Threatened species of Testudo hermanni

The most serious threat to Testudo hermanni is habitat loss, especially agricultural intensification and urbanization. Great numbers have been exported as pets. Turtles normally have a long life expectancy, but they generally live less than a year as a child's pet.

Testudo hermanni is found in southern Europe from northeast Spain to the Balkans, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Also found on islands in the Mediterranean. It prefers evergreen Mediterranean oak forest, but, due to habitat degradation, is found in dry meadows, scrub hillsides, and rocky slopes. It seems to like dense vegetation, but avoids moist places. These tortoises take 10 to 15 years to reach maturity.

Hermann's Tortoises were exported for pets at such a high rate (400,000 in one year from Yugoslavia alone) that they have become scarce. Recent restrictions in the trade, if enforced, is expected to allow the population to recover.

Testudo hermanni is considered as "Lower Risk" sub-category "near threatened" by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2".