Leopard Tortoise - Geochelone
pardalis
The Leopard tortoise is a large
and attractively marked tortoise which has a wide distribution in
sub-Saharan Africa, including Botswana. In this species males may
attain a greater size than females. The leopard tortoise is approximately
2 feet long which is the biggest turtle in Africa. It weighs 50
to 100 lbs. Its name comes from the color of its shell which has
black and yellow spots, look like a leopard. The young have dark
brown or black leopard patterns on their shells while adults have
smaller spots. The bowl is hard, and bumpy. There is a v shaped
notch in the front of the shell. Leopard tortoises have thick club-like
back legs that have scales with claws on their toes. They don't
have webbed feet. The head, legs, and tail can be almost completely
drawn under the shell.
Male leopard tortoises can be recognized
from females by their longer tails. When the female is ready to
lay her egss, she digs a hole 12 inches deep with her hind feet
and lays 5 to 30 white eggs at three week intervals for twenty weeks.
They hatch one year later. In the wild, leopard tortoises usually
do not mate until they are between 12 to 15 years old.
In the wild, leopard tortoises eat
mostly grasses, leaves, flowers, grass, fruits, and succulents (Prickly
pears). These large animals are mainly vegetarian, but they will
eat old bones for calcium. Tortoises have very good eyesight and
a well developed sense of smell and taste. dare cold blooded, so
they lay in the sun to warm up each morning. When it gets too hot
they retreat to the shade. These tortoises have no external ear
openings, so they do not hear well.
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