For as long as one can remember, the Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) has been named the smallest of the Testudo tortoises. While this certainly holds plenty of truth, it's important to note that they are not the only petite members of this species group. The Egyptian has been a very popular and well-known species across the globe because of its small size. In a way, this has blinded us to what else may exist in terms of compact or little. In general, Mediterranean tortoises attain what most consider as manageable dimensions. Only some tip the scales so it's not really much of a surprise to come to the realization that several mini examples occur. The Nabeul tortoise or "Tunisian spur thighed tortoise" (Testudo graeca nabeulensis) and the western Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni hermanni) are two examples of just how small other Testudo can be. Now, without going on any further, it's imperative for the reader to never lose sight of variation. This is of course deeply expressed within the western Hermann's tortoise and its forms. Large examples hailing from areas like Sardinia are commonplace and typical sized ones can be found in many locales such as Apulia or Tuscany, for example. But, very small tortoises can be found in areas like Mount Etna. These interesting little Hermann's tortoises are neck and neck with the Egyptian and usually only slightly bigger. When it comes to the Nabeul tortoise, they are also on par with the Egyptian and occasionally even smaller at least with males. Most don't even realize these animals are out there mainly because the Egyptian is much more common in collections or zoos.