Tortoise

With its hillside oak woodlands, grassy slopes and dense blackberry thickets, Gangivecchio offers excellent habitat for this small brightly colored tortoise. In early morning and late afternoon Hermann's tortoise forages for plant leaves, flowers, seed pods and fruit. During the heat of midday it rests in its nighttime den, usually found beneath heavy vegetative cover. Hermann's tortoise may hibernate for 4 or 5 months during the mild Mediterranean winter and some individuals are believed to live for 70 to 100 years.

Scientific name: Testudo hermanni

Italian common name: Tartaruga di terra

English common name: Hermann's tortoise