TESTUDO HERMANNI IDENTIFICATION (Hermann's tortoise)

Hey everyone, Chris here from Garden State Tortoise and Hermann I. Haven. Welcome to another one of my video blogs, and I want to personally thank everyone who has watched my previous films, commented on them, and even shared them. In this episode, we're going to further discuss a topic that has been a personal focus for me and many other Mediterranean tortoise keepers worldwide. Some of you have possibly watched my first video blog titled, Proper Identification of Hermann's Tortoise Subspecies. This video touches on how to accurately distinguish the Hermann's tortoises from one another. In that piece, I was only able to cover the most prominent signs to look for when telling the subspecies apart, and unfortunately I had to leave some things out. Many having to do with the abundance of true variation that is found in these tortoises. Most of these facts that were left out pertain to the western form of Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni hermanni. This subspecies is the rarest and most poorly understood, and additional information should be shared with you all to clarify some things and to further aid in the proper identification. As previously discussed in my videos, articles, and even threads, impure or bastardized tortoises do exist in both captivity and now sometimes in the wild where Hermann's tortoises occur in nature. These crossbred tortoises are typically encountered when the eastern Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni botgari, is bred with a western Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni hermanni. Because Hermann's are similar in appearance to beginners as it is, this act of crossbreeding makes for an extremely difficult identity crisis. In some cases, it can be nearly impossible to recognize a true bastard. The mixing of species and or subspecies is severely frowned upon and should be avoided at all costs. This is especially important for the western Hermann's tortoise which is now completely disappearing from many parts of its distribution range in the wild. I hope this video helps you even more so than the first one did. I hope it enables you to gain a better understanding of the proper identification of Hermann's tortoise subspecies and I urge you to share it as much as possible. First and foremost, let's take a look back to refresh our memories on the subspecies of Hermann's tortoise so we know what we're looking for. At the time of filming this video, updated taxonomic declarations have released that the once described third subspecies of Hermann's tortoise, the Dalmatian tortoise, is no longer accepted. Scientifically referred to as Testudo hermanni herzigovinensis, some still choose to recognize it while others do not. For the sake of time, I will cover only the two valid subspecies, the western and eastern Hermann's tortoise. Okay, starting off with some male Hermann's tortoises. We have an eastern here on the left, which is the larger animal, and we have two male western Hermann's tortoises here on the right, which are the smaller animals. This is a male Italian and this is a male Spanish. We'll get into their differences later. Right off the bat here you can see the difference in size. The eastern is a lot larger. It's also more trapezoid in shape. The westerns are smaller and a lot rounder or more oval in shape. They do exhibit minimal flaring of the marginal scutes at the back, but not as much as the eastern. See how almost perfectly oval this tortoise is, even though it's a male. Typically, the eastern Hermann's tortoise features a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above, while the western Hermann's tortoise is rounder or more oval, as you can see in this photo with the western being on the right. It's also sometimes said that on the fourth vertebral scute, which I have circled in red, the western Hermann's tortoise always features a black marking spot or dot, while the eastern Hermann's does not. This is highly variable and should not be accepted as an identification tool whatsoever. The western Hermann's tortoise exhibits a symbol on the fifth vertebral scute that is more or less defined even in very old adults. It is reminiscent of a keyhole or mushroom cloud. This symbol can take on many different shapes. The eastern Hermann's tortoise typically does not feature this marking as you can see on this adult male, but many times they do. However, when they do, it's usually distorted or widened. When we take a closer look at the keyhole or mushroom cloud symbol on the western Hermann's, it's important to take into account that the symbol is not always as perfect looking as in these two tortoises. The symbol can in fact be widened like in this animal, and also thinner like in this tortoise on the left. Note the clarity and definition of the symbol, which is uncommon in the eastern specimens. When looking at the supracaudal shield just above the tail on the western Hermann's, note that it is always divided. It is extremely rare to see one with an undivided shield, and in fact I have never seen a pure western specimen with an undivided shield. In the eastern form, the shield may or may not be divided, but many times it is not. In this animal, it clearly is divided. Another main distinguishing trait for telling the two subspecies apart is the color and markings of the carapace. A beautiful, rich, golden yellow ground color is found on the western subspecies and is highly contrasted by jet black stripes, bars, and outlines on each scute or plate. There is no bleeding into each other when it comes to these colors, which eliminates the chance of any gray or brownish areas. Especially