Egyptian Tortoise — Fact Sheet

Testudo kleinmanni · Egyptian Tortoise

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• Use an open-topped tortoise table; outdoor housing suits only controlled, dry weather
• Adult starting footprint: about 120 x 60 cm (0.72 m²); females and groups need more
• Substrate: firm sandy loam or soil-sand mix deep enough for shallow digging
• Keep the enclosure bright, dry, ventilated, and protected from overheating
• Avoid glass tanks, dusty pure sand, bark chips, slick floors, and bedding that stays cold or wet

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• Separate basking, cool, feeding, and slightly humid refuge zones
• Several low full-body hides at different temperatures
• Stable stones, low terrain changes, and sparse safe plants
• A shallow water dish with easy entry and no drowning or overturning risk
• Place shaded retreats near the basking zone

💡 Lighting

• UVB is essential indoors; aim for Ferguson Zone 3 at shell height in the basking area
• Preferred setup: T5 HO UVB tube plus a separately controlled basking lamp
• A measured mercury-vapor system requires controlled distance and heat
• Check UVI at shell height; replace lamps by measured output and manufacturer guidance
• Direct sunlight is useful; glass and most plastics block UVB
• Photoperiod: 10-12 h with modest seasonal adjustment; no night light

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 32-35 °C

• Warm zone: 24-30 °C

• Cool zone: 20-24 °C

• Night: 18-22 °C

• Maintain a clear gradient; this species overheats quickly

• Measure basking surfaces with an infrared thermometer and ambient zones with digital probes

• Use guarded, controlled heat sources; avoid heat rocks and a uniformly hot enclosure

💧 Humidity & water

• General humidity target: 30-50%, with a deeper refuge around 50-65%
• Keep the main surface dry and airy while preserving a slightly moist hydration refuge
• Fresh shallow drinking water must always be available
• Juveniles may benefit from brief supervised soaks
• Avoid persistent dampness and sudden cold, wet seasonal conditions

🥬 Diet

Feed freely:

• Safe weeds, grasses, dandelion, plantain, sow thistle, hibiscus, and other fibrous leaves and flowers

In moderation:

• Mixed leafy greens and soaked high-fiber tortoise pellets; keep portions small

Avoid:

• Fruit, animal protein, dog or cat food, bread, dairy, and pellets as the dietary base

Supplements:

• Plain calcium or cuttlefish bone; use multivitamins sparingly and maintain effective UVB

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Gaping, frantic escape attempts, or collapse → dangerous overheating
• Sunken eyes or dry urates → dehydration or excessive heat
• Nasal discharge or wheezing → respiratory disease, often linked to damp stagnant air
• Soft shell or weak growth → inadequate UVB, calcium, or diet
• Pyramiding or rapid weight gain → excessive calories or poor hydration
• Missing provenance documents → possible illegal or wild-caught origin

Consult a reptile-experienced veterinarian for breathing signs, collapse, prolonged refusal to eat, shell softness, diarrhea, or sustained weight loss.