Egyptian tortoise
| Egyptian tortoise | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Egyptian tortoise in the Negev desert |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Testudo kleinmanni | ||||||||||||
| Lortet , 1883 |
The Egyptian tortoise ( Testudo kleinmanni ) is the smallest representative of the genus Testudo (real tortoise) and its population is highly endangered. In their original range, Israel, Egypt and Libya, only island-like occurrences still exist, so that without comprehensive protection programs a complete extinction of the species is to be feared.
description
The Egyptian tortoise is a remarkably small, very high-backed tortoise, the color of which ranges from light sand-colored to golden tones to matt brown. The horn shields on the back armor have no central markings , but they are partially bordered in brown. In older animals, however, there is sometimes no form of dark coloring. On the belly armor ( plastron ) there are usually pairs of characters that are reminiscent of the plastral drawing of the wide-brimmed tortoises ( Testudo marginata ). The skin on the head and extremities is usually yellowish-sand-colored. In addition to their small size, the following features are used to distinguish them from other species of the genus Testudo: there are no spurs on the thighs, the tail has no horn nail and the front legs are covered with large scales. The plastral posterior lobe is mobile in both sexes. The size given for males is 9-10 cm and for females up to 13 cm back armor length (height). This species has sexual dimorphism , males are smaller, have a more elongated armor shape and a longer tail than females, but not those otherwise present in the genus concave belly armor. The Testudo werneri , sometimes regarded as an independent species, is only a synonym for Testudo kleinmanni (Attum et al. 2005).
Distribution and way of life
Testudo kleinmanni inhabits coastal zones of Libya , Egypt and southern Israel (northern Sinai Peninsula and northern Negev ) up to a maximum of 120 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea .
Average winter temperatures do not drop below 17–18 ° C during the day and 9–10 ° C at night. However, at least 50 millimeters of precipitation per year are necessary for their occurrence.
The Egyptian tortoise is particularly adapted to life in arid , i.e. desert and steppe-like landscapes. The light armor camouflages them and protects them from the hot rays of the sun. From June to August, however, it is too hot and it is buried in a summer dormancy , otherwise it is active all year round. In winter, temperatures can drop to the point of frost, at the same time there is high humidity. To protect themselves, the animals burrow briefly into the earth. If the sun shines during the day, they come out again. The food supply is most abundant in spring, when the desert is green and blooming.
Reproduction
Like all species of the genus Testudo , the otherwise mute animals produce sounds when mating. With their mouths wide open, the males make intermittent noises that are vaguely reminiscent of the cooing of pigeons . The females dig egg cavities five centimeters deep in March and April and lay elongated-oval eggs in them, which are on average 32 millimeters long and 23 millimeters wide and weigh about 7.8 grams. Depending on the size of the female, there are one to four eggs. As a rule, two more clutches follow every three weeks. At 31 to 32.5 degrees Celsius in the incubator , the offspring hatched after 90 to 105 days, in nature the incubation temperatures are likely to be higher and the incubation time correspondingly shorter. The animals hatch with a weight of 5.5 to 6.8 grams. With Testudo kleinmanni , too , the gender ratio is controlled by the incubation temperature.
Danger
As an endangered species, trade in it is prohibited under the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species (CITES I). Immediately before this protective provision came into force, 2,800 individuals (half of the population known at the time) were brought into the animal trade.
Individual evidence
- ^ AC Highfield & Jill Martin: Captive breeding of the Egyptian tortoise Testudo kleinmanni. -www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/kleinmanni.html
- ↑ Philippe Rivalan: Can bans stimulate wildlife trade? In: Nature . Volume 447, Issue 7144, May 31, 2007, pp. 529-530.
literature
- Attum, Omar; El Din, Sherif Baha; Carranza, Salvador; Earley, Ryan; Arnold, E. Nicholas; Kingsbury, Bruce: An evaluation of the taxonomic validity of Testudo werneri. In: Amphibia-Reptilia. 28, 2005, pp. 393-401.
- Sherif and Mindy Baha El Din (1994): Status of the Egyptian Tortoise in Egypt - Turtle Recovery Program, Wildlife Conservation Society.
- Sherif Baha El Din: Testudo kleinmanni in Libya. 2002. - http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/libya.htm
- Sherif Baha El Din: A Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Egypt. American University in Cairo Press, Cairo 2006.
- Perälä, Jarmo: A New Species of Testudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) from the Middle East, with Implications for Conservation. In: Journal of Herpetology. 35, 2001, pp. 567-582.
- Perälä, Jarmo: Assessment of the Threatened Status of Testudo werneri Perälä. 2001 (Testudines: Testudinidae) for the IUCN Red List Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4, 2005, pp. 891-898.
- Široký, Pavel & Fritz, Uwe: Is Testudo werneri a distinct species? In: Biologia. 62, 2007, pp. 228-231.
- van der Kuyl, Antoinette C .; Ballasina, Donato L. Ph .; Dekker, John T .; Maas, Jolanda; Willemsen, Ronald E. & Goudsmit, Jaap: Phylogenetic Relationships among the Species of the Genus Testudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) Inferred from Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Gene Sequences. In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 22, 2002, pp. 174-183.
Web links
- Website about Testudo kleinmanni - English -
- Testudo kleinmanni in The Reptile Database
- Testudo kleinmanni in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Posted by: Perälä, J, 2003. Retrieved September 4, 2013.