# Who's got the smoothest shelled Leopard?



## Neal (Oct 17, 2010)

Got this idea from another thread I started. Of the hundreds of pictures I have seen of leopard tortoises, I have yet to see one as smooth as my youngest. I thought it would be fun to show off your leopards if you think you can beat mine (not to mention having more pictures to drool over). If you think your's is smoother, show me da picture!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Tom (Oct 17, 2010)

All of mine are smoother. Of course, they are only 4-6 weeks old. Haha.


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## Az tortoise compound (Oct 17, 2010)

7 yr old male.


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## Mao Senpai (Oct 17, 2010)

The smoothest I've seen I believe the name was Esmerelda. She is a real beauty!


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## DeanS (Oct 18, 2010)

Mao Senpai said:


> The smoothest I've seen I believe the name was Esmerelda. She is a real beauty!



OOOH! I almost forgot about her...one of my first posts on the forum...
http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Esmerelda


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## Tom (Oct 18, 2010)

What a great thread. ATC, how was that one raised? Very nice.


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## Neal (Oct 18, 2010)

Ya, a little hard to compete with Esmerelda I guess. I'll have to see in a few years if mine comes close to her or ATC's male.


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## Mao Senpai (Oct 18, 2010)

Just look at that face! I can only hope mine will be just as beautiful.


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## Yourlocalpoet (Oct 18, 2010)

Mao Senpai said:


> Just look at that face! I can only hope mine will be just as beautiful.



Is this the beautiful face in question?





I don't know about the smoothest but stupidest definitely.


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## DeanS (Oct 18, 2010)

I'll say it again...GORGEOUS!


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## Az tortoise compound (Oct 18, 2010)

He was raised in all the "wrong" ways (for those times). Lol! Indoors in a large open topped aquarium. He has been kept outside for the last two-three years. He has a wading pool he uses and he gets hosed down good and proper at least once a day. It's a "dry" heat here in AZ! We have to water everyday in order to grow enough edible landscaping and grasses for them.


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## Mao Senpai (Oct 18, 2010)

Shell:

Yes that is the face! =) just looking at yours always puts a smile on my face.
Now I want another.... oh darn it, mustn't!


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## yagyujubei (Oct 20, 2010)

This 5" female is pretty smooth, unfortunately, I think she had a very rough first year, and has deformed/non growing scutes.


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## TylerStewart (Oct 20, 2010)

My best shot at it.... CB, raised in Texas:


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## Neal (Oct 20, 2010)

yagyujubei, I think your tortoise is great even with the deformed scutes the shells pretty smooth.

Tyler, that's amazing for a CB! I'll ask the Tom question: Any info on how it was raised?


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## TylerStewart (Oct 20, 2010)

I don't have much history on it.... It was originally purchased by a guy I know from a Florida dealer in 1991 as a large baby in the 4" range.... I guess, in theory, it could have been an import, so maybe the CB claim shouldn't be used, but I assume it was the TX humidity that kept it smooth.


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## Kristina (Oct 20, 2010)

yagyujubei said:


> This 5" female is pretty smooth, unfortunately, I think she had a very rough first year, and has deformed/non growing scutes.



Those scutes leaning in like that are a sign of MBD (metabolic bone disease.) Make sure she gets plenty of sunshine and calcium, and she should be fine in the long run  Pretty girl!


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## pugsandkids (Oct 20, 2010)

Aggh, I can't wait till I get a Leopard! Such gorgeous creatures, thanks for sharing the pictures, and info.


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

yagyujubei: is that a pardalis, you've got there? 

here's my baby:





but she's only just a year old, this month. 

..and not a fan of bath time.


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

she weighs 24 lbs and just layed 7 eggs and is 13 years old


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

onarock said:


> she weighs 24 lbs and just layed 7 eggs and is 13 years old



beauty!


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Onarock, that tortoise looks HUGE and smooth!! Nice one, and 13 years old? Wow, my female is 12 years and 11 inches.


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> Onarock, that tortoise looks HUGE and smooth!! Nice one, and 13 years old? Wow, my female is 12 years and 11 inches.



Thanks. Yeah she is big, but not my biggest female. The little guy behind her in this pic is 11". Neal, I think she is an example of why I love babcocki. They can get good size, I love the round shells and I love the speckeled coloration they tend to keep over time. They are a bit more challenging than pardalis, but its worth the work.


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

That's exactly why I like them too. The pardalis I have seen are not as colorful as babcocki's.


