Russian tortoise

Russian tortoise
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Agrionemys
Species:	A. horsfieldii
Binomial name
Agrionemys horsfieldii (Gray, 1844)
Synonyms
click to expand Agrionemys horsfieldii (but see text) Homopus burnesii Testudinella horsfieldii T. h. horsfieldii Testudo horsfieldii Gray, 1844 Homopus burnesii Blyth, 1854 Testudinella horsfieldii Gray, 1870 Testudinella horsfieldi Gray, 1873 (ex errore) Homopus horsfieldii Theobald, 1876 Testudo baluchiorum Annandale, 1906 Medaestia horsfieldi Wussow, 1916 Testudo horsfieldi Wussow, 1916 Testudo horsfieldii horsfieldiiIverson, 1992 Agrionemys horsfieldii horsfieldii Welch, 1994 Agrionemys horsfildii Rogner, 1996 (ex errore) Testudo horsfieldi horsfieldi Highfield, 1996 Agrionemys baluchiorum Vetter, 2002 Agrionemys horsfieldii baluchiorum Artner, 2003 T. h. kazachstanica Agrionemys horsfieldi kazachstanica Chkhikvadze, 1988 Testudo horsfieldii kazachstanica Iverson, 1992 Agrionemys horsfieldii kazachstanica Welch, 1994 Testudo horsfieldi kazachtanica Highfield, 1996 (ex errore) Agrionemys horsfieldii kazakhstanica Borkin, 1998 (ex errore) Agrionemys kazachstanica Perälä, 2002 Testudo horsfieldi kazachstanica Ferri, 2002 T. h. rustamovi Agrionemys horsfieldi rustamovi Chkhikvadze, 1989 (nomen nudum) Agrionemys horsfieldi rustamovi Chkhikvadze, Amiranashvili & Ataev, 1990 Agrionemys horsfieldi rustamowi Chkhikvadze, Amiranashvili & Ataev, 1990 (ex errore) Testudo horsfieldii rustamovi Iverson, 1992 Agrionemys horsfieldii rustamovi Welch, 1994 Testudo horsfieldii rustomovi Das, 1995 (ex errore) Testudo horsfieldi rustmovi Highfield, 1996 (ex errore) Testudo horsfieldii rustamov Paull, 1997 (ex errore) Agrionemys rustamovi Perälä, 2002 Testudo horsfieldi rustamovi Ferri, 2002

The Russian tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii ), also commonly known as Horsfield's tortoise or the Central Asian tortoise, is a species of tortoise and a popular pet.

Both the specific name, horsfieldii, and the common name "Horsfield's tortoise" are in honor of the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield.

This species is traditionally placed in Testudo. Due to distinctly different morphological characteristics, the monotypic genus Agrionemys was proposed for it in 1966. Today, Agrionemys horsfieldii is currently being accepted.DNA sequence analysis generally concurs, but not too robustly so. Some sources also list three separate subspecies of Russian tortoise, but they are not widely accepted by taxonomists:

The Russian tortoise is a small tortoise species, with a size range of 13–25 cm (5–10 in). Females grow slightly larger (15–25 cm [6–10 in]) to accommodate more eggs. Males average 13–20 cm (5–8 in).

They are herbivores and feed on weeds and wild flowers.

Russian tortoises are sexually dimorphic. Males tend to have longer tails generally tucked to the side, and longer claws; females have a short, fat tail, with shorter claws than the males. The male has a slit-shaped vent (cloaca) near the tip of its tail; the female has an asterisk-shaped vent (cloaca). Russian tortoises have four toes. Coloration varies, but the shell is usually a ruddy brown or black, fading to yellow between the scutes, and the body is straw-yellow and brown depending on the subspecies.

The male Russian tortoise courts a female through head bobbing, circling, and biting her forelegs. When she submits, he mounts her from behind, making high-pitched squeaking noises during mating.

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