Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Fritz, U., Bischoff, W., Martens, H., & Schmidtler, J. F. (1996). Variabilität syrischer landschildkröten (testudo graeca) sowie zur systematik und zoogeographie im nahen osten und nordafrika. Herpetofauna, 18(104), 5–14.
Added by: Admin (23 Aug 2008 15:32:57 UTC) Last edited by: Beate Pfau (12 Oct 2012 17:24:01 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Fritz1996a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Habitat = habitat, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Südosteuropa = South-Eastern Europe, Systematik = taxonomy, Testudinidae, Testudo, Testudo graeca Creators: Bischoff, Fritz, Martens, Schmidtler Collection: Herpetofauna |
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| Abstract |
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Testudinidae Testudo graeca Different local morphs of Testudo graeca were recorded during several excursions to Syria. In the Mediterranean Aansariye Mountains , an area abounding in water, the tortoises show a contrasting yellow-black colouration. The specimens in the arid Antilibanon are distinctly paler. At the Jebel ed Drouz, basaltic mountains locally with Mediterranean plant cover, the T. graeca are quite dark coloured. The T. graeca from other parts of Syria resemble the observed colour variation. We consider these differences as adaptations to local conditions according to Gloger's rule and as a substrate race phenomenon, respectively, and not as differentiations of systematic relevance. The confused taxonomic situation in T. graeca is outlined. It is pointed out that the Levantine subspecies T. g. terrestris FORSKAL, 1775 is not sufficiently defined compared with North African T. graeca. Several recently described taxa from North Africa and the Turkish Levant are regarded as synonyms of T. g. graeca or T. g. terrestris. However, two clearly distinct evolutionary lineages exist within the present concept of T. graeca. A West Mediterranean-Levantine line (graeca group) includes the nominal subspecies T. g. graeca and T. g. terrestris. A second lineage (ibera group) is distributed over most of the species' area in the northern Middle East and parts of South East Europe, consisting of T. g. anamurensis, T. g. armeniaca, T. g. ibera, T. g. nikolskii, and T. g. zarudnyi. Within these major lineages, most individual subspecies are badly defined. The currently accepted subspecies concept, provisonally retained by us, is not more than a very rough approximation to a real geographic and evolutionary variation. Added by: Admin Last edited by: Beate Pfau |