Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian (Testudo graeca graeca)

Short answers

Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Keeping them outdoors is essential: a cold frame or greenhouse plus an outdoor enclosure of about 8–10 m² per adult animal; a terrarium alone does not meet their needs.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–28 °C (outdoors / cold frame), basking spot 38–42 °C (basking spot under a heat emitter), at night 15–20 °C (night-time drop).

Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB essential when kept indoors (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–5); outdoors the sun covers it.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 50–100 years.

Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–28 °C (outdoors / cold frame)

Night temperature

15–20 °C (night-time drop)

Basking spot

38–42 °C (basking spot under a heat emitter)

Humidity

40–60 % (juveniles need a humid microclimate of 60–80 %)

UVB

UVB essential when kept indoors (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–5); outdoors the sun covers it

Enclosure

Minimum size

keeping them outdoors is essential: a cold frame or greenhouse plus an outdoor enclosure of about 8–10 m² per adult animal; a terrarium alone does not meet their needs

Substrate

A garden-soil, sand and loam mix they can dig in; leaf litter or hay

Feeding

Food

Strictly herbivorous: fibre-rich wild herbs and flowers; no fruit and no animal protein; calcium (cuttlebone)

Feeding interval

wild herbs freely available every day, no overfeeding, one fasting day a week; juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

15–20 cm (females up to ~25 cm)

Life expectancy

50–100 years

Origin

North-western Africa (Morocco, northern Algeria) plus southern Spain (probably introduced there)

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Annex A: an EU certificate (the yellow CITES form with photo documentation), plus registration and marking duties

Brumation

It depends on their origin (UNCERTAIN, establish the population): Iberian and higher-altitude animals brumate for 2–4 months at 5–8 °C; North African lowland animals only take a cool winter rest plus a summer rest (aestivation). Never overwinter them across the board

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is straightforward. A group only as one male with several females in a large outdoor enclosure; never two males (the males are very insistent and aggressive)

Notes

The nominate form, with a huge range and very varied climate – the need for a winter dormancy depends strictly on the origin. A common mistake: North African animals forced into an overwintering. Susceptible to herpesvirus, so quarantine matters.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) – Intermediate to expert
• Marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) – Beginner to intermediate
• Hermann's tortoise – Dalmatian (Testudo hermanni hercegovinensis) – Beginner
• Hermann's tortoise – eastern (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) – Beginner
• Hermann's tortoise – western (Testudo hermanni hermanni) – Beginner to intermediate
• Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) – Beginner
• Spur-thighed tortoise – Armenian (Testudo graeca armeniaca) – Intermediate
• Spur-thighed tortoise – Golan (Testudo graeca terrestris) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Spur-thighed tortoise – Iberian (Testudo graeca graeca) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (keeping them outdoors is essential: a cold frame or greenhouse plus an outdoor enclosure of about 8–10 m² per adult animal; a terrarium alone does not meet their needs), substrate (A garden-soil, sand and loam mix they can dig in; leaf litter or hay), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.