Amphibia-Reptilia (2021) DOI:10.1163/15685381-bja10053 brill.com/amre The diet and vegetation composition of Egyptian tortoise habitat in North Sinai, Egypt Omar Attum 1,∗ , Basem Rabia 2 , Magdy El-Bana 3 , Sherif Baha El Din 4 Abstract. We studied the diet and vegetation composition of Egyptian tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni, habitat in North Sinai, Egypt. Dietary data was recorded through direct observations and the vegetation composition was recorded through the use of quadrats and line transects in 66 sampling points (33 in tortoise areas and 33 in non-tortoise areas). Our results showed that vegetation of Egyptian tortoise habitat had high species richness, Simpson’s diversity index, and vegetation cover in contrast to areas without Egyptian tortoises. These tortoises ate thirty four species of plants, a majority of these being perennials, with most feeding observations occurring in spring and winter. The consumption of perennials may enable Egyptian tortoises to find and consume food in an arid environment with low, variable and unpredictable rainfall. The plants most consumed were rare in our vegetation survey, suggesting food preferences. Our study suggests that Egyptian tortoises, which rely on vegetation for food and refugia, may suffer if vegetation cover and richness decrease. Keywords: diet, Egypt, food preference, habitat use, local community conservation, Mediterranean coast, Testudo kleinmanni. Introduction The Egyptian tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni, is one of the smallest tortoises and has the most restricted range of all tortoises in the Mediter- ranean Basin (Baha El Din et al., 2003; Rhodin et al., 2018). It is one of the most endan- gered tortoise species and is critically endan- gered (IUCN, 2020). While biologists have long known the massive collection of T. kleinmanni for the pet trade is unsustainable and could cause its extinction (Flower, 1933), habitat loss due to agriculture and overgrazing livestock have induced severe population declines over much of its range in Egypt (Baha El Din et al., 2003). West of the Nile River, the Egyptian tortoise inhabits Mediterranean coastal dunes, which are disappearing as a result of large-scale land development for tourism and agriculture, and on a smaller scale, overgrazing (Batanouny, 1 - Department of Biology, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, USA 2 - Nature Conservation Sector, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Cairo, Egypt 3 - Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt 4 - Nature Conservation Egypt, Cairo, Egypt ∗ Corresponding author; e-mail: oattum@ius.edu 1999; El Bana et al., 2002a). As a result of habi- tat loss, habitat degradation and the pet trade, the Egyptian tortoise exists in only a few remote areas, which are inhabited by local pastoral- ists who use the existing vegetation for live- stock grazing and fuel (Baha El Din et al., 2003; Attum et al., 2007a). Herbivorous chelonians, like the Egyptian tortoise, endure arid lands that experience long term drought, low food availability and poten- tially lethal temperatures, by reducing their activity and metabolism until environmental conditions and food availability improve (Nagy and Medica, 1986; Hailey and Loveridge, 1997; Attum et al., 2006, 2007b, 2008; Loehr et al., 2009; Barrows, 2011). Humans are increas- ing the severity of many arid environments through desertification and overgrazing, which often reduces species diversity through changes in the composition and physical structure of the vegetation community (Milchunas and Lauen- roth, 1993; Fleischner, 1994; El-Bana et al., 2003; Attum et al., 2006). Wildlife declines often occur when plant diversity and structural complexity decreases, which may increase envi- ronmental variation and reduces thermal refuge and food availability (Attum and Eason, 2006; Attum et al., 2006; Loehr et al., 2009; Lagarde © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2021. DOI:10.1163/15685381-bja10053 Downloaded from Brill.com04/20/2021 09:59:16PM via free access