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## coreyc (Dec 7, 2010)

onarock said:


> Neal Butler said:
> 
> 
> > Onarock, that tortoise looks HUGE and smooth!! Nice one, and 13 years old? Wow, my female is 12 years and 11 inches.
> ...



Onarock can you take some pic's of your other leo's I would love to see them all how many do you have ?


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

coreyc said:


> onarock said:
> 
> 
> > Neal Butler said:
> ...



I only have 4 and yes I can post more pics.


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## TylerStewart (Dec 7, 2010)

P. Pardalis are rare(er), supposedly bigger, supposedly easier to keep (although I've never seen a difference in ease of care), but it'd be hard to argue that any pardalis looks better than a good looking babcocki....


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

yeah baby! Tyler and Onarock, we should all get together and start Babcocki fever with everyone and put Tom outa business!  (I'm joking everyone)


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

Tyler, those are Gems!


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## Tom (Dec 7, 2010)

Yeah, and YOU'LL be outa business after the first cold spell... we'll see a post asking about Baytril dosages for leopards with runny noses...

Meanwhile, mine will be getting extra hydration by eating the grass with the morning's frost still on it...

haha


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> yeah baby! Tyler and Onarock, we should all get together and start Babcocki fever with everyone and put Tom outa business!  (I'm joking everyone)



that sounds great, but I have a feeling that my p.pardalis would find out and start hating on me. I love them both.


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## zzzdanz (Dec 7, 2010)

Tyler, those last 2 are awesome!..There are some really nice looking Leopards in these pics.


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Oh it's on now! I'm feeling a Babcocki vs. Pardalis debate coming on.....I'll see you after finals!


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## TylerStewart (Dec 7, 2010)

LOL, come on, Tom, I think you're relying on books to tell you that one is more "cold hardy" than another. I've kept them all for years in cold and hot and none does any differently than another. My yellowfoots experience the same cold as my leopards, and my elongateds, and my everything else, and as far as I'm concerned, there's no tortoise species that is more "cold hardy" than another (certainly not a sub species difference). They'll die at 25 degrees, and live at 30. Cold hardiness is a sales pitch.


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

And in this corner.........


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## Tom (Dec 7, 2010)

No, not at all. In fact, I can't remember seeing that in any book. When I picked up the hatchlings it was 53 degrees, overcast and 8:30 in the morning. All the Gpp were up and about, grazing and walking around. One female was even digging a nest. NONE of his other species were out of their heated boxes, including the babcocks. I also saw wild ones running around doing their thing in the 50's down at the Cape Point Preserve in SA. None of my old babcocks were up and moving at those temps.

Further, the climate where they come from is vastly different. You have to think that that means something, don't you?

Like Vince that did the Bowsprit presentation at the TTPG said, if you want Bowsprits to survive, you have to move to an area with the right climate.


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## TylerStewart (Dec 7, 2010)

Tom said:


> Further, the climate where they come from is vastly different. You have to think that that means something, don't you?



I agree that certain torts are going to be out and about at different temperature ranges than others for sure, I just don't know that I'd call that "cold hardiness." My russians are out more when it's 65 than my pancakes are, but they'd both be dead at 25 degrees LOL. If one could live through 25 degrees, I'd call that one cold hardy.


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

TylerStewart said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Further, the climate where they come from is vastly different. You have to think that that means something, don't you?
> ...



good point Tyler I guess you would call that a behavior not an adaptation. I get it. Never thought of it that way....HMMMM


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## Marty333 (Dec 7, 2010)

Does anyone have pics of an adult p.paradalis? I dont believe I have ever seen one.


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Dec 7, 2010)

[/quote]

Is the tortoise on the left the same one on your website for sale??? I want to buy that tortoise, I have my Army Bonus coming up in March. I am so going to get a nice tortoise like that one.


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## TylerStewart (Dec 7, 2010)

Yeah, it's for sale on the site because it was supposed to be a girl. I'm keeping the other one.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Dec 9, 2010)

onarock said:


> she weighs 24 lbs and just layed 7 eggs and is 13 years old



Very nice.



Tortuga_terrestre said:


>



Is the tortoise on the left the same one on your website for sale??? I want to buy that tortoise, I have my Army Bonus coming up in March. I am so going to get a nice tortoise like that one.
[/quote]

Very Nice.





Tortuga_terrestre said:


>



Is the tortoise on the left the same one on your website for sale??? I want to buy that tortoise, I have my Army Bonus coming up in March. I am so going to get a nice tortoise like that one.
[/quote]

Very Nice.


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