when wet, the colors of the western Hermann's tortoise are very vibrant and eye-catching. Adult size usually plays an important factor in separating the subspecies. Here we have an adult female western Hermann's on the left, and an adult male eastern Hermann's on the right. With females being the larger of the sexes in both subspecies, this really shows how much bigger the easterns get most of the time. Using a ruler, we can gauge the actual size of these tortoises. This male eastern is just over 7 inches, and although he's fully grown, bigger ones are common. Looking at this adult male western tortoise, you'll notice he is no bigger than just over 4 inches. This is a standard size for adult males for this form, but occasionally they may be bigger depending on the place of origin. We can even take a female western Hermann's that is a bit larger than what is normal for her subspecies and compare her to the same male eastern we've been using. Even still, the eastern is larger. The following photos illustrate the sometimes obvious differences between Testudo hermanni hermanni and Testudo hermanni botgari. When viewed from above, the vibrant colors and high contrast found on the western hermanns cannot be ignored. Even unusually attractively patterned eastern tortoises, they are typically not as eye-catching as on the western. You can also gain a sense of what to look for in the keyhole or mushroom cloud symbol on the fifth vertebral scute. You'll notice the clarity on the western tortoises here, but you'll also see what it looks like when it's found on the eastern. Overall shape and size is apparent here, and so is the division of the supracaudal shield in the westerns. On the easterns in these photos, you'll see that some of them have an undivided shield if you look close enough. Perhaps the most characteristic trait of Testudo hermanni hermanni is found on the plastron. Here, two jet black bands or stripes run parallel to each other along the midline extending from the humeral scutes down to the anal scutes. They are continuous, extremely well-defined, and well-formed. They do not exhibit any influx of other colors like gray or brown, just jet black bands on a yellow-colored plastron. When we compare the markings of the plastron on the western hermanns tortoise to that of the eastern hermanns tortoise, there is a big difference. You can see in these examples that the eastern tortoises do not feature these bands or stripes in the same clarity that the westerns do. They are not usually continuous, may be rather messy looking, and in some cases are completely lacking. The black of these bands on the eastern form is not as intense, and the general contrast is not as high. In some cases, eastern hermanns tortoises have almost entirely black plastrons, especially in populations deriving from southern Greece. A plastron that is entirely black is NOT a trait of the western form. Instead, the western form exhibits only two longitudinal stripes that are always separated from one another along the midline of the plastron. These bands or stripes are very easy to see in the examples shown here. When we explore the black plastral bands even further, we need to take into account that variation is inevitable when it comes to hermanns tortoises. You can see on these animals that the bands break in certain areas. This is completely acceptable and is simply just nature expressing distinction like it always does, especially in reptiles. Even with the slight areas of separation in the plastral bands, you can still see, plain as day, how well defined they are and how highly the black and yellow contrast one another on the western hermanns. In elderly specimens, the bands may fade and break further, like in this female from Calabria, Italy. Even still, the clarity and definition is there, and more so than what you will see on eastern hermanns tortoises. Typically, the ghoular scutes, which are found just under the neck at the beginning of the plastron, are free of any black markings on the western hermanns tortoise. While this is true in a high percentage of tortoises belonging to this subspecies, there is a significant number that do NOT hold true to this. While grey, brownish, or distorted markings may sometimes be found on the ghoular scutes of the eastern hermanns tortoise, this is not what one may encounter on the western form. Instead, black spots or stripes may be found here, as you can see in these specimens. This does not, in any way, make these tortoises impure to any extent. Rather, it is just, again, variation and may actually now be a common trait of this localized population in nature. These tortoises shown here with black markings on the ghoular scutes all come from the exact same spot in Tuscany, Italy. Locality-specific reptiles of all kinds worldwide exhibit unique features such as this, and until DNA tests are done to further examine them, they are still considered to be one subspecies. Testing can possibly lead to the discovery of additional subspecies. Speaking of locality-specific traits, we can take a look at some of our tortoises that come directly from the island of Sicily, in Italy. While the undersides of their ghoular scutes are free of any dark pigment at all, the topsides are not. Look closely and you can see that black stripes are evident underneath the neck in these tortoises. This is typically only found in western hermanns tortoises that originate from the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and also the French island of Corsica. It is very rare to see this on any mainland native tortoises from this subspecies. This is just one small example of locality-specific differences. Another feature found