Description

Egyptian Tortoise or Kleinmann’s tortoise is the smallest tortoise in the Northern Hemisphere. Females are larger than males; males are more slender and have a longer tail. The carapace has a high dome, and ranges in color from ivory to pale gold to dark brown to pink or dull yellow. The straight-line carapace length is 14.4 cm (5.7 in). This colouring strongly follows Gloger’s rule, as it helps to regulate the impact of sunlight. This allows the paler tortoise to stay in the desert heat for longer. It is also an effective camouflage in the desert. The plastron is light yellow, often with two dark triangles on each abdominal scute. The plastral scutes have dark edgings that fade with age. The head and limbs are a very pale ivory-yellow to yellowish-brown colour.