Egyptian tortoise

Egyptian tortoise are native to the desert that fringes the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. They were once found in Libya, Egypt, and Israel but are now isolated to small patches of territory only in Libya. They are considered extinct elsewhere.

Egyptian tortoises are desert animals that survive extreme aridity through a combination of physical and behavioral adaptation. Their small size allows them to quickly adjust their body temperature and avoid overheating. Their pale coloring – about the same color as sand – lets them reflect heat while also blending into the landscape to avoid predation. They are active during the day but choose to forage when it is coolest and rest during the high heat. This means that they are most active browsing for food at dawn and at dusk. When resting, they seek shelter under bushes or in rodent burrows.

All animals need water to survive. Desert animals can survive on very little water but they still have to get it somehow. Since there is no surface water where Egyptian tortoises live, they get their water by sucking moisture from desert plants. They do this by plucking at plant stems with their beak-like jaws. They retain as much water as possible by excreting concentrated uric acid as waste rather than more dilute urine.

We have some beautiful baby Egyptian tortoises for sale. We also offer the recommended well started Egyptian tortoise for sale as well as yearlings and Juveniles. Egyptian tortoises are the smallest species of tortoise for sale here in the USA and perhaps the world. Of all of the testudo family tortoises, Kleinmann’s tortoise for sale, also known as the Egyptian is the smallest. Did you know that baby Egyptian tortoises only grow to 4″ at full maturity?