on the plastron of hermanns tortoises is the length of the suture that joins the femoral scutes compared to the suture that joins the pectoral scutes. This characteristic is pretty reliable mainly in the western hermanns tortoise. In a very high percentage of the time, the suture of the femoral scutes is wider than that of the pectoral scutes. In the eastern form, however, the width of these sutures is highly variable, but quite often the pectoral suture is significantly wider than the femoral, so it's reversed in the eastern. One last situation to address on the plastron is the bottom suture of the humeral scutes where they meet the pectoral scutes. It is sometimes accepted that in the eastern hermanns tortoise, this suture is in the form of a sharp V or a wavy, zig-zag line. In the western tortoise, this suture forms a downward U-shape. By viewing these western specimens, you can see that they in fact have the U-shape to this suture, but it is certainly not always like this. This trait is definitely not something we can rely on to differentiate the two subspecies. The reason is because this suture is incredibly variable in both subspecies. An important factor in separating the subspecies of hermanns tortoise is the shape and markings of the head. In the eastern subspecies, the head is bulky, bulbous, robust, blunt, and or more rounded. The color is usually gray to yellowish-brown or darker. There may or may not be lighter areas of yellowish-green scales at the back of the head on top. In the western form, the head is sleeker, shows regular contours, is narrower, and somewhat snake-like. It also features one of Testudo hermanni hermanni's more memorable traits, which is a bright yellow subocular spot or patch on each side of the head. The spot is small to large and is found just under and behind each eye, which can be noticed from a distance. Usually only very young eastern hermanns tortoises will exhibit this subocular spot as well, but it quickly fades away before they become subadults. Even when present, it is nowhere near as vibrant or noticeable as in the western form. It's worth mentioning that yet again, variation comes knocking on our doors with this trait too. Some western hermanns tortoises can be lacking this subocular spot. This is usually dependent on the locality they derive from, but can also be dependent on age. The spot can very well fade in old tortoises just like the plastral bands can. Moving on from the plastron, we can take a look at the claws or nails on hermanns tortoises. There is a lot of debate concerning the color and number of claws usually present on the front limbs of these animals, with reports indicating that mainland specimens like Testudo hermanni hermanni from the Italian peninsula and the south of France exhibit five claws on each front foot. It is then said that island native tortoises like those found on Corsica and Sardinia have only four claws on each front foot and that they are always light colored. There is a massive amount of speculation regarding these assumptions, and although we can take certain statements into account when using them as identification tools, we cannot solely rely on them or really trust them. This is because of variation, and it will never not occur. However, it can be said that the western form of hermanns tortoise usually features light to yellow colored claws on at least the front limbs. This tends to match the typical skin color found on them as well. The eastern form usually has dark colored gray to black nails. This does not mean that the western tortoises always have light colored claws and certain animals can have totally black nails like in this specimen from Tuscany. A final characteristic to take into consideration for separating the two accepted subspecies of hermanns tortoise is located on the carapace. Generally, the western form features a shell with the highest point situated more towards the middle or even towards the front. There are five vertebral scutes found spanning the spinal length of the carapace and we usually see the highest point somewhere between the second and fourth vertebral. Looking at these western examples, you can see the varying degree of where the high point settles. When we compare this to the eastern form, the highest point is more or less situated towards the back between the fourth and fifth vertebral scutes. Usually. I cannot stress enough that like some other traits, this can and does vary and sometimes according to the original locality the tortoises derive from. Much of this video has pointed out the inevitable variation that occurs within hermanns tortoises and I feel that it needs to be addressed even further. The reason for this is so that the viewer can gain as much information as possible when trying to identify a tortoise belonging to the Testudo hermanni species complex. This is clearly not an easy task, especially for beginners and many descriptions out there are too general. For example, not every single western hermanns tortoise has a bright yellow subocular spot. We've pointed out the typical traits that can help to accurately differentiate the western form from the eastern form and now we can go a little deeper into variation that transpires even within a subspecies. Known for an overall yellow coloration, these Testudo hermanni hermanni from Calabria, Italy hold many of the true traits found within this subspecies. You can, however, notice that the female on the end to the right has a darker skin color than the other two. The abundance of yellow in this locality of tortoises can cover the head and legs to the point where the subocular spot actually blends in. Even darker shelled animals from here