Testudo graeca terrestris Forskål, 1775

Aidek, Ahmad E., Saad, Adib, Jablonski, Daniel, Esterbauer, Hans & Fritz, Uwe, 2024, Turtles and tortoises of Syria: Diversity, distribution, and conservation, Zootaxa 5506 (2), pp. 151-193 : 171-174

Testudo graeca terrestris Forskål, 1775

Mesopotamian Tortoise, Levantine Tortoise ( Fig. 20 )

IUCN Red List Category ( Testudo graeca ): Vulnerable (VU A1cd).

Type locality: “Lohajae ..&.. Kahirae..&.. Aleppo..&.. Libanon ” [Al Luhayyah ..&.. Cario ..&.. Aleppo ..&.. Mount Lebanon]. Restricted to Arabien [Arabia] by Wermuth (1956), to “Libanon-Gebirge, Israel ” [ Lebanon Mountains, Israel] by Wermuth (1958), to “environs d’Alep (= Halab), Syrie ” [ Syria] by Bour (1989), and validly to “ Aleppo (Alep, Halab; 36°12’N, 37°09’E), Syria ( Syrian Arab Republic)” by neotype designation ( Perälä & Bour 2004).

Type specimen: Original syntypes lost; neotype designated by Perälä & Bour (2004); Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, NMW 18674 :2.

Chorotype: Turano-Mediterranean.

First records for Syria: Latakia, Aleppo ( Forskål 1775).

Literature data: Aleppo ( Boettger 1880), Aleppo, Homs, Hamah, Palmyra, near Damascus ( Lortet 1883), Aleppo ( Siebenrock 1913), Homs Lake ( Boulenger 1923) Aleppo, Tartous ( Werner 1919, 1935), between Homs and T-4 (Al-Furuklus; Schmidt 1939), Golan ( Werner & Avital 1980; Berger-Dell’mour 1986), Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Hamah, Damascus, Al-Qunaitra, Al-Hamidiyah (N Al-Qunaitra), Khan Arnabah (= Khan Uraynibah), Al-Ka’b, N and NW Taranjah, NW and W Hadar, S Arnah, W Majdal Shams (= Megdel Shams; Esterbauer 1985a, 1985b, 1992), SE Jabal Al-Arab (Dzabal ad Druz; Veselý 1991), Golan and Mount Hermon ( Sivan & Werner 1992), Mesiaf, Slenfeh, Al-Barah ( Bischoff & Schmidtler 1994), Seidnaya, Mesiaf, Jabal Al-Arab (= Jebel ed Drouz), Al-Hasaka ( Fritz et al. 1996), Jabal Al-Arab (= Djebel Druz; Bischoff et al. 1998), 5 km north of Sweida ( Moravec & Orszagh 1998), Najran ( Lymberakis & Kalionzopoulou 2003), Al-Badia near Palmyra, Fir-Cedar Reserve ( Sindaco et al. 2006), Palmyra ( Fritz et al. 1996), Tahonat Al-Halawa, Slenfeh ( Amr et al. 2007), Sweida, Qanawat, Rashiedeh, Seidnaya, Maalula, Mesiaf, Ain Al-Beidah, Jourin, Qal’at Samaan ( Široký et al. 2007), Maalula, Seidnaya, Ain Al-Beida, Qal’at Merza, Mesiaf, Al-Kafr, Sweida, between Sweida and Salah, Dar Ta’zah, Qal’at Samaan ( Fritz et al. 2007), Al-Qerdaha, Al-Boudi, Dhahr Drekeish, Jabla, Al-Bassah ( Mhanna et al. 2021).

Museum specimens: Syria ( FMNH 19715, 1846936, MNHN 1883.640, SMF 55201, 7821, 47365, NHMUK 1976.437, 1976.441), northern Syria ( NMW 34350:1), Aleppo ( MNHN 1988.6790, 1988.6965, SMF 7830, NMW 1908:1, 18672:1–2, 18673:1–2, 30094:1–2, 18674:1–2), Naseeb ( NMW 18520:1), Damascus ( RMNH. RENA.14045), near Damascus ( INHS 10289), 10 km E Deir ez-Zor ( ZFMK 86656–86659), 1 km N Atil ( ZFMK 64939), ruins of Apamea ( ZFMK 30537), Homs ( NHMUK 1909.4.20.1, 1970.1860), Al-Hasaka ( MTD 32111), Jabal Al-Arab ( MTD 47365), Camp Fanar, Golan ( NMW 30859:1), Golan ( NMW 26789:1–3, 26810:1, 33203:1– 21, 33204:1, 34347:1, HUJ 120719, 120732, 120736–20739, 120762), Wadi Daraa (= Wadidra; NMW 34348:1), Mt. Hermon ( NMW 34349:1), Slenfeh ( JUSTM 0202), Tahonat Al-Halawa ( JUSTM 201), E Al-Rashiedeh ( NMP-P 6V 34915, 70504).

Citizen science records: Ad-Difleh, Ain Aaisheh, Ain at-Teineh, Ain ej-Jajeh, Al-Breikhiyeh, Al-Jbeiliyeh, Al-Khaldiyeh, Al-Kneisat, Al-Maliyeh, Al-Marqab, Al-Mzeiraa, Al-Qallouf, Al-Sqeilbiyeh, ash-Shabtaliyah, ash-Shamiyeh, ash-Sheikh Badr, as-Sarsakiyah, as-Sarsakiyah, as-Sukkariyeh, at-Tabrah, at-Teiha, Balluran, Baq’u, Bashbatah,Al-Hasriyeh, Beit Al-Jabal, Beit Nafleh, Beit Shouhr, Burj Islam, Burmanah, Fadrah, Ghmam, Habbabah, Haffah, Hammam Al-Qarahleh, Jneinat Raslan, Jubb Al-Amlas, Jubb Ramlah, Kafr Sneif, Kafriyeh ash-Sharqiyeh, Kersana, Kherbat Abu Hamdan, Kherbat aj-Jouziyeh, Kherbat Al-Fars, Nab’Al-Ghaqah, Nab’ Al-Sakher, Palmyra, Safita, Salma, Sarai, Squbeen, Um et-Toyour (iNaturalist 2023).

