Head to head
Egyptian Tortoise vs Hermann's Tortoise
Egyptian Tortoise
VS Hermann's Tortoise
The Egyptian tortoise and Hermann's tortoise are two small Mediterranean tortoises in the genus Testudo that are popular in the pet trade and threatened in the wild.
| Egyptian Tortoise | Hermann's Tortoise | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Testudo kleinmanni | Testudo hermanni |
| Relationship | A close relative of Hermann's tortoise, in the same genus | A close relative of the Egyptian tortoise, in the same genus |
| Size and shell | Only around 10 to 12 cm long, with a pale, straw-yellow shell and little dark pattern | A moderately domed, oval shell typically with bold black markings over a yellow or tan background |
| Diet | The leaves, flowers, and stems of desert plants, getting much of its water from its food | A wide range of grasses, weeds, flowers, and fallen fruit, with rare slugs or carrion |
| Habitat | Coastal desert and scrub | Dry forest, scrubland, and grassland |
| Activity | Shelters in shallow burrows and under shrubs, and is mostly active in the early morning and evening | Hibernates in winter in cooler parts of its range, and may enter summer dormancy in the hottest, driest weather |
| Range | Northeastern Libya and northwestern Egypt, with small remaining populations in Israel | Mediterranean Europe, including parts of Spain, France, Italy, and the Balkans |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, and decreasing | Near Threatened |
Egyptian Tortoise vs Hermann's Tortoise: common questions
Which tortoise lives in the desert?
The Egyptian tortoise, which lives in coastal desert and scrub in northeastern Libya and northwestern Egypt.
Why is the Egyptian tortoise Critically Endangered?
It was taken in large numbers for the pet trade, and its coastal desert habitat has been developed and degraded.
Which one has black markings?
Hermann's tortoise, whose shell typically shows bold black markings over a yellow or tan background.