A study on the Greek tortoises on Golem Grad island reveals that male tortoises, in overwhelming numbers, are negatively impacting the female population leading to their decline.
The Greek tortoises on Golem Grad, a protected island in the Prespa Lake, are facing a population decline despite the absence of predators and human habitation. A research team has studied these tortoises for 16 years and found that the male tortoises significantly outnumber the females, with ratios as high as 19 to 1 in certain areas. This imbalance has been detrimental to the female population as the males exhibit bizarre reproductive behaviors, including attempting to mount other males, dead tortoises, and even inanimate objects.
