Valencia Trader

Moorish Tortoises at Terra Natura, Benidorm

Terra Natura, a theme and nature park in Benidorm, has 120 tortoises of the testudo gracea variety, or as they are commonly known, Moorish tortoises. It is a species that originally inhabited the Mediterranean coast and North Africa. The Moorish tortoises may live as long as 120 years, and the females are known to grow to 22 centimetres in length.

The nature reserve set up for the preservation of animals in Terra Natura will guarantee the survival of this variety of tortoise, in danger of extinction. Their numbers have dropped in Spain by 50% in the last 45 years, or in three generations, with a only few inhabiting areas in Murcia, Almería, Doñana and Mallorca. Experts have, therefore, decided to set up nature reserves to off set this situation and guarantee the survival of the tortoises. While most of the tortoises in Terra Natura come from the Centro de Recuperación de Animales de Santa Faz in Alicante, others were either caught in the wild or donated by individuals.

The hot weather makes Terra Natura of Benidorm a suitable environment for this heat loving creature, which needs open space and ample vegetation in order to breed. It prefers shrubbery to forest trees and farmland, and is at its best in mountainous prairie areas. In addition, egg incubation requires the high temperatures and dry climate that are found in the Mediterranean zone from April to September, when the tortoises breed.

The decrease in their population is due to the changes in their environment, including the destruction of their natural habitats, as well as poaching, road kill, and the reduction of natural areas brought on by the construction of, among other things, roads and motorways.

Up till now, the only tortoises receiving adequate protection were those found in Doñana, an area where their numbers and habitat have not varied in the last 20 years. However, in the south west of the peninsula, and in Mallorca, the species has declined considerably, as has the extension of their habitat. This has affected detrimentally their reproduction, and caused an increase in the mortality rate of the young and the longevity of the adults.

Come and see these creatures, fascinating not only for their longevity but also for their symbolism. According to Oriental philosophy, the tortoise shell represents both the heavens and the earth, oval-shaped when seen from above, and flat on the ground. At present, 100 tortoises are well-dug in at Terra Natura.
 
You now in Benidorm have the chance to enjoy one of the oldest living creatures in the animal kingdom, thanks to the animal conservation project of the Fundación Terra Natura. A reserve has been set up to project and guarantee the survival of 120 Moorish tortoises. Come and visit Terra Natura and get to know them as they dig themselves in.