The Egyptian tortoise is the smallest tortoise in the Northern Hemisphere. Also known as Kleinmann’s tortoise, these tiny wonders are most active during fall and winter and go dormant during the summer.
The life of an Egyptian tortoise
Female Egyptian tortoises can grow to be up to five inches in length, while males average a size of four inches. Their weight ranges from 5oz to 12.5 oz.
Females lay one to five eggs at a time. Their average lifespan in the wild is difficult to measure, but this species can live 70 to 100 years in human care.
As herbivores, Egyptian tortoises feast on leaves and flowers as well as fruits and grasses, which they look for at dawn and dusk. Their light-colored shells reflect sunlight. This helps them to stay cool in warm weather.
Finding water in the desert presents a challenge and Egyptian tortoises take a novel approach to quenching their thirst. They get water by sucking moisture from desert plants, plucking plant stems to access the water inside.
Although vulnerable due to their small size, Egyptian tortoises have strategies for avoiding predators. They stay out of sight in abandoned rodent burrows and underneath bushes, and their pale coloring mimics the color of desert sand. Their predators include desert monitor lizards, birds of prey and, unfortunately, humans.
Egyptian tortoise conservation
Egyptian tortoises once occupied a wide area south of the Mediterranean Sea, but due to human development, the illegal pet trade and poaching their population has been significantly reduced. They are critically endangered and considered extinct outside of their range in Libya.
Egyptian tortoises at the zoo
Located in the Africa area.
