List of the vertebrated animals exhibited in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London, 1828-1927. Flower, S.S. 1933. Notes on the recent reptiles and amphibians of Egypt. Zoological Society of London, 743-749. For decades, the account of this tortoise outshone all prior and subsequent works.
Author describes individual variation in great detail but discounts geographic significance.
Geffen, E. 1985. Master's thesis, Dept. of Zoology, Tel Aviv University. The most complete document to date on the natural history of this tortoise. F. A list of natural food items appears on p. 60. Presents the needs for conservation measures on behalf of this species after listing natural and human threats to its survival in Israel.