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Sardinia, the island of the European turtles
As already described in detail in my book "Sardinia, the island of European turtles", Sardinia is in many ways the most fascinating island in the Mediterranean for me. Their charisma can hardly be put into words. The landscape is unique in its diversity. The long, differently colored sandy beaches with the azure blue to turquoise crystal clear water, the dunes and the many small bays, the rocky and ruggedly rugged coastal regions, the flat steppes with the lagoon lakes, the gentle hill landscapes covered in macchia, are just as fascinating as the wide, wooded plateaus, the majestic table mountains, the many bold volcanic cones and the steep, almost alpine mountain ranges.
Sardinia not only impresses with its multi-layered, varied landscapes, but for us turtle lovers above all because of the occurrence of three different species of tortoise and one species of pond turtle.
The most numerous representatives here is the nominate form of the Greek tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni .
Most animals have a striking yellow mark on their heads and a large subocular spot.
A slight bump is now normal for many people in Sardinia. The cause lies in the fact that there has been an increasing lack of rain for decades and the resulting considerable drought in summer, especially in the coastal areas in the north-west. In particularly dry summers, many, downright withered turtles are often found here. Countless empty tanks of these animals lie around in the maquis for a long time.
The wide-brimmed turtle Testude marginata is less numerous and localized.
The Moorish tortoise Testudo graeca graeca , which occurs only in a few areas due to its extreme need for heat, represents the smallest number of individuals.
The only representative of the aquatic species is the Sardinian subspecies of the European pond turtle, the Sardinian pond turtle Emys orbicularis capolongoi .
The Greek tortoise has by far the largest distribution area in Sardinia.
Testudo hermanni hermanni is also found in the sandy coastal regions ...
... in plains near the sea ...
... with adjacent ranges of hills,
in river valleys, cultivated areas and in inland gorges and plateaus up to about 800 meters above sea level.
In principle, adult turtles live in different areas than hatchlings and juveniles.
Young animals need a much more humid habitat in order not to dry out.
These more humid areas are used by females from all over the area to lay eggs.
The wide-brimmed turtle was introduced in pre-Christian times by seafarers from Greece via the seaport of Olbia. Even today, the distribution of Testudo marginata is limited to the area of Gallura and is barely more than 50 kilometers as the crow flies from the port city.
With its rocky slopes that merge into sandy shore areas, the Gallura is exactly like the occurrence areas in Greece.
Due to their need for warmth, the range of the Moorish tortoise is limited to a few smaller areas in the west and south of the island. Dry dune landscapes close to the sea are criss-crossed by cushion-like, sometimes very prickly bushes.
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