Kleinmann's Tortoise
Encyclopedia
Kleinmann's Tortoise often called Egyptian Tortoise and occasionally Leith's Tortoise. It is a critically endangered neck-hiding tortoise
. Once more widespread, its numbers are now dwindling. The species is extinct in Egypt
, and global extinction is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species.
Kleinmann's Tortoise is the smallest tortoise in the northern hemisphere. Female tortoises are larger than the males; males are more slender and have a longer tail.
Their shells have high domes, and range in colour from ivory to pale gold to dark brown or dull yellow. 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 bottom of the shell is light yellow, often with two dark triangles on each abdominal scute
. The tortoise's scutes have dark sidings that fade with age.
The head and limbs are a very pale ivory-yellow to yellowish-brown colour.
Pseudotestudo is invald, based on immature characters. It has been proposed to unite this species with the Marginated Tortoise
in the genus Chersus. These clearly share a common ancestor with the Greek Tortoise. The former two are somewhat more similar to each other than to the Greek Tortoise regarding DNA sequence
data. Considering biogeography however, this is either due to (rather unlikely) dispersal across the Mediterranean
, or the supposed "clade
" is invalid and the similarity due to convergent evolution
.
The Negev
subpopulation has been separated as a distinct species, Negev Tortoise (Testudo werneri). It does not appear to have distinct or strongly reduced haplotype
diversity, consistent with the recent extinction of the Egyptian population (see below) and slow DNA sequence evolution rates in Testudo. It constitutes a locally-adapted form however and is of distinct appearance. Arguably, it can be considered a subspecies and, as gene flow
has ceased, the western and eastern populations must now be managed separately for conservation purposes.
s and semi-arid habitats, usually with compact sand and gravel plains, scattered rocks, shallow, sandy wadi
s, dry woodlands, shrubby areas, and coastal salt marsh habitats. In captivity, they eat grasses, fruits, and vegetables, but the diet of wild tortoises is unknown.
They are least active when it is very cold or very hot. During the colder months, they are out most during midday. During the warm season, they are active in the morning and evening. The rest of the day is spent under brushes or in rodent
burrow
s.
. Eggs
are laid in shallow bowls beneath bushes, or in vacant burrows. Each clutch
contains 1-5 eggs, which hatch in the summer or early autumn.
and Libya
, their habitat
in Egypt has been all but destroyed, and Egyptian Tortoises are closely completely to extinction there. Two populations can still be found in Libya, but much of the coastline habitat has been destroyed because of human activity. Habitat loss and the illegal pet trade are huge issues facing the species; it is also hunted locally for use in folk medicine
. Their population is still on the decline, and the risk of extinction is very real if habitat degradation and illegal trade continue at their present rate.
On the IUCN Redlist, Kleinmann's Tortoise is classified as CR A2abcd+3d. It is estimated that less than three Testudo generations ago, there were 55-56,000 adult Kleinmann's tortoises. Today, there are about 7,500 remaining, and decline due to habitat destruction and unsustainable exploitation appears to be ongoing. While it believed that the former threat is being alleviated, it is feared that illegal pet trade will have reduced to maybe 1,000 adult tortoises in the two or three remaining subpopulations. Given that T. kleinmanni is a slowly-maturing long-lived species with few offspring (see K-strategist
), it is well possible that this is less than the minimum viable population
, eventually dooming the species to extinction
in the wild.
Mixing individuals from the subpopulations for reintroduction
purposes should be avoided, as the ecological parameters of habitat differ. DNA fingerprinting of individuals to help maintain heterozygosity in captive and reintroduction populations can be performed during routine stool analyses. In this context it is notable that there may be a haplotype
uniquely found in the Egyptian Tortoise.
Captive breeding requires more care than in other Testudo as the species is more delicate and the clutch is very small, but is not highly difficult for experienced Testudo breeders. T. kleinmanni is not generally available for hobbyists and even if legal to keep should be avoided without valid documentation. Smuggling continues to be a problem, but confiscated individuals are used to establish a captive safeguard population.
On May 21, 2007, Rome's main zoo, Bioparco, reported that it has successfully bred the species whose parents were rescued from a smuggler's suitcase in 2005.
Whipsnade Zoo have also saved them from the brink of extinction.
Cryptodira
Cryptodira is the taxonomic suborder of Testudines that includes most living tortoises and turtles. Cryptodira differ from Pleurodira in that they lower their necks and pull the heads straight back into the shells; instead of folding their necks sideways along the body under the shells' margins...
. Once more widespread, its numbers are now dwindling. The species is extinct in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and global extinction is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species.
Description
Their shells have high domes, and range in colour from ivory to pale gold to dark brown or dull yellow. This colouring strongly follows Gloger's Rule
Gloger's rule
Gloger's Rule is a zoological rule which states that within a species of endotherms, more heavily pigmented forms tend to be found in more humid environments, e.g. near the equator. It was named after the zoologist Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger, who first remarked upon this phenomenon in 1833...
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
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
in the desert. The bottom of the shell is light yellow, often with two dark triangles on each abdominal scute
Scute
A scute or scutum is a bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, the feet of some birds or the anterior portion of the mesonotum in insects.-Properties:...
. The tortoise's scutes have dark sidings that fade with age.
