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Federal restrictions apply

Egyptian tortoise

Testudo kleinmanni

Also known as Kleinmann's Tortoise, Leith's Tortoise, Egyptian Tortoise (werneri: Negev Tortoise)

Reptiles › Turtles and tortoises (Testudines) › Testudinidae (Tortoises)

Kleinmann's tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni), also called commonly the Egyptian tortoise, Leith's tortoise, and the Negev tortoise, is a critically endangered species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae.

Pet trade

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyTortoises

Record lifespan21 years

Adult weight15.5 oz

Kept byPet trade

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Basking surface temperature	95 °F (35 °C) EAZA seasonal husbandry.	232
Summer day air temperature	82–86 °F (28–30 °C)	232
Summer night air temperature	68–77 °F (20–25 °C)	232
Winter day air temperature	68–77 °F (20–25 °C)	232
Winter night air temperature	50–59 °F (10–15 °C)	232
Relative humidity	29–89 % Reported husbandry span with humid sleeping refuges; not uniform humidity.	232

Warnings

Federal legal status: Federal restrictions apply. See the federal legal snapshot and check your state rules before getting one.

Care guide

Group care guide

Mediterranean, desert and small tortoises

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Dry scrub and desert. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Native gopher and desert tortoises are protected; private possession is heavily restricted.

Housing & setup

Tortoise tables indoors or secure outdoor pens; deep substrate for burrowers like Russian tortoises.
Winter management must follow the identified species and veterinary advice. Egyptian tortoise guidelines prescribe seasonal air changes while retaining a warm basking surface; do not extrapolate temperate Testudo hibernation to every tortoise here.

Sources 113 114 47 99 223 232 218

Climate & lighting

Starting point only: Juvenile Russian and seasonally maintained Egyptian tortoises are not described by a constant dry regime. Check the species-specific values for this animal where shown.

Basking spot	95–100°F
Warm side / daytime	80–85°F
Cool side	68–75°F
Humidity	30–50%

UVB: Required (strong).

Sources 113 114 47 99 223 232 218

Diet

High-fiber weeds and greens; avoid fruit.

Sources 113 114 47 99 223 232 218

Health watch

Respiratory infections in damp cold; overgrown beaks without abrasive food.

Sources 113 114 47 99 223 232 218

Understanding the animal

About this animal

The species is native to Libya and possibly extinct in Egypt. The species was once more widespread, but its numbers are now dwindling, and complete extinction in the wild is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Kleinmann's tortoise” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Kleinmann's tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni), also called commonly the Egyptian tortoise, Leith's tortoise, and the Negev tortoise, is a critically endangered species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Libya and possibly extinct in Egypt. The species was once more widespread, but its numbers are now dwindling, and complete extinction in the wild is a looming threat unless more actions are taken to protect this species. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Kleinmann's tortoise lives in deserts and semiarid habitats, usually with compact sand and gravel plains, scattered rocks, shallow, sandy wadis, dry woodlands, shrubby areas, and coastal salt marsh habitats. In captivity, it eats grasses, fruits, and vegetables, but the diet of T. kleinmanni in the wild is unknown. Kleinmann's tortoise tend to live in habitats that receive less than 50 mm of rain every year. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	Kleinmann's tortoise becomes sexually mature when about 5 years old. In the wild, mating has only been observed in March, but in captivity, it mates in April and August to November. During courtship, the male will ram the female, sometimes chasing after her. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Appearance and size	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. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
History and naming	Named after the collector of the types, E. Kleinmann. T. werneri has been named after Yehuda L. Werner of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. — The Reptile Database
Conservation	Kleinmann's tortoise confronts a range of anthropogenic challenges affecting its conservation. These threats include agricultural practices, overgrazing, industrial development, and, notably, the illegal pet trade. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 92°F (up to 93°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 43°F (down to 42°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	66–68°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	52–56% on average (driest month about 45%)
Rainfall	about 169 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 83 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

Named after the collector of the types, E. Kleinmann. T. werneri has been named after Yehuda L. Werner of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Reported21years

AnAge 16221

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources15.5oz

AnAge 16215.5

Myhrvold et al. 16315.5

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Clutch size

Reported1.7eggs

Myhrvold et al. 1631.7

Average per litter or clutch.

Incubation

Reported101days

Myhrvold et al. 163101

Female maturity

Average of sources6years

AnAge 1626

Myhrvold et al. 1636

Care articles for this species

The Egyptian Tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni in Captivity (Reptiles Magazine)
Egyptian Tortoise Care Tips (Reptiles Magazine)
Egyptian Tortoise Breeding (Reptiles Magazine)
Egyptian Tortoise Breeding Observations (Reptiles Magazine)

Written by keepers, breeders and vets 168 169

Veterinary & husbandry research

Egyptian tortoise conservation: A community-based, field research program developed from a study on a captive population Attum O et al., Zoo biology 2007

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170

Federal legal snapshot

Federal restrictions apply

Endangered Species Act: threatened. Selling or shipping across state lines in the course of commercial activity, importing and exporting all need USFWS permits, even for captive-bred animals. Breeders of non-native captive-bred species can register under the Captive-Bred Wildlife program. Moving and selling within one state is left mostly to that state. 179
CITES Appendix I. Appendix I: commercial international trade in wild-caught animals is banned; international movement needs both import and export permits. Buying captive-bred animals within the U.S. isn't restricted by CITES (other federal or state laws may apply). 173 186
FDA small turtle rule. Turtles and tortoises with a shell under 4 inches long may not be sold or distributed as pets in the U.S. (Salmonella rule). Hatchlings can be sold only for bona fide scientific, educational or exhibition purposes. 182

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
78 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
50 CFR 17.11: Endangered and threatened wildlife Zoo, university or veterinaryCurrent federal Endangered Species Act list.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
21 CFR 1240.62: Turtles under 4 inches (FDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal ban on selling small turtles.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management and husbandry of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional, metabolic and endocrine diseases of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Royal Veterinary College Exotics Service: Mediterranean tortoise care Zoo, university or veterinaryVet-school exotics hospital factsheet, reviewed 2021–2024.
Clint's Reptiles (YouTube): Russian Tortoise, The Best Pet Turtle? Expert educator & keeperClint Laidlaw, PhD in Biology Education and MS in Evolutionary Ecology; owner of Clint's Reptile Room and a longtime keeper. Rates each species on handleability, care, hardiness, availability and upfront cost.
ReptiFiles: Russian tortoise care sheet Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
EAZA: Egyptian tortoise Best Practice Guidelines (2019) Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Important Husbandry Requirements for Selected Reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
The Reptile Database Peer-reviewed researchScientist-curated catalog of every reptile species, with taxonomy and literature.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
Reptiles Magazine (care articles) Experienced keeper or breederEstablished reptile and amphibian hobby magazine; care articles are written by breeders, keepers and veterinarians.

Egyptian tortoise

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Warnings

Care guide

Mediterranean, desert and small tortoises

Housing & setup

Climate & lighting

Diet

Health watch

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the wild

Native climate (measured)

Profile

History

Data and studies

The numbers

Maximum recorded lifespan

Typical adult weight

Clutch size

Incubation

Female maturity

Care articles for this species

Veterinary & husbandry research

Sources for this sheet

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