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
|''Testudo anamurensis'' <br />{{small|— Vetter, 2002}}
|''Testudo graeca amurensis'' <br />{{small|Ferri, 2002}} ''(ex errore)''
| ''T. g. antakyensis''
|''Testudo antakyensis'' <br />{{small|Perälä, 1996}}
|''Testudo graeca antakyensis'' <br />{{small|— Zwartepoorte, 2000}}
|''Testudo terrestris antakyensis'' <br />{{small|— Bour, 2002}}
|''Testudo ibera antakyensis'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 2003}}
| ''T. g. armeniaca''
|''Testudo graeca armeniaca'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze, 1989}} <br />''(nomen nudum)''
|''Testudo graeca armeniaca'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 1991}}
|''Testudo graeca armaniaca'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 1991}} <br />''(ex errore)''
|''Testudo armeniaca'' <br />{{small|— Vetter, 2002}}
|''Testudo terrestris armeniaca'' <br />{{small|— Bour, 2002}}
| ''T. g. buxtoni''
|? ''Testudo ecaudata'' <br />{{small|[[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1814}}
|''Testudo buxtoni'' <br />{{small|[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1921}}
|''Testudo terrestris buxtoni'' <br />{{small|— Bour, 2002}}
|''Testudo ibera buxtoni'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 2003}}
|; ''T. g. cyrenaica''
|''Testudo graeca cyrenaica'' <br />{{small|Pieh & Perälä, 2002}}
|''Testudo cyrenaica'' <br />{{small|— Vetter, 2002}}
|''Testudo cyrenaika'' <br />{{small|Stettner, 2004}} ''(ex errore)''
| ''T. g. floweri''
|''Testudo floweri'' <br />{{small|Bodenheimer, 1935}}
|''Testudo graeca floweri'' <br />{{small|— Mertens, 1946}}
|''Testudo terrestris floweri'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
|''Testudo ibera floweri'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 2003}}
| ''T. g. ibera''
|''Testudo ibera'' <br />{{small|Pallas, 1814}}
|''Chersus iberus'' <br />{{small|— Brandt, 1852}}
|''Testudo iberia'' <br />{{small|[[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1853}} ''(ex errore)''
|''Medaestia ibera'' <br />{{small|— Wussow, 1916}}
|''Testudo ibera racovitzai'' <br />{{small|Călinescu, 1931}}
|''Testudo graeca ibera'' <br />{{small|— Mertens, 1946}}
|''Testudo ibera ibera'' <br />{{small|— Gmira, 1993}}
|''Testudo terrestris ibera'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
| ''T. g. lamberti''
|''Testudo graeca lamberti'' <br />{{small|Pieh & Perälä, 2004}}
|''Testudo lamberti'' <br />{{small|— Perälä, 2004}}
| ''T. g. marokkensis''
|''Testudo graeca marokkensis'' <br />{{small|Pieh & Perälä, 2004}}
|''Testudo marokkensis'' <br />{{small|— Perälä, 2004}}
| ''T. g. nabeulensis''
|? ''Testudo flavominimaralis'' <br />{{small|Highfield & Martin, 1989}}
|''Furculachelys nabeulensis'' <br />{{small|Highfield, 1990}}
|''Testudo nabeulensis'' <br />{{small|— Welch, 1994}}
|? ''Testudo graeca flavominimaralis'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 1996}}
|''Testudo graeca nabeulensis'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 1996}}
| ''T. g. nikolskii''
|''Testudo graeca nikolskii'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze & Tuniyev, 1986}}
|''Testudo ibera nikolskii'' <br />{{small|— Highfield, 1990}}
|''Testudo terrestris nikolskii'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
|''Testudo graeca niiolskii'' <br />{{small|Paull, 1997}} ''(ex errore)''
|''Testudo nikolskii'' <br />{{small|— Vetter, 2002}}
| ''T. g. pallasi''
|''Testudo graeca pallasi'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze, 1989}} <br />''(nomen nudum)''
|''Testudo graeca pallasi'' <br />{{small|Chkhikvadze & Bakradze, 2002}}
|''Testudo pallasi'' <br />{{small|— Danilov & Milto, 2004}}
| ''T. g. perses''
