Noncommercial collection of spur-thighed tortoises ( Testudo graeca graeca): a cultural problem in southeast Spain (original) (raw)
Related papers
Animals
The trading and collection of wild animals as pets may be cause for concern regarding animal welfare and species conservation. These concerns can be exemplified by Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca), a long-living species whose use as pets is long established. The human dimension plays a major role in the wildlife for the pet collection, and is particularly important in countries like Morocco, where this might pose a threat to the conservation of the species involved. This study, which is based on a questionnaire survey (n = 480 participants), documents the fact that many people in Morocco keep tortoises as pets: 55% of the participants in the survey and over two tortoises/person. Importantly, most captive tortoises, particularly juveniles, had been collected directly from wild populations by their owners (42%, n = 264). In general, the tortoise owners had limited knowledge of their tortoises’ habits and requirements, although rural people were more likely to ackno...
From troubles to solutions: conservation of Mediterranean tortoises under global change
Basic and Applied Herpetology
Chelonians are among the animal groups with the poorest conservation status. Since tortoises are long-lived species that need very long time to reach sexual maturity, they are extremely vulnerable to human pressure. Despite their endangered status, there are no common strategies for the development of conservation actions. At the “Mediterranean workshop to develop tortoise conservation strategiesâ€, scientists, conservation associations, environmental managers, IUCN advisers and CITES inspectors met in October 2019 in Alicante (Spain). The aims were to update the diagnosis of the conservation status of the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) and the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) and to suggest strategies that guarantee their preservation at the Mediterranean Region. The main conclusions are summarized by: i) Mediterranean tortoises are wild endangered species that must be protected in, and together with, their natural habitat. Their main threats are habitat loss and ...
MSc Dissertation: Tortoise exploitation in Iberia and Italy: A zooarchaeological approach.
Tortoise exploitation in Iberia and Italy: A zooarchaeological approach., 2020
The main objective of this dissertation is to reconstruct the exploitation of tortoises in the past of Iberia and Italy, focusing on the genus Testudo, and evaluate our current knowledge of the subject. To understand these topics, a literature review of the Iberian and Italian faunal assemblages with reported Testudo remains has been carried out. Exploitation for food has proved to be the most common use of tortoises in both areas, followed by their ritual exploitation. Tortoise bones were modified and deposited as grave goods, pointing to their use as ornaments or musical instruments. In other instances, their use as toys and pets has been suggested by some researchers, even without having been identified in the archaeological record of Iberia and Italy. This review has also investigated biogeographical aspects. The results of this study suggest that Testudo hermanni is the only native species of tortoise in Italy and that Testudo graeca and Testudo marginata were introduced by people. In Iberia, Testudo hermanni is present in the Pleistocene, but it became extinct and was reintroduced in historical times. Several problems were recognised during our analysis regarding taxonomic identifications, demonstrating the need for an updated methodology for the identification of Testudo remains.