Margined turtle

The Boundary Turtle, Europe's largest

The Margined Tortoise(Testudo marginata) is Europe's largest tortoise. It is mainly found in Greece and southern Albania. It has also been introduced into Italy, in Sardinia and Tuscany.

A unique skirt-like carapace

Its posterior marginal scales form a sort of flared skirt, a characteristic that earned it its name. This shape makes mating more complex: the male has to stand up vertically behind the female, who lifts the back of his body - a real team effort!

A typically Mediterranean habitat

The tortoise lives in the dry, scrubby areas of the Mediterranean maquis, sometimes up to 1,600 m in altitude. Its dark shell enables it to absorb the sun's heat to regulate its internal temperature. In winter, it buries itself to hibernate, reappearing in spring when temperatures rise again.

A symbol in ancient culture

The Greeks and Etruscans attached great importance to this turtle. Shells have been found in ancient tombs, sometimes accompanied by live turtles to guide the soul of the deceased. Its image can also be found on the earliest Greek coins, the staters, as well as on frescoes, house pediments and stone fountains.

Click here to discover and visit the A Cupulatta turtle park near Ajaccio.