Common Name: Leopard Tortoise Scientific Name: Geochelone pardalis
STATUS UNKNOWN Leopard Tortoise Distribution: Sub Sahara Africa Habitat: Semi-arid Grasslands Height: 60cm Weight: 30kg Diet: Herbivorous
The leopard tortoise is a distinctively marked tortoise. The carapace (shell) is high and domed. Each section of the carapace (scute) is coloured with black and yellow. As the tortoise grows the dark centres of the scutes are broken up and intermingled with yellow. The scutes also have growth rings. The forelimbs have claws for digging and the hind feet are club shaped. This species is primarily a grazer of various grasses. They also take the fruit of the prickly pear, succulents and thistles. The species will also gnaw bones to obtain calcium. The tortoise is found in Sub Saharan Africa in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eastern Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Nambia, Angola and south west Africa. The tortoise is found in semi arid grassland habitat. The leopard tortoise, is the second largest tortoise in Africa. The female lays 6 – 15 eggs which have a hard shell. These are laid in a hole dug by the female. The hole is then filled in and flattened down by lifting and dropping her body weight on the pile. The tortoise is under threat through collection for the pet trade. They have become very popular with tortoise enthusiasts. Unfortunately, much of this demand has been met by the importation of wild-caught and ‘ranched’ animals, rather than by animals that are genuinely captive-bred.
Like all large species of tortoise Leopard Tortoises can live for up to 100 years.