| Leopard tortoise | |
|---|---|
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| On the S90 Road north of Satara,Kruger National Park,South Africa | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Stigmochelys |
| Species: | S. pardalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Stigmochelys pardalis | |
| Synonyms[5] | |
Synonyms
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Theleopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a large and attractively markedtortoise found in thesavannas of eastern and southern Africa, fromSudan to the southernCape Province. It is the only extant member of the genusStigmochelys, although in the past, it was commonly placed inGeochelone.[3] This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, oraardvark burrows. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favorssucculents andthistles.
The phylogenic placement of the leopard tortoise has been subject to several revisions. Different authors have placed it inGeochelone (1957),Stigmochelys (2001),Centrochelys (2002), andPsammobates (2006). More recently, consensus appears to have settled onStigmochelys, a monotypic genus.[3][4][1] Considerable debate has occurred about the existence of two subspecies,S. p. pardalis andS. p. babcocki, but recent work does not support this distinction.[1]
Stigmochelys is a combination of Greek words:stigma meaning "mark" or "point" andchelone meaning "tortoise". Thespecific namepardalis is from the Latin wordpardus meaning "leopard" and refers to the leopard-like spots on the tortoise's shell.
The leopard tortoise is the fourth-largest species of tortoise in the world, with typical adults reaching 40 cm (16 in) and weighing 13 kg (29 lb). Adults tend to be larger in the northern and southern ends of their range, where typical specimens weigh up to 20 kg (44 lb), and an exceptionally large tortoise may reach 70 cm (28 in) and weigh 40 kg (88 lb).[6]
Thecarapace is high and domed with steep, almost vertical sides. Juveniles and young adults are attractively marked with black blotches, spots, or even dashes and stripes on a yellow background. In mature adults, the markings tend to fade to a nondescript brown or grey. The head and limbs are uniformly colored yellow, tan, or brown.[6]
They are widely distributed across the arid and savanna regions of eastern and southern Africa, extending fromSouth Sudan and Somalia, acrossEast Africa, toSouth Africa andNamibia. The species is generally absent from the humid forest regions ofCentral Africa. Over this range, the leopard tortoise occupies the most varied habitats of any African tortoise, including grasslands, thorn-scrub, mesic brushland, and savannas. They can be found at altitudes ranging from sea level to 2,900 m (9,500 ft).[3][1]
Leopard tortoises areherbivorous; their diet consists of a wide variety of plants including forbs, thistles, grasses, and succulents. They consume berries and other fruits when available.[7] They sometimes gnaw on bones or even ash and hyena feces to obtain calcium, necessary for bone development and their eggshells.[7] Seeds can pass undigested through the gut, so the leopard tortoise plays a significant role in seed dispersal. Normally active during the day, they are less active during hot weather or during the dry season.[1][6]
The leopard tortoise reaches sexual maturity between 12 and 15 years old,[1] and may live as long as 80 to 100 years.[8] During the mating season, males fight over females, ramming and butting their competitors. They trail after females for quite some distance, often ramming them into submission. When mating, the male makes grunting vocalizations. Nesting occurs between May and October when the female digs a hole and lays a clutch of five to 30 eggs. As many as five to seven clutches may be laid in a single season. Incubation takes 8–15 months depending on temperature.[9] The numerous predators of the eggs and hatchlings include monitor lizards, snakes, jackals, and crows. Adults have few natural predators, but lions and hyenas have occasionally been reported preying on them.[1]
The leopard tortoise is a widespread species and remains common throughout most of its range. Human activities, including agricultural burning, consumption, and especially commercial exploitation in the pet trade, are potential threats, but have not yet caused significant population declines. They are increasingly being bred in captivity for the pet trade. For example, most tortoises exported from Kenya and Tanzania originate in captive-breeding programs, alleviating collection from the wild.[1]
The leopard tortoise has been listed in Appendix II of CITES since 1975, and in 2000, the United States banned their import because of the risk posed byheartwater, an infectious disease carried by tortoise ticks that could seriously impact the US livestock industry.
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Authority control databases: National |
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