Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata)
Fossils of the marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata) have been discovered in Crete, and there is an increasing presence of tortoises from this species being found on the island.
Its carapace can reach a length of 38 cm, and it typically weighs around 5 kg. This species is, in fact, the largest among European tortoises.
This species is omnivorous, and female tortoises from this species typically lay between 2 to 12 eggs in holes dug in the ground. These eggs usually hatch after a period of about 2.5 months.
Photo: By CreativeNature Via create.vista.com
The fauna of Crete
The Cretan endemic butterfly Zerynthia cretica
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus Barbatus)
Griffon Vulture (Gyps Fulvus)
Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)
Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) (Hieraaetus fasciatus)
Eleonora's Falcon
The European Rabbit or Coney
Giorgalidiko: Domestic Horse, North-western European Horse
The Cretan Badger
Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos)
Mute Swan
Cretan wildcat
Butterflies and Moths of the island
Cretan Tracker: Europe's Oldest Hound, a Gift from Zeus
Cretan shrew
Kri-kri, the Cretan Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)
Least Weasel
Bats
European Fat/Edible Dormouse
The Balkan Terrapin or Western Caspian Terrapin (Mauremys Rivulata)
Cat Snake
Balkan Whip Snake
Greek turtle
Water Snake
European Ratsnake or Leopard Snake
The Bullfrog
The European Green Toad
Common Kingfisher
Caretta Caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle)
Coleoptera
Fossil Vertebrates of Crete
Hippopotamus creutzburgi
Athene cretensis
Elephas chaniensis
Endemic Pleistocene mammals
Deinotherium giganteum