Marginated Tortoise

The marginated tortoise (scient. Testudo marginata ) is the largest European tortoise, reaching a weight of up to 5 kg and a length of 35 cm.

It is not native species of Crete, although fossils have been found on the island. However, more and more domestic tortoises appear in the Cretan countryside, as they escape from their homes.

They are omnivorous, eating both plants and invertebrates. Females lay 2-12 eggs in holes they dig in soft soil, just like the Greek tortoises , which hatch in about 2.5 months.