| Horsfield's Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) Gray, 1844 |
| Synonyms: Agrionemys horsfieldi, Central Asian Tortoise, Four-toed Tortoise, Steppe Tortoise |
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Testudo horsfieldii occurs in Central and South Asia; from Kazakhstan to Iran and Pakistan. It inhabits clayey and sandy deserts, but also pastures and agricultural lands with patches of low shrubs (wormwood, thistles, tamarisk, etc.); up to 1,200 m asl. This species hibernates in the north, but also retreats under the ground in hot summers, spending as much as three-thirds of the year in dormancy.
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