I need a care sheet for leopard tortoises

[kimmerz]

I'm planning on getting a couple of leopard torts, not for a few months yet untill I have finished my tort trust course, and i'm sorting out my 2nd bedroom to put them in so can't get them till everything is ready anyway. can anyone give me some links that will tell me everything i need to know about them. i have hermanns but i think leopards are totally different.

[monitorfan666]

Common Name: Leopard Tortoise

Other Common Names: African Leopard Tortoise, Tropical Leopard Tortoise

Scientific Name: Geochelone pardalis babcocki (Full Taxonomy)

Group: Tortoises

Origin or Range: Africa

Relative Size: Much Larger Than Average
(as compared to other tortoises)

Average Lifespan: ??? year(s)

Compatibility: Average
(as compared to other tortoises)

Category: Reptiles » Tortoises
Animal Description: The Leopard Tortoise is one of the largest and most personable tortoises.
Being from Africa, the Leopard Tortoise does best in warm climates. They are herbivores that spend much of their waking hours grazing on grasses and succulents. They live in dry habitats with thorny and grassy vegetation. The Leopard Tortoise can sometimes be found in damper regions. In very hot or cold weather, the Leopard Tortoise retreats to burrows that were dug by fox, antbears, or jackals. The Leopard Tortoise's diet consists mainly of what it can find grazing and therefore it feeds mostly on grasses. They will also eat cactus and cactus fruit, when it is available.
The African Leopard Tortoise can grow to lengths of nearly 28 inches, though lengths of about 18 inches are much more common.They can weigh up to 100 pounds, although most Leopard Tortoises do not exceed 50 pounds. The Leopard Tortoise's top shell, or carapace, is yellow or tan with black markings. The carapace is highly domed. Males are often smaller than females.
The Leopard Tortoise has been recorded in southern Sudan and Ethiopia, Uganda, the Somali Republic, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Malawi, Rhodesia, Zambia, Botswana, Transvaal, Natal, Cape Province, and Angola. There are two species of Leopard Tortoise, Geochelone pardalis babcocki, the most common Leopard Tortoise, and Geochelone pardalis pardalis, the South African Leopard Tortoise, which is a much rarer species.
Specific Care Information: Relative Care Ease: Average Leopard Tortoises require a large enclosure, and ideally should be housed outdoors whenever weather permits. Leopard Tortoises are solitary animals in the wild and may become if crowded. When many are housed together they need sufficient room to get away from one another and many hiding spots. Males should not be housed together because of their tendency to spar for territory and breeding rights.They should always have access to shaded areas no hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night they should not be left out in temperatures colder than 65 degrees. When sunny daytime temperatures are less than 70 degrees, the tortoises should be housed in heated shelters. If housing them indoors, during the day the temperature within the enclosure should range from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the cool end to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the basking area. At night, the temperature should not fall below 70 degrees. They should be kept at low humidity levels, and they should be exposed to between 12 and 14 hours of full spectrum UV light per day. They can be provided with a shallow bowl of water large enough to soak in, or they can be soaked in shallow water periodically - about 3 times a week for those less than 1 year old and once a week for adults.
Captive Leopard Tortoises should be allowed to graze. They do best with a diet consisting primarily of grasses. Their diet should be full of fiber and they should be given a calcium supplement. The diet can be supplemented with dark leafy green vegetables such as collards, kale, and turnip greens. Grape leaves, if available, are very nutritious and a good addition to the diet. They can also be fed fresh and dried alfalfa, but only in small amounts, as it is very high in protein. Fruit can be given in very small amounts, but should always be dusted with calcium.
Breeding and Propagation: Relative Breeding Ease: AverageIn the wild, Leopard Tortoises are usually not sexually mature until they are between 12 and 15 years of age. In captivity, the animals often grow faster and can be ready to breed between 6 and 8 years. Male Leopard Tortoises can be distinguished from females by their longer tails and more elongated bodies and sometimes by a slight concavity of their plastrons.
Prior to copulation, male Leopard Tortoise usually rams and pushes the females. Once he mounts her, he begins making grunting noises.
The average clutch size of the Leopard Tortoise is about 9 eggs, although clutches of up to 30 eggs have been reported. Females can lay over three clutches per season. Eggs should be incubated at about 80% humidity in a slightly damp medium. The eggs usually hatch between 130 and 180 days of incubation. Incubation temperatures can be between 82 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit (28 and 31 degrees Celsius), with lower temperatures typically resulting in longer incubation times. There are exceptions to every rule and some Leopard Tortoise eggs can take as many as 392 days to hatch.

[kimmerz]

hi, thanks for that it was very helpful, i'm gunna be looking at the size of the room in hope that i have the space for them.

[potters11]

could anyone tell me how long after copulation it takes for the eggs to be laid
thanks in advance

[fantapants]

typically between 2-3 months, but females can retain sperm for up to 3 years. its also not unusual for themto retain eggs if there is no perfectly suited nesting site.

[wilhelmjoshuataniguana]

This care sheet is intended only to cover the general care of this species. Further research to best develop a maintenance plan for whichever species you are caring for is essential.
Geochelone pardalis, the Leopard tortoise, is one of the species of tortoise most commonly kept as a pet. It is frequently bred which also makes it one of the more commonly available species as captive hatched specimens.

