Putting together descriptions of Turtles and Tortoises, I like to combine: what we know, with all I can find in our library of books & magazines, add to it the personal knowledge of expert friends who have often worked first hand in the field with that particular species - and then explore all that the internet has to offer so as to provide you the most up to date and complete summary of each species to absorb and consider.
In this case, our dear friends at Garden State Tortoise, Casey and Chris Leone, have already composed an incredibly well written, incite-full and comprehensive background and description of this tortoise.
With their permission (thank you GS Tortoise) we have reprinted it for you:
This subspecies has recently been demoted to a geographical variant of the Asia Minor tortoise which is really an unfortunate move. They are easily differentiated from all other Greek tortoises by taking a clear look at the shell morphology. This tortoise is often confused with the Marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) because of the conspicuous flaring of the rear marginal scutes on both sexes. Shell coloration may be entirely black or may be ochre with black mottling. They are a larger subspecies reaching sizes more comparable to T. g. ibera. In our care, females surpass 8 and even 9” with males not far behind. Like Asia Minor tortoises, they are robust and hardy, able to withstand a variety of weather conditions including cold. The carapace is also rather flat when compared to any other member of the Testudo graeca species complex.
Some individuals are shockingly narrow in body shape. The skin is gray to black and interestingly, babies are a gorgeous buttery-blonde color with inconspicuous dark spots. Their appearance could rival the most gold examples of Testudo graeca terrestris. This does fade with age and as the colors begin to mix, the animals often become as black as night. Truly a fascinating and very rare Greek tortoise.
Anamurensis Tortoises are only found along the coastal region and in the surrounding mountains of Anamur Turkey.
Their diet, husbandry and care are essentially the same as for all Greek Tortoises...
