The Middle East Program:

For the past several years we have been running a breeding program for the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca). We hold in our facility breeders from different phenotypic appearances; animals that were collected many years ago from different ecological niches. They may be divided into different subspecies in the future: tortoises from the Mediterranean climatic zones, tortoises from the semi-arid sandy areas, and tortoises from temperate European climate (originated from The Golan Heights, Israel). Differences in color morphs between the different types of Testudo graeca are expressed even at hatchling at Day 1 (image 2) and later on (Image 3).

Testudo graeca tortois.

Testudo graeca tortois.

Image 2: One day old Testudo graeca tortoises from the temperate zone of The
Golan Heights (left) and from the Mediterranean region near Tel-Aviv. Note
the color differences in both the carapace and skin pigmentation.

Image 3: A male and a female Testudo graeca from Mediterranean climatic zone
(on the right and the left edges, respectively) and a female Testudo graeca from a sandy semi-arid zone.

The African Program:

Our facility includes a few pairs of the African spurred
tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata). Two females are reproductively active and a few
of their offspring are raised to create the new breeding generation.
We also have a pair of Pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri) but missing
additional adult founders.

Image 4: A male (left) and a female (right) pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri).

The S.E. Asian Program:

We are holding several pairs of Geochelonae elagans
and seeking genetically unrelated individuals to establish a proliferate colony.
We are establishing breeding colonies of additional tortoise colonies as listed below.

Colonies that we are establishing:

• The Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota)
• The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans)
• The Pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
• The Geometric tortoise (Psammobates geometricus)
• The Serrated Star Tortoise (Psammobates oculifer)
• The African Tent Tortoise (Psammobates tentorius)
• The Speckled Cape tortoise (Homopus signatus)
• The Common Padloper (Homopus areolatus)
• The Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
• The Angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora)
• The Spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides)
• The Hingeback Tortoise (Kinixys sp.)
• The Red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria)
• The Yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulate)

Data acquisition

Data collected from observational reports on tortoise activity, location (waypoints,
preferably GPS location), and further information that do not interfere with animal
welfare (ie. pictures, data on size, sex etc) will be collected for future analysis.
We will also acquire and save data from private owners that will be willing to
share data on breeding conditions, behavior, and diseases common to tortoises.
This data will be open to the public and web users.