The beautifully contrasting black and yellow colors of the carapace make this a highly attractive tortoise, but beware, this same beautiful pattern can also make it nearly invisible in terrain approximating its home regions of African savannah. It grows to quite a respectable size, with adults reaching 16 - 18 inches (40 - 50 cm) and 40 pounds (18 Kg). There are exceptionally large G. pardalis that are over 2 feet (60 cm) and 80 pounds (36 Kg) but these are very rare. Regardless of what the final size may be - this is a big animal and the care of one should not be undertaken unless one is willing to provide the space it requires.

This species exhibits a marked sensitivity to damp, often resulting in respiratory ailments and care must be taken to provide them with a habitat that is uniformly dry either naturally or by artificial means.

NATURAL HISTORY - Leopard tortoises have a huge range, being found on the savannahs of Africa from the Sudan South to the Cape Province of South Africa. Their diet in the wild consists of grasses, cactus and weeds. In Misty Corton's article on this web site (Leopard Tortoise) a comprehensive list of their natural foods can be found.

There are, depending on your taxonomist of choice, two subspecies. The one most commonly encountered subspecies is Geochelone pardalis babcocki, which occurs over much of its range. The other subspecies, the larger and slightly less domed Geochelone pardalis pardalis, is found in the Southern parts of the range. Many taxonomists consider these to be area variants and not worthy of subspecies designation while others hypothesize splitting the two into as many as four or more subspecies. As the care requirements are the same for both designations, for the purpose of this care sheet they will be referred to as Geochelone pardalis or simply the Leopard tortoise.

HOUSING LEOPARD TORTOISES INDOORS - The most useful form of indoor accommodation for Leopard tortoises consists of a “turtle table’.( How to Build an Indoor Land Turtle Table by David T. Kirkpatrick Ph.D) To all appearances this looks like a bookshelf unit flipped onto its back. A reasonable size for a hatchling is 2 foot by 2 foot, (60 cm by 60 cm). As the animal grows the size of this habitat should be increased. For an adult Leopard tortoise the indoor habitat should be at least 4 foot by 8 foot, (120 cm by 240 cm). Into the bottom of this “turtle table” holes can be cut to allow for the sinking of food, water and eventually nesting containers flush with the surface for easier animal access.

The water dish in the habitat should be large enough to allow the tortoise to soak in it if it wishes, it must also be shallow enough to protect from drowning. For larger tortoises photographic developing trays work well for this purpose. As a substrate in the dry portion of the environment a mixture of topsoil and children’s play sand or cypress bark works well, but for this and other arid loving species the substrate of choice for the author is grass hay. Grass hay is easily maintained and provides nourishment if they nibble it. This must be kept dry as Leopard tortoise cannot tolerate wet or constant high humidity conditions. If sand is used in the substrate this area should also not have food placed directly upon it as the sand can build up in the tortoises GI tract leading to possible impaction and even death. A completely separate sand-free area in the habitat should be utilized to feed.

In one corner of the environment a hardware store reflector clip light lamp should be positioned to provide artificial basking facilities. This should be positioned to provide a basking spot of 90 degrees F or so (32 degrees C) in that section of the habitat. The habitat should also be equipped with a full spectrum fluorescent light to provide for UVB. A UVB source is necessary for Vitamin D3 syntheses (needed in calcium metabolism). If preferred to this lighting arrangement a Mercury vapor bulb may be used that fulfills all requirements. There should be a hide box located in the corner away from the basking spot to allow the animal a cooler dim retreat.

OUTDOOR HOUSING - Predator proof outdoor habitats offer many advantages over indoor accommodations and should seriously be considered as an option during warm weather. In particular because of their large size and grazing habits Leopard tortoises should be kept out of doors when the climate allows if at all possible.

DIET - A high fiber, low protein and calcium rich diet will ensure good digestive tract function and smooth growth. Geochelone pardalis fed on cat or dog foods frequently die from renal failure or from impacted bladder stones of solidified urates. Avoid over reliance upon 'supermarket' greens and fruits, which typically contain inadequate fiber levels, excessive pesticide residues and are too rich in sugar and should be avoided. Leopard tortoises are a grazing species; every effort should be made to duplicate this diet in captivity. Fruit should be offered very rarely or not at all.

Diet:

• Orchard grass or hay
• Timothy or Bermuda Grass
• Leafy greens (dandelions, clover, endive, grape leaves, mulberry leaves etc.)
• Cactus pads

Additional calcium supplementation is essential. Powdered calcium can be sprinkled all foods. It is suggested that one use calcium supplemented with vitamin D3 if the animal is being maintained indoors and calcium without D3 if it is outdoors. Provision of a cuttlefish bone, which can be gnawed if desired, is also recommended.

This species does not hibernate in nature. Facilities should be provided for the continued health and well being of the tortoise, regardless of its size, indoors in cooler climates during the winter.

It should be noted that turtle and tortoise care research is ongoing. As new information becomes available we share this on the World Chelonian Trust web site at www.chelonia.org. Serious keepers find it to be a benefit to have the support of others who keep these species. Care is discussed in our free online email community, which may be joined from the web address above. Please contact us about the many benefits of becoming a member of the World Chelonian Trust.

from: Leopard Tortoise – Geochelone pardalis - Darrell Senneke

[Radiantpaper]

Hi

Found this one which has been of great use.

http://www.tortoise-protection-group...sheetMay08.pdf