tend to keep the yellow skin with matching nails. However, as you can see in this tortoise, her nails are darker than usual. This is a true example of variation even within a given population of tortoises. In Tuscany, Italy, the variation that can occur in western hermanns is at a high rate. There are some constants, but animals from more western parts of the region may look quite different from those of more eastern parts. Tuscany is also home to some rather large examples of this tortoise, yet not as big as some specimens found on the islands. I've found that Tuscan Testudo hermanni hermanni will exhibit black markings on the undersides of the gular scutes more so than other localities. Skin and nail color may either be a brilliant yellow like what is found in most Calabrian hermanni, but can also be greenish with darker areas. The subocular spot is extremely noticeable in some specimens while it is faded or absent in others. In some areas, the tortoises may feature a somewhat orange hue to the ground color of the carapace like in this animal. These are just some examples of Tuscan tortoises in our collection, and as you can already see, variation is sometimes overwhelming even within a locality-specific group. The Italian island of Sicily is home to a strain of medium-to-large, usually flatter-shelled Western Hermann's tortoises that is considered so different by some that they may be proposed as a separate subspecies in years to come. Yet again, while some tortoises resemble each other very closely, some look different and can actually resemble tortoises from a different locality such as Tuscany, for example. Sicilian hermanni are different in that some individuals will exhibit spurs or tubercles on each thigh like what is commonly found on Greek tortoises. These are not hybrids with the Greek tortoises, but are in fact a unique form of Western Hermann's. Along with the thigh spurs, they may feature one or more black stripes on the inner sides of the gular scutes under the throat like we discussed earlier. These odd traits are also shared with other island tortoise populations such as Sardinia and Corsica. In addition to these features, some percentage of Sicilian tortoises may be lacking one or more of the inguinal scutes. This is rare, but can and does occur. The head of these Sicily natives is usually attractively marked with a noticeable subocular spot, bright yellow scales at the back of the head, and green to yellow areas on other parts of the face. It has been stated that island tortoises feature four claws on each front foot, but many can and do have five claws instead. Moving away from some of the Italian Hermanni localities, here we have tortoises from the Balearic Islands of Spain, particularly the island of Mallorca. Unlike the Italian islands and Corsica, Mallorca is home to typically small sized specimens. These little tortoises usually feature a lemon yellow ground color, but of course this color can sway to a rich gold. Many Mallorcan Hermanni resemble each other very closely in both size and markings. The head is usually darker and bulkier than an Italian tortoise's, and the subocular spot may or may not be present. The plastral bands are very uniform and only occasionally will the ghoular scutes feature any small black spots. Testudo hermanni hermanni from Mallorca tend to resemble those that derive from the south of France rather than any of the Italian populations. Their dark heads and rounder shape tend to tie them to one another in appearance. In conclusion, you may have guessed by now that differentiating the subspecies of Hermann's tortoise is not so easy. The western and eastern forms clearly are different in several ways, which is why they've been the two mainly accepted subspecies for a very long time now. But having an untrained eye can pose problems for proper identification. It's a sad state for the turtle and tortoise community with so many impure or bastardized specimens being born each year through human error. The safest bet is to know exactly where your tortoise has come from originally, but this is not usually possible. I cannot stress this point enough when I say that keeping bloodlines, species, subspecies, and or localities pure is of boundless importance and the world needs responsible keepers to enforce this. Never have so many tortoise species been faced with such a real chance of extinction as they are today. On my newest website, hermannihaven.com, we are striving to bring awareness to keepers across the world. Photos, additional videos, and detailed information including authentic documentation of our tortoises are all there for the viewer. The first North American regional studbook for Testudo hermanni hermanni is now available for viewing purposes on the site and this enables us to keep a close eye on the tortoises and their future. This is just one small act of responsible keeping for one type of tortoise, but it's a start for them and for those serious about their fate. Incredible accomplishments have occurred in tortoise keeping within the last 10 years and so we cannot ignore the positive aspects. We must embrace them and encourage others to work hard to protect these animals in our collections and in nature. I will continue to make these films about all types of turtles and tortoises and will do my best to be thorough. I will of course update you on the status of Herman's tortoises and their identification as time goes on and more research takes place. As always, please visit our site GardenStateTortoise.com for all turtle and tortoise needs and HermanniHaven.com for a closer look at the Western Hermann's tortoise. Thanks for watching this video. See you guys soon.