Captive Breeding the Critically Endangered Egyptian Tortoise Testudo Kleinmanni Lortet, 1883, for an In Situ Recovery Project in Egypt

The Egyptian tortoise Testudo kleinmanni (Family Testudinidae) is a small-sized tortoise with a carapace length of up to 140 mm that inhabits an arid to semi-arid range extending over the coastal regions of Egypt and Libya, and some interior desert areas of Israel. The species is almost completely herbivorous. Population sizes have been under severe pressure for decades. Causes of the decline are overgrazing by cattle, intensification of agriculture and overcollecting for the international pet trade. In Egypt the species is virtually extinct. Since 2000, the breeding programmes of both the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the European Studbook Foundation have been coordinated. In the
northern Sinai desert, a recovery project has been established, supported by the local Sweirki Bedouin tribe and coordinated by Nature Conservation Egypt. Linking the in situ project to the ex situ breeding programmes forms
the basis for the conservation and recovery of the Egyptian tortoise in Egypt.