
One of the most diverse and widely spread Mediterranean tortoises ranging from the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. Originally classed as a separate species -- Testudo Ibera (Pallas 1814) -- Testudo Ibera became Testudo Graeca Ibera (Mertens 1946, Wermuth 1958), though it is still considered by many to be a biologically separate species and has remained TG Ibera due to lack of common agreement.