There are traditionally two subspecies of Hermann's tortoises: Testudo hermanni hermanni or western Hermann's tortoise present in France, Spain, Italy and in the islands of the western Mediterranean, and Testudo hermanni boettgeri or eastern Hermann's tortoise observable in the Mediterranean part of the Balkan Peninsula and the small islands of the eastern Mediterranean. The eastern subspecies is less bright in color and has a pattern with less pronounced or even non-existent black spots on the plastron. As for the Corsican Hermann's tortoises, they have an intermediate morphology between the two subspecies while belonging genetically to the Western lineage.