The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is one of the largest tortoise species commonly kept as pets. Its popularity mostly comes from its ornately spotted shell—the inspiration for its feline moniker—and relaxed temperament.
Leopard tortoise care can be trickier than species like the Russian tortoise, making them less suitable for beginners. But, with the right knowledge and dedication, however, a leopard tortoise can be an extremely rewarding addition to the family.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about leopard tortoise care, including recommendations for housing, diet, proper handling, and more.
Characteristics
The leopard tortoise is a relatively large species native to the southern two-thirds of Africa (the only other species native to Africa larger than the leopard tortoise is the Sulcata tortoise). They are most commonly found in arid grasslands where food is plentiful.
An adult leopard tortoise measures 10 to 12 inches long, with some growing as large as 18 inches. On average, this tortoise weighs about 30 pounds at maturity. The females are typically bigger than the males, which is common among all tortoise species.
Leopard tortoises live a long time, even for a tortoise. In captivity, lifespans average 80 to 100 years.
Enclosures
A pet leopard tortoise doesn’t need daily walks or a basket full of toys. It does, however, need a safe and enriching environment where it can spend the vast majority of its time.
Housing Requirements
Most experts agree that the leopard tortoise is happiest living outside. This is usually fine as long as air temperatures stay above 50°F at night. If it gets colder where you live, you may want to house your tortoise indoors during part of the year.
It is possible to keep a leopard tortoise indoors year-round. However, due to their size, you’ll need plenty of space to ensure all of its needs are being met.
The recommended minimum space needed to house a single mature leopard tortoise ranges from 60 to 80 square feet, depending on the source. Young tortoises need less space, but can quickly outgrow a small enclosure. It’s worth investing in something bigger than the ‘bare minimum’ whenever possible.
Wherever you house your leopard tortoise, I recommend an enclosure with walls that are at least 18 inches high. This will keep your reptile companion from escaping over the top. Fortunately, leopard tortoises rarely burrow, so you don’t need to worry too much about them digging under the edge of an enclosure.
Environmental Conditions
Tortoise enclosures vary in style, material, and overall size. What they all share in common, however, is a healthy environment that supports the unique needs of its inhabitants.
This section covers the basics of providing the temperature, humidity, and lighting your leopard tortoise needs to thrive.
Temperature
Leopard tortoises do best when temperatures are between 70 and 100°F. According to Reptiles Magazine, indoor enclosures should be kept between 75 and 90°F, with access to a warm basking spot of around 95°F.
Tortoises housed outdoors should be provided with a variety of shelter options. If possible, I recommend setting up the enclosure somewhere that is partially shaded by trees or shrubs.
Your leopard tortoise knows how to regulate its body temperature, and will seek shade during the hottest parts of the day to avoid overheating. Leaving your tortoise outdoors with nowhere to escape the sun is very dangerous.
Similarly, indoor enclosures must be designed so that the tortoise inside can cool off as needed. A common technique is to install a basking lamp on one end of the enclosure, leaving the other end closer to room temperature.
Don’t just assume your tortoise enclosure is the proper temperature. Monitor the temperature with one or more thermometer sensors installed at shell height. I recommend placing one sensor directly under the basking light and another on the cool end of the enclosure.
Humidity
Leopard tortoises come from an arid climate and can handle lower humidity levels than some other species. High humidity is very important for hatchling tortoises, but rarely an issue for adults.
Very young leopard tortoises need humidity levels around 75% or higher to prevent dehydration. Juvenile tortoises (about 2 years old) prefer humidity levels around 60%. A mature leopard tortoise will thrive in humidity as low as 45%.
The best way to monitor the humidity in your tortoise’s enclosure is with a digital hygrometer. Avoid measuring directly under any lights in the enclosure, as the humidity in these areas will naturally be lower.
If you find that the humidity in your leopard tortoise enclosure is too low, consider adding a reptile fogger to the space. Another option is to partially cover the enclosure, which will trap more humidity within.
Lighting
Just like us, tortoises need natural sunlight to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D is extremely important for tortoises because it aids in calcium absorption, a major mineral component of their shells.
A leopard tortoise living in an outdoor enclosure will likely get enough sunlight during the day. If your tortoise will spend a significant amount of time indoors, you’ll need to supplement this natural sunlight with quality UVA/UVB lighting.
Most light bulbs sold for reptiles will provide UVA light, UVB light, or both. UVA and UVB are two types of UV light. Adequate UVA light will help your tortoise ‘sync up’ with the 24-hour day cycle. Meanwhile, UVB light is essential for the production of vitamin D.
I highly recommend connecting your tortoise’s UVA/UVB lighting to an automatic timer. This light (as well as your primary basking lamp) should be on for an average of 12 hours per day.
Substrate and Enrichment
Substrate is the material that goes on the bottom of your tortoise’s enclosure. There’s no rule saying that the entire enclosure must be filled with the same material and, in fact, I think it’s better to provide a variety of substrates whenever possible.
Despite its popularity as a tortoise substrate, most experts recommend against using any type of sand. Sand can be harsh on tortoise skin and eyes, and may pose a health risk if your leopard tortoise tries to eat it.
The best store-bought substrates include things like orchid bark and coconut coir. I also know tortoise owners who use regular (albeit clean) dirt to fill their enclosures. The most important thing is that you know where the substrate is coming from and that it is 100% free of harmful materials.
