# Looking for unique leopard



## Romeo Serback (Jul 25, 2018)

Who in the forum sells unique leopards? Any recommendations? I've been reading every post I can trying to find my first perfect friend.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 25, 2018)

I don't know about "unique" but @Will has some well-started leopards.


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 25, 2018)

I guess what I was trying to say is get a high white leopard? I like the lighter carapaces. I think they're beautiful and if I'm going to get a first one, I want him/her to be a unique one considering it'll be alive longer than me.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Jul 25, 2018)

To "know" it is high white it will have to be several month to a few years old. I don't know of a reliable way to sort this out with fresh hatchlings. You might watch the 'for sale' here on TFO and see what older individuals show up.


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 25, 2018)

I will Will. Thanks!


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## Yvonne G (Jul 25, 2018)

Just to show you what Will is talking about, this baby was black when he hatched back in March:




And look how he's changing, just four months later:




So you can't buy a baby and expect it to stay the color it is as a baby.


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 25, 2018)

Oh. Okay. But is it possible that if one is lighter at a hatchling that it will get lighter as it gets older? I mean, if that's the case, I'll opt for the lighter one. I know all tortoises are beautiful in their intricate ways, but I've always had a soft spot for the lighter ones.


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 25, 2018)

So what is a snow leopard tortoise, if there is such a thing?


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## Yvonne G (Jul 26, 2018)

It's a name someone put on a regular leopard to make more money off of it. A lighter colored animal is usually just one that has not ever seen the sun. They darken up once they're set up outside. 

Take a look at this thread:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/is-this-an-ivory-leopard.157532/


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 26, 2018)

Oh. That's interesting!


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## Neal (Jul 26, 2018)

There are quite a few gimmicks out there with leopard tortoises, like the Ivory Leopard from Tortoise Town, that may look unique but never amounts to anything extraordinary as the tortoise grows. Even "high white" leopards could have a long growth stretch that is all blonde, but then start growing all black. 

Take a look at this fella I hatched out a couple years ago. Still one of the coolest patterns I've seen when it initially hatched out, but you can see as it grew the pattern started to look just like any normal leopard. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/young-leopard-tortoise.133221/

My take on leopard tortoises is that each and every one is unique. Even among siblings, no two will grow up to have the same pattern. They will all go through phases where they maybe don't look as pretty as others, but if you raise them properly and are patient, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous adult specimen that is completely unique.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 26, 2018)

Neal said:


> There are quite a few gimmicks out there with leopard tortoises, like the Ivory Leopard from Tortoise Town, that may look unique but never amounts to anything extraordinary as the tortoise grows. Even "high white" leopards could have a long growth stretch that is all blonde, but then start growing all black.
> 
> Take a look at this fella I hatched out a couple years ago. Still one of the coolest patterns I've seen when it initially hatched out, but you can see as it grew the pattern started to look just like any normal leopard. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/young-leopard-tortoise.133221/
> 
> My take on leopard tortoises is that each and every one is unique. Even among siblings, no two will grow up to have the same pattern. They will all go through phases where they maybe don't look as pretty as others, but if you raise them properly and are patient, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous adult specimen that is completely unique.


I would love to see what that tortoise looks like now, a couple years later. He was so different as a hatchling.


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## teresaf (Jul 26, 2018)

This is my light leopard at 4-5 months old and him 6 years later.... I got him when he was 5 years old and granted he didn't get much light and during his growing spurts I think he would have been lighter-colored anyway because of his Original start color(very beige-y)but I could be wrong.


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## Romeo Serback (Jul 26, 2018)

Wow! Beautiful!!!


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## Yvonne G (Jul 26, 2018)

teresaf said:


> This is my light leopard at 4-5 months old and him 6 years later.... I got him when he was 5 years old and granted he didn't get much light and during his growing spurts I think he would have been lighter-colored anyway because of his Original start color(very beige-y)but I could be wrong.
> View attachment 246318
> View attachment 246319


He's exceptionally pretty, and looking very male, shapewise.


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