Testudo marginata marginata (Marginated Tortoise)

Testudo marginata marginata (Marginated Tortoise)

Written by Webmaster Monday, 06 April 2009 00:00

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"A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!" Stephen William Hawking

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testudo marginata marginata (Family: Testudinidae ; common name: Greek marginated Tortoise)

The Greek marginated tortoise is a species of tortoise found in Greece, Italy and the Balkans in southern Europe. It is the largest European tortoise, reaching a weight of up to 5 kg (11 pounds) and a length of 35 cm (14 inches). Its shell is oblong and has a notable thickness around the middle of the body. The posterior end of the shell has a saw-like formation, flanged outward like a bell. The carapace of adult specimens is almost completely black, with yellow highlights. The front sides of the limbs are covered with large scales. The tail is notable for a lengthwise marking and for an undivided carapace over the tail. The Marginated Tortoise is herbivorous, and hibernates for the winter. Testudo marginata is also closely related to the Greek Tortoise or Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca). Both have very similar bodily characteristics, an oblong carapace, large scales on the front legs, large covering for the head and cone-like scales on the upper thigh, undivided tail covering, moveable stomach plates, and lack of a tail spike. Presumably, Testudo marginata diverged from ancestral Testudo graeca as a population more suited for life in the mountainous regions. (1) The tortoise in the first photo was taken at noon, when these animals usually take a nap thus its nest should be somewhere close. There was plenty of light at that time therefore, although the animal was in the shade, reflected light allowed for a high speed and a nice aperture of 5.6. It was nice to have a 28mm wide angle lens since this location was rather tight with a pine tree just behind us leaving no space to move around or take a photo of the animal from a distance. The wide angle lens managed to get the whole of the animal in the frame. The turtle shown in the other two pictures was found in autumn while the weather was still warm in Greece. While walking we heard some noise and saw part of the straw-covered ground moving. Then we saw the black top of the tortoise. This animal was in the shade, just below a hill which blocked the sun completely so the use of flash was mandatory. We already had pictures of this species so we decided to try something different – take a close up of the head and then try to get as close to the animal as possible, targeting its eye. Despite the use of flash in the first and subsequent photos, the tortoise did not move an inch and allowed us to get closer and closer to its head. We had to lay on the ground for the last shots and managed to get a life size photo of its eye. If you watch the details in the eye you can see the straws, the front of the lens, the light from the flash unit and one of us taking the picture.

Photos by Marina Parha and George J. Reclos

Shooting Data:

1. Camera: Nikon D2x
Lens: Sigma 28mm f/1.8 D EX DG Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/800 sec - f/5.6, Aperture priority mode
Flash: No flash
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.

2. Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 SP Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/10, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/BL/FP (high speed synchronization) mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized. 

3. Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: AF Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 SP Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/10, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/BL/FP (high speed synchronization) mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.  

4. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: AF Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 SP Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/4, Aperture priority
Flash: none
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized. 

5. Camera: Nikon D2X
Lens: Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8 ED D
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/2.8, Aperture priority
Flash: SB-800 in i-TTL/BL/FP (high speed synchronization) mode
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized. 

Photos by Mahi Goula and George Parchas

6. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR @ 70 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1000 sec - f/5, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.   

7. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR @ 75 mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/1250 sec - f/5.3, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.

 
 

(1) Wikipedia

 

These photographs cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the photographers. Please contact the  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

 

 

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