|''Testudo perses'' <br />{{small|Perälä, 2002}}
|''Testudo ibera perses'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 2003}}
| ''T. g. soussensis''
|''Testudo graeca soussensis'' <br />{{small|Pieh, 2001}}
|''Testudo soussensis'' <br />{{small|— Vetter, 2002}}
| ''T. g. terrestris''
|''Testudo terrestris'' <br />{{small|[[Peter Forsskål|Forsskål]], 1775}}
|? ''Testudo zolhafa'' <br />{{small|Forsskål, 1831}} ''(nomen nudum)''
|? ''Testudo zolkafa'' <br />{{small|Forsskål, 1831}} ''(nomen nudum)''
|? ''Testudo zohalfa'' <br />{{small|Forsskål, 1835}} ''(nomen nudum)''
|''Testudo graeca terrestris'' <br />{{small|— Wermuth, 1958}}
|''Testudo terrestris terrestris'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
|''Testudo ibera terrestris'' <br />{{small|— Artner, 2003}}
| ''T. g. zarudnyi''
|''Testudo zarudnyi'' <br />{{small|[[Alexander Mikhailovich Nikolsky|Nikolsky]], 1896}}
|''Testudo graeca zarudnyi'' <br />{{small|— Mertens, 1946}}
|''Testudo ibera zarudnyi'' <br />{{small|— Gmira, 1993}}
|''Testudo terrestris zarudnyi'' <br />{{small|— David, 1994}}
}}
}}
'''Greek tortoise''' (''Testudo graeca''), also known as the '''spur-thighed tortoise''' or '''Moorish tortoise''', is a species of tortoise in the family [[Testudinidae]]. It is a medium sized herbivorous testudinae, widely distributed in the [[Mediterranean basin|Mediterranean region]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Alsafy |first1=Mohamed A. M. |last2=El-sharnobey |first2=Nermin K. A. |last3=El-Gendy |first3=Samir A. A. |last4=Abumandour |first4=Mohamed A. |last5=Ez Elarab |first5=Samar M. |last6=Rashwan |first6=Ahmed M. |last7=Hanafy |first7=Basma G. |date=October 2024 |title=Macroscopic, microscopic, and immunofluorescent characterization of the Greek tortoise ( Testudo graeca graeca ) oropharyngeal floor with concern to its feed adaptation as a herbivorous land reptile |url=https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jemt.24619 |journal=Microscopy Research and Technique |language=en |volume=87 |issue=10 |pages=2385–2398 |doi=10.1002/jemt.24619 |pmid=38808586 |issn=1059-910X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sereau |first1=Matthieu |last2=Lagarde |first2=Frédéric |last3=Bonnet |first3=Xavier |last4=El Mouden |first4=El Hassan |last5=Slimani |first5=Tahar |last6=Dubroca |first6=Laurent |last7=Trouvé |first7=Colette |last8=Dano |first8=Stéphanie |last9=Lacroix |first9=André |date=2010-06-01 |title=Does testosterone influence activity budget in the male Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca graeca)? |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0016648010000857 |journal=General and Comparative Endocrinology |volume=167 |issue=2 |pages=181–189 |doi=10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.03.002 |pmid=20226191 |issn=0016-6480|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

''Testudo graeca'' is recognized for its longevity, with verified lifespans exceeding 100 years and anecdotal reports suggesting ages over 125 years.<ref name="longevity">{{Cite journal |last1=Fritz |first1=Uwe |last2=Havaš |first2=Peter |date=2007-10-31 |title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World |url=https://vertebrate-zoology.arphahub.com/article/30895/ |journal=Vertebrate Zoology |language=en |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=149–368 |doi=10.3897/vz.57.e30895 |doi-access=free |issn=2625-8498}}</ref> Among reptiles, it has one of the largest known genomes.<ref name="genome">{{cite book |last=Pritchard |first=Peter C. H. |url=https://archive.org/details/completeencyclopediaofturtles |title=Encyclopedia of Turtles |publisher=T.F.H. Publications |year=1979 |isbn=0-87666-918-6 |location=Neptune, NJ |access-date=2024-04-03}}</ref>