Notes on the diet of Testudo hermanni boettgeri and T. graeca ibera in south-western Bulgaria with first cases of geophagy and myrmecophagy from the country

Abstract

Data on the diet of Testudo hermanni and T. graeca have been published in Bulgaria for more than a century. Yet, few studies have provided more details on the feeding habits of the two species. Here, we present information about their diet in south-western Bulgaria where they coexist. The results showed that T. graeca fed exclusively on plants, whereas T. hermanni was more opportunistic and supplemented its diet with other food sources, including ants and soil particles.

Keywords

• feeding habits
• dietary overlap
• testudinidae