Filling different sections of the enclosure with different substrate materials and adding things like live (non-toxic) plants and small boulders will create an enriching environment for your pet tortoise.
Diet and Nutrition
Leopard tortoises are voracious grazers. To best mimic your pet tortoise’s natural diet, you’ll want to feed a variety of different fresh and dried grasses. This can be supplemented by different broadleaf weeds, leafy vegetables, and other produce like carrots or bell peppers as treats.
Fruit should be a very, very small portion of a tortoise’s diet. In fact, you can opt not to feed any fruit at all if you prefer. Tortoises just aren’t built to digest the amount of sugar found in fruit. If you do offer fruit as a rare treat, I recommend doing so no more than once or twice per month.
Each owner has a different routine for feeding their tortoises. At a minimum, you should plan to provide fresh food once per day. You can remove any uneaten food after a specific amount of time to prevent issues like rotting or pests.
Outdoor tortoises may graze on turf grass, landscape perennials, and weeds as well. For this reason, it’s crucial that outdoor enclosures are free of potentially toxic plant life (don’t forget about those plants growing outside of the enclosure that your tortoise might still be able to reach!).
Supplements and Vitamins
Most pet tortoises will benefit from a reptile vitamin supplement that is high in calcium. Your leopard tortoise shouldn’t need a vitamin D supplement—it should be getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun or its enclosure lighting.
Other supplements might be recommended by your vet depending on your leopard tortoise’s age, environment, and overall health.
Health and Wellness
Part of owning a pet tortoise is finding an experienced veterinarian who can help oversee their health. Not all vets treat tortoises, so you may need to travel further than expected for routine checkups or emergency visits.
A healthy tortoise should see a vet once a year. This annual visit will help ensure your leopard tortoise is feeling its best and that there are no issues in need of addressing.
Between visits, you’ll be responsible for making sure your tortoise has a good diet, gets adequate exercise, and isn’t deficient in any vitamins or minerals.
Common Health Issues
Leopard tortoises are more likely to suffer from respiratory infections than other species. This is most often caused by high humidity.
They are also susceptible to various bacterial and viral diseases that can be passed from one tortoise to another. It’s important to avoid contact between tortoises unless all animals have been checked by a qualified vet. Wash your hands thoroughly following contact with any other reptile (wild or captive).
Other common health issues stem from poor diet. Overfeeding can cause shell deformities such as shell pyramiding, among other issues. Diets high in fats or sugars may impede digestion.
Calcium deficiencies are incredibly common among pet tortoises, so much so that all tortoises should receive a calcium supplement of some kind in addition to their regular food. Your vet can help determine if your pet tortoise is getting enough calcium in its diet.
Handling and Behavior
Leopard tortoises are known for their shy personalities and are rarely aggressive (with the exception of males during the mating season). However, personality does vary from one animal to another, so some tend to be more outgoing.
Socialization and Handling
Like most tortoises, leopard tortoises dislike frequent handling. While it’s certainly possible to form a bond with your pet tortoise over time, you shouldn’t make a habit of handling it when not absolutely necessary.
Leopard tortoises are one of the few species that seem to enjoy the company of other tortoises. That doesn’t necessarily mean your pet tortoise will prefer living in a group to living alone, but it likely won’t have any major issues with it either.
Stress and Behavioral Issues
Common signs of stress in leopard tortoises include heavy breathing, excessive hiding, and disinterest in food. The best cure for a stressed tortoise is removing the stressors, which can sometimes be hard to identify. If your pet tortoise continues to show signs of stress or the condition worsens, consult with your vet.
Breeding
Breeding isn’t something the average tortoise owner needs to worry much about. If you find yourself curious about where baby tortoises come from or thinking about starting your own breeding business, this last section covers the basics.
Leopard tortoises reach sexual maturity when they are about 6 to 8 years old. Note that many tortoises start showing interest in the opposite sex a year or two before they are physically capable of actually reproducing.
After successfully breeding, it takes from 5 to 12 months for the average female leopard tortoise to lay her eggs. She can lay up to 30 at a time and may lay several clutches within a few weeks of each other.
In the wild, the nesting season lasts from May to October. Not all domestic tortoises follow this schedule, but it is a rough guideline nonetheless.
Breeding Considerations
If you want to breed leopard tortoises, you must start with a mating pair that is healthy and living in a stress-free environment. The female should be larger than the male to prevent health complications.
During pregnancy, the female absolutely must be well-hydrated. Dehydration is a major cause of egg deformities, which in turn pose a serious risk to the mother tortoise’s life.
Once it’s finally time to lay her eggs, the mother tortoise needs a stress-free environment with a substrate suitable for burrowing. Tortoises do not stay with their eggs like birds do, according to The Maryland Zoo. It’s common practice to remove the eggs and place them in an incubator once laid.
Even with the best equipment available, leopard tortoise eggs have a low hatch rate. It could take several tries before you produce any hatchlings. Even if you are successful, the incubation process can take up to 18 months!
If you have enjoyed reading this care guide, here’s a link to Understanding Leopard Tortoise Prices.
Citations
- Reptiles Magazine Leopard Tortoise Care Sheet
- Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital Basic Care: Leopard Tortoise
- PetHelpful How to Breed Your Leopard Tortoise
- The Maryland Zoo Leopard Tortoise
