[6] The carapace has a high dome, and ranges in color from ivory to pale gold to dark brown to pink or dull yellow.

[citation needed] The Negev subpopulation had been separated as a distinct species, "Negev tortoise" (Testudo werneri), as it did not appear to have distinct or strongly reduced haplotype diversity, consistent with the recent extinction of the Egyptian population and slow DNA sequence evolution rates in Testudo.

[9] Baha el Din (2006) synonymized T. werneri due to lacking mtDNA differences between T. kleinmanni from western Libya compared to tortoises from the Negev Desert.

Habitat loss and the illegal pet trade are huge issues facing the species; it is also hunted locally for use in folk medicine.

[12] The population is still on the decline, and the risk of extinction in the wild is very real if habitat degradation and illegal trade continue at their present rate.

In Israel, T. kleinmanni (previously known as T. werneri) populations are known from northwestern Negev and the Yemin Plain, with lone individuals occasionally found near Yeruham.

While the former threat is believed to be alleviated, illegal pet trade is feared to have reduced the population to maybe 1,000 adult tortoises in the two or three remaining subpopulations.

[8] There are plans for augmenting the Israeli sub-population by releasing individuals from local controlled breeding centers in Israel, but these projects have yet to be approved by authorities.

[14][15]: 188–189  DNA fingerprinting of individuals to help maintain heterozygosity in captive and reintroduction populations can be performed during routine stool analyses.

On May 21, 2007, Rome's main zoo, Bioparco, reported it has successfully bred the species from parents rescued from a smuggler's suitcase in 2005.

The species suffered a substantial setback when Egyptian subpopulations faced extinction, leading to the utilization of the Libyan stock in both national and international pet markets, a practice that eventually became illegal.

[1] A critical concern for Kleinmann's tortoise is the illegal pet trade, which originated with the use of Libyan stock after Egyptian subpopulations were depleted.

This trade has potentially devastating consequences for the global population, with collection pressure reported to be higher in the eastern regions.

[1] Kleinmann's tortoise faces heightened vulnerability due to its low annual biomass production, resulting in a high sensitivity to population disturbance.