The Egyptian tortoise
The Egyptian tortoise belongs to the Mediterranean tortoises and is the smallest in captivity. and one of the most difficult kinds to serve. Due to its strong size and extremely special climatic requirements, this species is ideally suited to be raised in a biological tank. However, since this species is a maintenance animal, it is not recommended to conduct experimental breeding.
The Egyptian tortoise is the smallest turtle in the northern hemisphere, with a shell length of 14.4 cm. The female turtle is larger than the male turtle, and the male turtle is younger and longer, with a longer tail. The Egyptian tortoise has a high-arched shell, ranging from ivory to light gold to dark brown or heavy yellow. This color is a result of Glover's law, which helps them control the effects of sunlight. Lighter-colored turtles will stay in the desert longer and are also effective camouflage in the desert. The breastplate is light yellow, and each turtle plate on the abdomen has two dark triangles. The dark lateral edges of their turtle plates will fade with age. The head, hands and feet of the Egyptian tortoise are pale ivory yellow to yellowish brown.
Because of unconfirmed characteristics, the proposed subgenus Pseudotestudo has not been effective. It has also been proposed that the Egyptian tortoise and the cypriped tortoise form the genus Chersus, since their common ancestor is the Greek tortoise. The DNA sequences of the first two are similar, more similar than that of the Greek tortoise. From a biogeographic point of view, this may be due to divergence across the Mediterranean or due to synergistic evolution.
The subpopulations in the Negev separated and became independent Negev tortoises. However, there is nothing special about them, which is consistent with the destruction of the Egyptian tortoise population in Egypt. The Rajiv tortoise is a morphology that is unique to some regions, but has a different appearance. They are probably a subspecies of the Egyptian tortoise. Since gene flow has been stopped, their conservation must be handled differently.
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