Reptile Specialists - Tucson, Arizona

Leopard Tortoises

Latin Name - Geochelone pardalis

Currently Available For Sale Online

Leopard Tortoises General Information: Leopard Tortoises (Geochelone pardalis) come from Southern Africa, where they prefer dry grassland habitats. They are the fourth largest tortoise in the world, the second largest in Africa, and are fast growing. They can reach a diameter of 21 inches and weigh as much as 80 pounds, although 30-50 is average. Males tend to grow larger than females. These tortoises do not hibernate; they remain active all year round. Like most other tortoises, they can live to be over 100 years old.

Leopard Tortoises as Pets: Leopard Tortoises are one of the most interactive tortoises. They will become accustomed to their owners and quickly begin following people around and begging for scraps. They will be easy, enjoyable, lifelong pets!

Housing: When housing a baby or juvenile, a ten or twenty gallon terrarium is an adequately sized space. Ultimately, an adult tortoise is going to need an area around ten feet by ten feet. Leopard Tortoises will use all the room they can get, so when building a custom pen, bigger is definitely better. Be sure to provide shady areas to escape the afternoon sun. We have many customers who opt for forty gallon terrariums for juveniles as these are big enough to house tortoises until they are ready to be moved outside. During wintertime, the tortoises either need to be brought inside or kept in a heated enclosure. They cannot tolerate our winter temperatures.

Substrates: Leopard Tortoises need bedding that is dry and safely passes through the system if eaten, as they are very curious animals and will taste practically anything. We recommend several types including millet, dried Eco Earth, alfalfa, or paper bedding such as Carefresh. Some others, which we do not recommend, include sand, corncob, and crushed walnut, as all of these are dangerous when ingested.

Heating/Lighting: Leopard Tortoises require UVB rays to metabolize calcium. A full spectrum light is needed during the day, which can be provided by either the proper florescent bulbs or mercury vapor bulbs. They need a temperature range of 75°-90° F. As these tortoises do not hibernate in the wild, they should never be cooled during wintertime. They are prone to respiratory infections if kept too cold and it is best to maintain the same higher temperatures all year round. For more information visit our Heat and Light FAQ.

Feeding: Leopard Tortoises are herbivores and require a high fiber diet. Lots of grasses and hays should be provided such as Timothy hay, Grama grass, Buffalo grass, Bluestem, Wheat grass, Arizona Fescue, Lawn Fescue, Sheep Fescue, Orchard Grass, Bermuda, Amaranth, and many of the native grasses or weeds. They should also be fed dark greens and leaves like dandelion greens, mustard, kale, cilantro, parsley, turnip greens, collard, chard, Mulberry leaves, Hibiscus leaves and flowers, grape leaves, etc. Fruit should be avoided or only offered as a treat every once in awhile. If fed too much fruit, they can become incredibly sick. They also require lots of drinking water and benefit from a large, shallow water dish for regular soaking. These tortoises should always be provided with a calcium/mineral supplement. If kept indoors, a calcium and D3 supplement should be added to the food about every other day. If kept outdoors, a calcium supplement without D3 is a better choice.

Sexing: On mature tortoises, males have much thicker and longer tails than females. Also, the anal scutes are spread wider apart and have a V shape. On females, the tail is small, thin, and pointy. The anal scutes are also not spread so far apart and are more of a U shape. Knowing the temperature of incubation is another good way to tell the sex. If a baby tortoise was incubated below 86°F, it is most likely a male. If it was incubated above 88 °F, it is most likely female.

Breeding: Coming soon