The vertebrae of the backbone are fused to the carapace, as are the shoulder blades, ribs and pelvis. The upper and lower parts of the shell are joined by bridges between the fore and hindlimbs. In both species, the male can be recognised by the longer, narrower and more pointed tail (see diagram): some males have a concave plastron to facilitate mating.Ī tortoise's body is surrounded by a protective shell with an upper part (the carapace) and a lower part (the plastron), both of which are made up of individual bony plates and horny scutes. The Spur thighed Tortoise has a spur on either thigh whereas the Hermann's Tortoise has a single horny claw at the tip of the tail (see diagram in centre spread). The Hermann's Tortoise, with two recognised subspecies, exists in the south of France, on the coastlines of Italy and the former Yugoslavia and on islands in the Mediterranean. They are in an active state of evolution and not fully understood. The Spur thighed Tortoise is further divided into subspecies with a main division between Europe and northern Africa. The species of Mediterranean tortoise most commonly imported into Britain have been the Spur Tortoise ( Testudo graeca) and the Hermann's Tortoise ( Testudo hermanni). Several box turtle species and subspecies are now included in Appendix II, as well as the Horsfield Tortoise ( Testudo horsfieldi) from eastern Europe, which means trade is closely monitored. The ban does not apply to some tortoises from tropical and non temperate areas imported into Britain after 1984. Commercial traders can be granted licences only if the tortoises are captive bred. When answering advertisements ask for the licence number. (See website: This licence applies also to the selling of eggs but not to the giving away of either tortoises or eggs. For the sale, exchange or barter of these protected tortoises by private individuals a licence is required, obtainable from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Bristol. This meant that these five species were protected and commercial trade strictly prohibited. The Egyptian Tortoise ( Testudo kleinmanni) was added to Appendix I in 1994 as was the African Pancake Tortoise ( Malacochersus tornieri). In 1984 it was agreed with the now EU Council to treat three species of Mediterranean tortoise (the Spur thighed, Hermann's and also the Marginated Tortoise from Greece) according to Appendix I of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES). In Britain, with wet summers and cold damp winters, they are outside their distribution range, but if basic guidelines are followed, a captive tortoise can have as long and happy a life as possible. Collection for exportation and habitat destruction have dramatically reduced populations in their native countries around the Mediterranean France, Spain, Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece and areas of northern Africa. The tortoise is a living fossil, having survived since the dawn of the age of reptiles, 200 million years ago.
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