Global distribution of family “Testudinidae”
Asia
- Indotestudo elongata — Elongated tortoise (Southeast Asia and parts of India)
- Indotestudo forstenii — Sulawesi (or Forsten’s) tortoise (Indonesia)
- Indotestudo travancorica — Travancore tortoise (India)
- Manouria emys — Asian forest tortoise (southern and southeastern Asia)
- Manouria impressa — Impressed tortoise (mountains of Southeast Asia)
- Geochelone elegans — Indian star tortoise (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)
- Geochelone platynota — Burmese star tortoise (Myanmar)
Indian Ocean
- Aldabrachelys gigantea — Aldabra tortoise (Aldabra atoll, Seychelles)
- Astrochelys radiata — Radiated tortoise (Madagascar)
- Astrochelys yniphora — Ploughshare tortoise (Madagascar)
- Pyxis arachnoides — Spider tortoise (Madagascar)
- Pyxis planicauda — Flat-tailed tortoise (Madagascar)
Africa
- Centrochelys sulcata — Sulcata (or African spurred) tortoise (Africa, Sahel region)
- Chersina angulata — Bowsprit tortoise (Namibia and South Africa)
- Chersobius boulengeri — Karoo padloper (South Africa)
- Chersobius signatus — Speckled Namaqualand padloper (South Africa)
- Chersobius solus — Nama padloper (Namibia and South Africa)
- Homopus aerolatus — Parrot-beaked tortoise (South Africa)
- Homopus femoralis — Greater padloper (South Africa)
- Kinixys belliana — Bell’s hinge-back tortoise (central Africa)
- Kinixys erosa — Forest hinge-back tortoise (central and western Africa)
- Kinixys homeana — Home’s hinge-back tortoise (western Africa)
- Kinixys lobatsiana — Lobatse hinge-back tortoise (southern Africa)
- Kinixys natalensis — Natal hinge-back tortoise (eastern southern Africa)
- Kinixys spekii — Speke’s hinge-back tortoise (East Africa)
- Kinixys nogueyi — Western hinge-back tortoise (tropical western Africa)*
- Kinixys zombensis — Eastern hinge-back tortoise (eastern southern Africa)*
- * Considered by some researchers to be subspecies of K. belliana.
- Malacochersus tornieri — Pancake tortoise (Kenya & Tanzania)
- Psammobates geometricus — Geometric tortoise (southern Africa)
- Psammobates oculifer — Serrated tortoise (southern Africa)
- Psammobates tentorius — Tent tortoise (southern Africa)
- Stigmochelys pardalis — Leopard tortoise (eastern and southern Africa)
Europe
- Testudo graeca — Greek or spur-thighed tortoise (North Africa and southern Spain)
- Testudo kleinmannii — Egyptian tortoise (Egypt, Libya, and Israel)
- Testudo marginata — Marginated tortoise (Southern Europe)
- Testudo horsfieldii — Russian tortoise (Central Asia)
- Testudo hermanni — Hermann’s tortoise (southern Europe)
- Note: The taxonomy of the Mediterranean tortoise group is unsettled due to their vast range around the Mediterranean Ocean, and the various terrains, climates, and biotopes across three continents.
North America
- Gopherus agassizii — Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Mojave desert)
- Gopherus berlandieri — Texas tortoise (Texas)
- Gopherus evgoodei – Sinaloan (or Goode’s) thornscrub tortoise (Mexico)
- Gopherus flavomarginatus — Bolsón tortoise (Chihuahuan desert)
- Gopherus morafkai — Morafka’s desert tortoise (Sonoran desert)
- Gopherus polyphemus — Gopher tortoise (southeastern United States)
South America
- Chelonoidis carbonarius — Red-footed tortoise (Amazon basin)
- Chelonoidis chilensis — Chaco tortoise (Patagonia region of Argentina)
- Chelonoidis denticulatus — Yellow-footed tortoise (Amazon basin)
- Chelonoidis niger* — Galápagos tortoise – with 12 living subspecies:
- C. n. becki — Volcán Wolf giant tortoise (Isabela island)
- C. n. chathamensis — San Cristóbal giant tortoise (San Cristóbal island)
- C. n. darwini — Santiago Island giant tortoise (Santiago island)
- C. n. donfaustoi — Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise (Santa Cruz island)
- C. n. duncanensis — Pinzón Island giant tortoise (Pinzón island)
- C. n. guentheri — Sierra Negra giant tortoise (Isabela island)
- C. n. hoodensis — Hood Island giant tortoise (Española island)
- C. n. microphyes — Volcán Darwin giant tortoise (Isabela island)
- C. n. phantasticus — Fernandina Island tortoise (Fernandina Island)
- C. n. porteri — Western Santa Cruz tortoise (Santa Cruz island)
- C. n. vandenburghi — Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise (Isabela island)
- C. n. vicina — Cerro Azul giant tortoise (Isabela island)
- *The Turtle Taxonomy Working Group in 2021 released a study supporting classification as subspecies due to genetic analysis, although some researchers consider the subspecies each to be a species. The taxonomic status of this group of tortoises is not fully resolved.
Sources: “Turtles of the World: A Guide to Every Family” by Jeff Lovich and Whit Gibbons; additional expert and internet sources.