Description

Eurotestudo Hermanni is characterized by its rather round oval shell in the females, and slightly trapezoidal form in the males. One of its most remarkable characteristic is the pointy horn, located at the point of its tail. Moreover, it has a breast plate consisting of two continuous black bands (on a yellow bottom). The median groove of the femoral plates is larger than the median groove of the pectoral plates. The Hermann tortoise does not have points on its legs unlike the majority of Eurotestudo; its forelimbs are equipped with 5 claws while the rear limbs have only 4. Its size generally never exceeds 19 cm and the females are slightly larger than the males.

The sexual dimorphism is very distinct between the female (left) and the male (right).

 

Distribution and habitat

Its distribution area includes the west and the south of Italy, the Var (south of France), Corsica, the north-west of Spain and some Mediterranean islands. The Hermann tortoise habitat extends on the majority from the Mediterranean vegetable formations, where it occupies mainly the coastal zones with soft reliefs, generally lower than 400 meters, but sometimes, locally, up to 900 meters. It needs an enough dense medium to be able to hibernate and to protect itself from the sun, but also open areas for its layings. On the climatic level, it prefers the areas with light winters, the average temperatures higher than 0°C in January; areas with dry summers where the average temperature fluctuates between 20 and 25°C in July; area with moderate rain and finally, areas where the annual sunlight reaches at least 2000 to 2500 hours.

 

Way of life

The activity cycles extends from March to October, although, according to the populations and the particular climatic conditions of each year, it can begin in February and finish in November. The maximum activity is at spring and in summer. The males try to mate (brutal coupling) during all the active period (and sometimes during the end of the activity cycle). From the end of April to the beginning of July, the females deposit 1 to 2 layings, generally composed of 2 to 7 eggs. Fertility last on average for males around 10 years and 12-13 years for the females. The incubation of eggs lasts about 90 days. The diet of the Hermann tortoise is mainly herbivorous but it is fond of delicacies like small snails or meats which can have (in great quantity) consequences on the shell (malformations), but also the Hermann tortoise can consume invertebrates, corpses and the excrements of other vertebrate.

 

Protection

The two principal causes of rarefaction of this species are urbanization and pollution, as well as fires and extraction from natural environment. Conservation programs are in effect by SOPTOM which includes environmental protection, the creation of hatching zones, captive breeding by animals of private donation, public awareness(particularly of the children) and repopulation in particular zones.

(Hermanni generally has very brutal coupling)