A couple of tourists photograph with a land turtle camp near Savute Elephant Camp by Orient Express in Botswna, in the Chobe National Park. The leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) is a species of turtle and surrounded Testudinidae family who lives in the savannah of Africa, from Sudan to South Africa. This tortoise is a turtle grass living in semi-arid areas, in grassland, although some leopard tortoises have been found in wetter areas. This is the most widely distributed tortoise in South Africa. It has a wide distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, including recorded localities in southern Sudan, Ethiopia, East Africa (including Natal), Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and South Africa. The G. pardalis are the fourth largest species of tortoise after African spurs turtle (Geochelone sulcata) Tortoise Galapagos and Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea). The genus name is a combination of two words: Geo (γαια) meaning "land" or "land" in Greek, and Chelone (Χελωνη), which means "turtle". Its specific name pardalis is the word pardus, meaning "leopard" and refers to stains leopardas turtle shell. The leopard tortoise has two recognized subspecies: Geochelone pardalis pardalis The less common, both in captivity and in the wild, is located mainly in South Africa, in a small area comprising the western South Africa and southern Namibia. It is characterized by a darker (more black than the presence of yellow). Males of this subspecies are dimensionally larger than the females, and in general is the largest subspecies. Geochelone pardalis babcocki The most common, is distributed over a vast area that stretches from Ethiopia to South Africa. The main differences are the increased presence of yellow to black, generally smaller size (apart from the giants of Ethiopia and Somalia), and the size of the males smaller than females. Besides the adult backrest this subspecies have more convex. The offspring of both subspecies can be distinguished by the color of the areola, in G. p. babcocki black spots core plaques are along the midline while the G. p. pardalis are lateral. The leopard tortoise is the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world and the second largest in Africa after Geochelone sulcata, adults can reach 60 cm. The larger specimens can reach 70 cm in length, giant leopard tortoises in Ethiopia and Somalia can reach 100 cm in exceptional cases. The average adult size is 35-40 cm with an average weight of 13-18 kg, although some specimens can reach and measure 50-60 cm and reach a weight of 40 kg.1 is a big turtle very attractive. The shell is high and vaulted, and the pyramid-shaped shield s not uncommon. The skin color and the background color is cream to yellow, and the shell is marked with black spots, stains and even dashes or stripes. Each leopard tortoise is marked uniquely. It is characterized by a predominantly colored yellow with irregular black spots around the shell, but some specimens may show a greater lack of black that makes it even more special. The plastron is light, with darker features. The shell has a pyramidal shape. The skin of the legs and head and is clear. It is a very long-lived animal, the leopard tortoise does not reach sexual maturity until it is between the ages of 12 and 15 years. The leopard tortoises in captivity, however, grow faster and can mature with only six years of age. The leopard tortoise male chases the female and hits the shell for you to stay still. During mating, the male emits loud vocalizations. After mating, the female lays a setting composed of between five and 30 eggs, although the average is between eight and ten. The South African leopard tortoise (G. pardalis pardalis) is much more difficult to breed in captivity than the common leopard tortoise, g. p. babcocki. In the incubator the temperature should be maintained between 28 ° C and 30 ° C and a humidity of 80% and a substrate moist. Hatching time varies between 130 and 180 days. On the day of hatching, often hastened by a rainy day, turtle breeding egg breaks by a horny tubercle located between the external nares and upper jaw that disappears after a few days. Hatching is forty-eight hours a period during which the yolk sac is absorbed completely. The leopard tortoise is adapted exclusively herbivorous species in arid environments. Need a diet with a high fiber content and high levels of calcium, herbal field as dandelion, plantain, clover and alfalfa, but especially thorny plants also dry herbs. Their diet is mostly hay, a few vegetables, herbs, field mixed salad, chicory, endive, alfalfa, hibiscus flowers, clover, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, beets, lettuce, watercress, and tubers in general. Lack of fiber causes problems such as diarrhea and dehydration, weight loss, bowel collapse, increased susceptibility to intestinal worms and flagellates. It will also be recommended that they add calcium to your food, to strengthen your bones and shell. It should also be noted that they need to have on hand a bowl with fresh water. You should not have more than 5 or 10 cm deep, and the water will be renewed daily. High doses of protein or phosphorus together with calcium intake exigua cause permanent deformation of the backrest and organ damage. An obvious symptom of poor diet is a trellis with spiky and ridged scales at the sutures, a phenomenon known as pyramiding. Instead, a smooth carapace oval indicates proper nutrition. A captive leopard tortoises should be allowed to graze on grass or turf. Its diet consists mainly of grass, all kinds of herbs. Your diet should be full of fiber and should be given a calcium supplement. The diet can be supplemented with green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale, and turnip greens. Grape leaves, if any, are very nutritious and a good addition to the diet. They can also be fed fresh and dried alfalfa, but only in small quantities, as it is very high in protein. Animal protein is very harmful, and the fruit should not be taken since it contains too little sugar and calcium, and their causes diarrhea and inernos parasite multiplication. The blades of the prickly pear cactus and bring lots of fiber and calcium, making them ideal for leopard tortoise.