The head and limbs are a very pale ivory-yellow to yellowish-brown colour.
Systematics
The proposed subgenusSubgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Pseudotestudo is invald, based on immature characters. It has been proposed to unite this species with the Marginated Tortoise
Marginated Tortoise
The Marginated tortoise is a species of tortoise found in Greece, Italy and the Balkans in southern Europe. It is the largest European tortoise, reaching a weight of up to 5 kg and a length of 35 cm . Its shell is oblong and has a notable thickness around the middle of the body...
in the genus Chersus. These clearly share a common ancestor with the Greek Tortoise. The former two are somewhat more similar to each other than to the Greek Tortoise regarding DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data. Considering biogeography however, this is either due to (rather unlikely) dispersal across the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, or the supposed "clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
" is invalid and the similarity due to convergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
.
The Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
subpopulation has been separated as a distinct species, Negev Tortoise (Testudo werneri). It does not appear to have distinct or strongly reduced haplotype
Haplotype
A haplotype in genetics is a combination of alleles at adjacent locations on the chromosome that are transmitted together...
diversity, consistent with the recent extinction of the Egyptian population (see below) and slow DNA sequence evolution rates in Testudo. It constitutes a locally-adapted form however and is of distinct appearance. Arguably, it can be considered a subspecies and, as gene flow
Gene flow
In population genetics, gene flow is the transfer of alleles of genes from one population to another.Migration into or out of a population may be responsible for a marked change in allele frequencies...
has ceased, the western and eastern populations must now be managed separately for conservation purposes.
Habitat and ecology
Kleinmann's Tortoises live in desertDesert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s and semi-arid habitats, usually with compact sand and gravel plains, scattered rocks, shallow, sandy wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
s, dry woodlands, shrubby areas, and coastal salt marsh habitats. In captivity, they eat grasses, fruits, and vegetables, but the diet of wild tortoises is unknown.
They are least active when it is very cold or very hot. During the colder months, they are out most during midday. During the warm season, they are active in the morning and evening. The rest of the day is spent under brushes or in rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
s.
Reproduction
Kleinmann's Tortoise becomes sexually mature when about 10–20 years old. In the wild, mating has only been observed in March, but in captivity, they mate in April and August to November. During courtship, the male will ram the female, sometimes chasing after her. Unlike any other Mediterranean tortoise, the T. kleinmanni may make a mating call similar to the call of the Mourning DoveMourning Dove
The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...
. Eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
are laid in shallow bowls beneath bushes, or in vacant burrows. Each clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
contains 1-5 eggs, which hatch in the summer or early autumn.
Status and conservation
Once found in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, their habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
in Egypt has been all but destroyed, and Egyptian Tortoises are closely completely to extinction there. Two populations can still be found in Libya, but much of the coastline habitat has been destroyed because of human activity. Habitat loss and the illegal pet trade are huge issues facing the species; it is also hunted locally for use in folk medicine
Folk medicine
-Description:Refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation known to a limited segment of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture having prior experience.All cultures and societies...
. Their population is still on the decline, and the risk of extinction is very real if habitat degradation and illegal trade continue at their present rate.
On the IUCN Redlist, Kleinmann's Tortoise is classified as CR A2abcd+3d. It is estimated that less than three Testudo generations ago, there were 55-56,000 adult Kleinmann's tortoises. Today, there are about 7,500 remaining, and decline due to habitat destruction and unsustainable exploitation appears to be ongoing. While it believed that the former threat is being alleviated, it is feared that illegal pet trade will have reduced to maybe 1,000 adult tortoises in the two or three remaining subpopulations. Given that T. kleinmanni is a slowly-maturing long-lived species with few offspring (see K-strategist
R/K selection theory
In ecology, r/K selection theory relates to the selection of combinations of traits in an organism that trade off between quantity or quality of offspring...
), it is well possible that this is less than the minimum viable population
Minimum Viable Population
Minimum viable population is a lower bound on the population of a species, such that it can survive in the wild. This term is used in the fields of biology, ecology, and conservation biology...
, eventually dooming the species to extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in the wild.
Mixing individuals from the subpopulations for reintroduction
Reintroduction
Reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild in zones formerly inhabited by said species but where it has disappeared from for a number of reasons, from captivity or relocated from other areas where the species still survives in...
purposes should be avoided, as the ecological parameters of habitat differ. DNA fingerprinting of individuals to help maintain heterozygosity in captive and reintroduction populations can be performed during routine stool analyses. In this context it is notable that there may be a haplotype
Haplotype
A haplotype in genetics is a combination of alleles at adjacent locations on the chromosome that are transmitted together...
uniquely found in the Egyptian Tortoise.
Captive breeding requires more care than in other Testudo as the species is more delicate and the clutch is very small, but is not highly difficult for experienced Testudo breeders. T. kleinmanni is not generally available for hobbyists and even if legal to keep should be avoided without valid documentation. Smuggling continues to be a problem, but confiscated individuals are used to establish a captive safeguard population.
On May 21, 2007, Rome's main zoo, Bioparco, reported that it has successfully bred the species whose parents were rescued from a smuggler's suitcase in 2005.
Whipsnade Zoo have also saved them from the brink of extinction.