Testudo Collection

Roman legionaries attacking a fort in the testudo formation, with their shields over their heads

Tortoise and turtle species
Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca, land tortoise, Cinyxis, European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, matamata, Chelus fimbriata, Florida softshell turtle, Apalone ferox, Nile softshell turtle

Species of turtles and tortoises
Yellow-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulatus 1, European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis 2, endangered spotted turtle, Clemmys guttata 3, painted turtle, Chrysemys picta 4

Roman legions in testudo or tortoise formation
Roman Empire. Roman legions in the testudo or tortoise formation. Engraving by Capuz. Historia General de Espana by Father Mariana. Madrid, 1852

Shells of Hermann s, padloper, geometric tortoises
Hermanns tortoise, Testudo hermanni 1, common padloper, Homopus areolatus 2, geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus 3, underside of Hermanns tortoise4, and European pond turtle

Branch of pink plum blossom

Brazilian giant tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulatus
Yellow-footed tortoise or Brazilian giant tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulatus Testudo tabulata Testuginne intarsiata. Vulnerable

Starfish or sea star, Asterias rubens. Stella di mare

Spur-thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca. Vulnerable
Spur-thighed tortoise or Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca. Vulnerable

Yellow-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulata
Yellow-footed tortoise or Brazilian giant tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulata (tabular tortoise, Testudo tabulata)

Shell of the Eastern mud turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum (Pensylvanian tortoise var. Testudo pensylvanica) from the Leverian Museum

Indian flap-shelled turtle and mud turtle
Indian flap-shelled turtle, Lissemys punctata (la Chagrinee, Testudo granulata) and common mud turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum (Pensylvanian tortoise, Testudo pensylvanica)

Shell of the yellow-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulata
Yellow-footed tortoise or Brazilian giant tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulata (denticulated tortoise, Testudo denticulata)

Painted turtle, African helmeted turtle and pond slider
Painted turtle, Chrysemys picta (cinereous tortoise, Testudo picta), African helmeted turtle, Pelomedusa subrufa (galeated tortoise, Testudo galeata) and pond slider

Scorpion mud turtle and endangered loggerhead sea turtle
Scorpion mud turtle, Kinosternon scorpioides (Tricarinated tortoise, Testudo tricarinata) and loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, endangered

Spotted turtle and painted turtle
Spotted turtle, Clemmys guttata (Spotted tortoise, Testudo guttata) and painted turtle, Chrysemys picta (Painted tortoise, Testudo picta)

Serrated tortoise and diamondback terrapin
Serrated tortoise or Kalahari tent tortoise, Psammobates oculiferus (Testudo serrata), and diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin (concentric tortoise, Testudo concentrica)

Common box turtle, Terrapene carolina (close tortoise, Testudo clausa)

Common snake-necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis
Eastern long-necked turtle or common snake-necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Long-necked tortoise, Testudo longicollis)

European pond turtle and Indian star tortoise
European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis (mud tortoise or la Bourbeuse), and Indian star tortoise, Geochelone elegans (elegant tortoise)

European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis (speckled tortoise, Testudo europaea) and variety, la Ronde, Testudo orbicularis

Shell of the endangered green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas
Endangered green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas (Wrinkled tortoise, Testudo rugosa)

Extinct Reunion giant tortoise and saddle-backed
Extinct Reunion giant tortoise, Cylindraspis indica (Indian tortoise, Testudo indica) and shells of the extinct saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise, Cylindraspis vosmaeri

Geometric tortoise and radiated tortoise
Geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus (Testudo geometrica) endangered, and radiated tortoise, Astrochelys radiata (Testudo radiata) critically endangered

Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca
Spur-thighed tortoise or Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca

Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, by Gottwald
Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle, Testudo caretta). Endangered. Illustration by Christoforus Gottwald, with 16 scales instead of the usual 15 on the shield

Green turtle, Chelonia mydas. Endangered
Green turtle, Chelonia mydas (Testudo mydas). Endangered. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Heath after an illustration by George Shaw from his General Zoology, Amphibia, London, 1801

Common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (Snake tortoise, Testudo serpentina)

Mata mata or matamata turtle, Chelus fimbriata (fimbriated tortoise, Testudo fimbriata)

Florida softshell turtle and Chinese softshell turtle
Florida softshell turtle, Apalone ferox (fierce tortoise, Testudo ferox) and Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis (Testudo rostrata)

Tortoise and turtles
Greek tortoise c, Testudo graeca (vulnerable), hawksbill sea turtle b, Eretmochelys imbricata (critically endangered), green sea turtle a, Chelonia mydas (endangered) and European pond turtle d

Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise and Japanese pond turtle
Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca, vulnerable, and Japanese pond turtle, Mauremys japonica, near threatened

Spot legged, flapshell and helmeted turtles
Spot legged turtle, Rhinoclemmys punctularia 1, Indian flapshell turtle, Lyssemys punctata 2, and North African helmeted turtle, Pelomedusa subrufa olivacea

Florida softshell turtle, spur-thighed
Florida softshell turtle, Apalone ferox 1, spur-thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca 2 (vulnerable), and geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus 3 (endangered)

European pond turtle and yellow tortoise
European pond turtle 1, 2, Emys orbicularis (near threatened), and yellow tortoise 3, Chelonoidis denticulata

Common tortoise, sulfur-breasted toucan
Common tortoise, Testudo graeca 1, sulfur-breasted toucan, Ramphastos sulfuratus 2, and white-throated toucan, Ramphastos tucanus 3. Tortue, Toucans

Assault with tower and testudo on a medieval castle portcullis

Painted turtle and loggerhead sea turtle (endangered)
Painted turtle, Chrysemys picta (below/above) and loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, endangered. (Cinereous tortoise, Emys cinerea, and Mediterranean tortoise, Testudo caretta)

Hawksbill sea turtle and Greek tortoise
Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, critically endangered 1, and land or Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca, vulnerable 2

Roman siege engines: shelter for sappers digging a tunnel, Vineae 1, semi-circular shelter Pluteus 2, shelter Testudo with battering ram Aries 3, shelter on rolling cylinders Musculus 4

Turtles and tortoises
Scorpion mud turtle, Kinosternon scorpioides 1, endangered geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus 2, marginated tortoise, Testudo marginata 3, African spurred tortoise, Centrochelys sulcata 4

Ancient Roman musical instruments

Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise, Cylindraspis vosmaeri, Testudo Indica Vosmaer.. Recently extinct species of tortoise. Last recorded in 1800 in Mauritius

Illus, Cossidae -- Cochliopodidae -- Hepialidae -- Psychidae
Illustration, Cossidae -- Cochliopodidae -- Hepialidae -- Psychidae -- Cossus Ligniperda, Zeuzera Aesculi, Limacodes Testudo, Hepialus Humuli, Hepialus Lupulinus, Hepialus Hectus, Psyche Unicolor

Eretmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill turtle
George Forster illustration of Hawksbill turtle. Plate 169

Testudo graeca, spur-thighed tortoise
Photograph of what is probably a spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) specimen collected by Gilbert White (1720-93)

Roman Testudo / Sieges
The TESTUDO (tortoise), a Roman siege technique using overlapping shields, giving protection from arrows and boiling oil, and serving as a platform to raise attackers

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