Chester Zoo 

Egyptian Tortoise

These are the smallest desert living tortoises in the Middle East, with high domes and shells ranging in colour from ivory to pale yellow, gold and dark brown. The enlarged bony plate on the top shell – called the scute – is dark edged at the front and sides, but this fades as they get older. The lower shell – the plastron – is pale yellow, usually with two dark triangles at the periphery, and the head and limbs are pale yellow to yellowish brown in colour. Males are smaller, have longer tails and are more elongated in shape than females.

What they eat

Vegetation – grasses, flowers, fruits.

How long they live

Up to 100 years

Biology

More extensive research is needed on these tortoises, as many details about their life history remain unknown. Even the exact make-up of their diet in the wild is unclear, though they consume vegetation in the zoo. Mating involves males circling, chasing and ramming the females. Males also make loud raucous sounds which have been compared to the call of mourning doves and are unlike noises made by other Mediterranean tortoises. The female lays between one and five eggs in sandy earth. Eggs hatch after about two to three months. Initial growth is slow, with young tortoises no bigger than a raspberry and they can take 10 years to reach maturity.

Did you know?

The pale colour of the tortoise’s shell protects it from the intense glare of the sun when feeding in the desert, by deflecting the heat away from its body.