testudo hermanni in Majorca
by touton - aprile 22nd, 2010.Filed under: Testudo hermanni.
Hi turtlelovers !
Here are some pics out of the 500 hundred I took (of 17 thh specimen) during my journey to Majorca.
I will compare them with those I know the best, that is to say the varoise hermanni.
For the main similarities, I would say:
- link between V1 and V2 quite linear,
- keyhole pattern on V5 same shape,
-very dark nails,
- 100% of specimen (n=17) I saw with 5 nails to both former legs,
- 100% of specimen with no black patches (negri baffeti ??) on top of gular scales (even if some rare varoises have one or even 2 small black patches),
- size and shape of cheeks yellow patches according to the age,
- total length more or less the same even if a little shorter: let’s say about 13 cm for males (varoises 14 cm) and about 16 cm for females (varoises 17 cm).
For the main differences, I would say:
- general shape of shell like a horse seat with heighest point at the back of V2 whereas varoises are “symetrical” and have eighest point in the middle of V3,
- round, short and wide head, whereas varoise have a more linear, long and narrow snakelike head,
- a lot of greenish scales on top of head, whereas varoises have (except on cheeks) totally dark head.
aprile 24th, 2010 at 14:15
Touton,
thanks for these beautifull images!!!
I find this population quite similar to umbrian population both for size and aspect, but what really stike me about these tortoises are their dark claws… they’re really black!