Russian Tortoise - Systematics

Systematics

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:

• Testudo horsfieldii horsfieldii – Afghanistan/Pakistan and southern Central Asia.
• Testudo horsfieldii kazachstanica – Kazakhstan/Karakalpakhstan.
• Testudo horsfieldii rustamovi – southwestern Turkmenistan.