The Egyptian Tortoise

The Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo Keinmanni), occasionally called Pseudotestudo is a part of the dry land family of tortoises (Testudinidae).

The Egyptian tortoise is the smallest of them. During researches in the Nile Delta, the biggest female was found, having only 127 millimeters. The male can reach 100 mm. those small animals are noticed because of their beautiful color of the shell. The edges are mostly brown. The inferior members are covered with scales,




The environment

The Egyptian tortoise comes from…Libya, where it can be commonly found, but you can also see it in the Nile Valley, and in the southern side of Israel. It is adapted to the hot weather. 50 mm of water per year are enough for the tortoise to survive. It is a protected species, so commerce with this turtle is strictly forbidden and punished severely. If you want such a tortoise, you need a good reason, and you also need to prove to the authorities that you have the right to own such an animal.

 
Living style

The Egyptian tortoise lives in arid places, in steppes and deserts. The shell has light colors, protecting the body from sunrays. From June to August, the temperature in those areas is too high, and the turtle needs its rest. It buries in the sand for this period, and it hibernates for about two months. It is active during the rest of the year. During the winter, the temperatures are low, and the humidity is high, so the small animals also burry in the sand for short periods. When the sun rises, they come out to light. The spring is the richest season when it comes to food, as it is the time when the desert flourishes.

Reproduction

The female digs in March and April small holes of five centimeters in the sand, where she lays eggs. The number of eggs depends on the size of the female, so those lay about 3-4 eggs once, three times a season. The eggs need a constant temperature of 30-35 degrees, and the babies hatch after 90-105 days. If the temperatures are higher, the babies might hatch a lot faster.

Behavior

The Egyptian tortoise is used with a hot weather. This is why it will inevitably get sick in any European environment. If you really want this kind of turtle, you will need a special place called terrarium. There are only 7500 remained in the entire world, so they must be protected.


The African Spurred Tortoise


Common Tortoises in Europe