Maybe this should have gone in Debatable... I don't know.
Anyway, I haven't posted much, but I do check in; and I've been wondering about something.
Our family includes a male adult kleinmanni. If you search my posts you'll find his story and some pics. He's been with us for ten years or so.
Lately I've come to the opinion, based on photographs, that my guy, whom I've referred to as kleinmanni since I finally identified him, is actually werneri. It's fairly plain to see, as regards the black markings on the carapace and plastron.
But... I read things that suggest that, based on DNA, there may not be T. werneri at all. It seems agreed that there clearly is some kind of a Negev sub "group" if not sub-species.
I understand that this is a bit "inside baseball" about a pretty arcane species, but hey, this is the tortoise forum , so I'm hoping my fellows might have some knowledge and opinions.
Should I be saying that I have an "Israeli" tortoise as opposed to "Egyptian"?
Thanks,
Doug
Anyway, I haven't posted much, but I do check in; and I've been wondering about something.
Our family includes a male adult kleinmanni. If you search my posts you'll find his story and some pics. He's been with us for ten years or so.
Lately I've come to the opinion, based on photographs, that my guy, whom I've referred to as kleinmanni since I finally identified him, is actually werneri. It's fairly plain to see, as regards the black markings on the carapace and plastron.
But... I read things that suggest that, based on DNA, there may not be T. werneri at all. It seems agreed that there clearly is some kind of a Negev sub "group" if not sub-species.
I understand that this is a bit "inside baseball" about a pretty arcane species, but hey, this is the tortoise forum , so I'm hoping my fellows might have some knowledge and opinions.
Should I be saying that I have an "Israeli" tortoise as opposed to "Egyptian"?
Thanks,
Doug