TERRESTRIAL TURTLE - TESTUDO MARGINATA CITES (25-30 CM)

Our turtle family from southern Bohemia

Nejsme žádní velkochovatelé. Máme svou malou želví rodinku. A pokud se u nás najde někdo, kdo je bude stále bedlivě hlídat a pozorovat, tak se zase snad někdy podaří … Pokaždé je to krásný pocit, když se klube z vajíčka nový tvoreček. Připomíná nám to, pradávnou dobu dinosaurů.

We have prepared this site after several years of searching for suitable conditions for our crested turtles, so that we can look into it ourselves at any time. But maybe they will also help you in faster orientation, for example how to improve your turtle breeding. Usually, each breeder gradually gains experience, he will know over time what would be most suitable for his tortoise. But the experience itself is non-transferable. Therefore, do not take this site as a dogma. In any case, you always get the first important information about breeding only from the breeder from which the baby turtle comes.
Proto nejvhodnější výběr želvy je vždy u chovatele!

TESTUDO MARGINATA CITES

  • Testudo marginata is a European tortoise native to the Mediterranean. It originally occurs in Greece and Albania. The species was introduced to other countries (introduced by humans - Cyprus, Italy,…)
  • Our turtles are still growing around 25-30 cm, weighing 2 to 2.5 kg in adulthood
  • The coloration of these turtles gradually darkens.
  • The shape of the body is elongated, the back of the carapace gradually forms a veil - a skirt.
  • Testudo marginata is one of the calmer turtles than t.hermanni or t.hosfieldi - four-toed (steppe).
  • These turtles live to be 100 years old.

TESTUDO MARGINATA TURTLE REPRODUCTION

  • The terrestrial tortoises Testudo marginata reach sexual maturity between approximately 8 and 14 years of age, depending on the type of breeding and diet.
  • Adult females can lay 1 to 3 clutches with an average of 6-10 eggs 30.5 mm long and 28 mm wide.
  • The incubation period is approximately 57-70 days in controlled conditions at a temperature of approx. 31 ° C and a humidity of 70%.
  • The size of the pups is approximately 30 mm. In turtle turtles, more males are usually born than females.
  • Occasionally, a newborn appears in the breeding that does not have regular labels on the carapace of the so-called pâté. Some argue that this is due to the higher temperature in the incubator, but this is common without higher temperatures. Some breeders deliberately choose these unique individuals, even if it is a defect (aesthetic), which also occurs in nature and other species of turtles.
  • The sex can be distinguished by an expert from about 10 cm in size, rather at the age of about 3-4 years.
  • Super reference to recognizing male by female in the picture: Jak poznat, zda je želva samec či samice: 8 Kroků (s obrázky) (wikihow.cz) 

This species Testudo marginata - the European tortoise is bred in the Czech Republic mostly in the number of about 2000 individuals per year, see the table.

Source of the number of individuals https://cites.mzp.cz

year number year number year number
2015
2330
2018
2232
2021
2576
2016
2070
2019
2829
2017
1978
2020
2776

Tortoises - Testudo marginata (our photos)