Recent records: Abu Qubays, 2 km N Urman, Ain Al-Feijeh, aj-Jumrkiyeh, Al-Amriyeh, Al-Badrosiyah, Al-Bahlouliyah, Al-B’ath, Al-Bassah, Al-Dali, Al-Furunlok, Al-Haffah, Al-Hardana, Al-Jabboul, Al-Kadmous, Al-Mazra’a, Al-Mismiyeh, Al-Qerdaha, Al-T’amri, Al-Wadi’a, Azaz, Banias, Bennesh, Binjaru, Drekeish, Homs, Jaiboul, Jabla, Jaddu’h—Salamiyah, Jariz, Kherbat Al-Hamam, Kherbat Hazzour, Latakia, Majdalun Al-Bustan, Maqta’ Hajar, Muhasan, Qiroun, Safita, Sahnaya, Salamiyah, Salhab, Sadd Al-Kafat, Shahba, Souran, Sweida, Tell Sheihan, Tnakha, Tseil, Tartous, W of Ya’four, Wadi Barada.

Distribution in Syria: Common. The distribution of T. g. terrestris extends from east of Aleppo westwards. It occurs throughout the coastal region, extending east beyond the Orontes Basin, then south into the Damascus area, the Lebanon Mountains, the southwestern region of Jabal Al-Arab, and the Golan and Mount Hermon, with few records from the northeast near the Turkish border ( Fig. 21 ).

Lortet (1883) mentioned that tortoises were common in the region of Palmyra (also mentioned in Fritz et al. 1996). This was the only record for this region for a long time, despite field surveys conducted by many researchers. Also, the senior author of this study did not record any tortoises during dozens of field trips to Palmyra and the Al-Badia between 2006 and 2013. However, it must be remembered that Lortet reported tortoises for this area 150 years ago, and the habitat has certainly changed since then. Thus, it cannot be excluded that T. graeca once occurred there, but has become extremely rare or disappeared since Lortet’s (1883) observations. Indeed, there is a photographic record of a tortoise from the Al-Badia taken between 1996 and 1999 ( Sindaco et al. 2006), and a photo of a juvenile from Palmyra was published on iNaturalist in 2018. However, the latter photo shows that the colors and texture of the shell are similar to tortoises from the coastal region of Syria, rather than the morphotypes found in arid habitats, suggestive of an introduced individual.

In northeastern Syria, tortoises are very rare. One individual was found in August 1991 near Al-Hasaka close to the Turkish border ( MTD 32111 , see also Fritz et al. 1996), and another specimen was found in June 2020 in Al-Hardana , also near the Turkish border ( Fig. 20A ). During dozens of field trips throughout the area between 2006 and 2023, no other tortoises were found, but locals confirmed that they are present but rare (Aidek pers. observ.) .

There are also few records from the Euphrates region. In 1999, four tortoises were obtained from 10 km east of Deir ez-Zor (ZFMK 86656–86659). These specimens are probably escaped or captive tortoises. This is suggested by the “locality names” of the ZFMK specimens, as these are names of people, not of sites. Two tortoises were also seen on agricultural land in Muhasan, 20 km east of Deir ez-Zor, in fall 2021.

Remarks: Syrian tortoises are characterized by a great variety of coloration. The primary color of the shell varies from yellowish beige with various shades of light and dark brown, orange and gray to very dark types with a primary black shell coloration. Tortoises from the humid coastal region are generally characterized by a shiny shell and lighter colors compared to tortoises from the Lebanon Mountains and the semi-arid area east of Aleppo. Tortoises from the black basalt regions (Jabal Al-Arab) are generally black or dark gray and dull in color ( Fig. 20 ; see also Fritz et al. 1996, 2007). Variation beyond Syria is discussed in Fritz et al. (2007) and Türkozan et al. (2023).

There are 117 records from Syria on GBIF. However, of these supposedly Syrian records, 10 are not from Syria. Another 76 records are on iNaturalist (2023). Many of these have incorrect coordinates and are in the sea, some are duplicates and refer to other sites.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Coloration of Testudo graeca terrestris. (A) Al-Hardana, north of Mesopotamia (photo: Mohammed Al-Karraf); (B) Maqta’ Hajar, northeast Aleppo (photo: Ahmad Aidek); (C) Majdalun Al-Bustan, coastal region (photo: Ali Ali); (D) Al- Bassah, coastal region (photo: Ali Alloush); (E) Sadd Al-Kafat, southeast Hamah (photo: Ehab Jbr); (F) as-Sabbourah, west of Damascus (photo: Wa’el Almatni); (G) Masil Al-Fawwar, southwestern Syria (photo: Hans Esterbauer); (H) hatchling, Shahba, Jabal Al-Arab (photo: Ahmad Aidek); (I) hatchling, Tell Sheihan, Jabal Al-Arab (photo: Wa’el Almatni).

FIGURE 21. Records of Testudo graeca terrestris in Syria. Black circles: previous records, blue circles: recently confirmed previous records, red circles: new records.