- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 5,169
- Location (City and/or State)
- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
I can assure you as for an interest in leopard tortoises Somalia and Ethiopia are of great desire. However about 2001 or so the USDA made the import of leopard tortoises, and a few other species, into the United States prohibited. They sometimes carry external parasites that may or may not carry a disease that could damage the cattle industry in the US.
The interest to keep raise and breed lines of tortoises from know localities is ever stronger, and this law has prevented this kind of interest to a great extent.
Another conflict in this general interest direction is the changing of specific latin names and the science behind it. Two subspecies were integrated into one species with several geographic variants.
Also consider this. Leopard tortoises, at least the ones from this most northern part of the range are the only large tortoise with a colorful domed shell. Sulcatas are not really colorful and are not so domed. Aldabras and Galops are bigger, some populations species domed, some not, but completely void of coloration. Burmese forest tortoises can also exceed 100 pounds (50 kilos) but are also a single often dull color. The few Yellow-foots that get giant are sorta domed but low color variation in the shell if any at all.
So, if you have a large backyard and want a colorful large tortoise, these leopards are it.
Large radiated are very colorful but one over 30 pounds is rare if ever seen.
I have noticed in many of these images some of the large leopards loose their pattern, but many have a crazy wonderful leopard pattern.
Leo for the most part are not so personable compared to some of these others. I have to consider though that these really big ones may get over their reluctance to be touched and may show interest in interaction not just respond to food. I hope to find out directly someday if this is true.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, that is a really good looking tortoise.
The interest to keep raise and breed lines of tortoises from know localities is ever stronger, and this law has prevented this kind of interest to a great extent.
Another conflict in this general interest direction is the changing of specific latin names and the science behind it. Two subspecies were integrated into one species with several geographic variants.
Also consider this. Leopard tortoises, at least the ones from this most northern part of the range are the only large tortoise with a colorful domed shell. Sulcatas are not really colorful and are not so domed. Aldabras and Galops are bigger, some populations species domed, some not, but completely void of coloration. Burmese forest tortoises can also exceed 100 pounds (50 kilos) but are also a single often dull color. The few Yellow-foots that get giant are sorta domed but low color variation in the shell if any at all.
So, if you have a large backyard and want a colorful large tortoise, these leopards are it.
Large radiated are very colorful but one over 30 pounds is rare if ever seen.
I have noticed in many of these images some of the large leopards loose their pattern, but many have a crazy wonderful leopard pattern.
Leo for the most part are not so personable compared to some of these others. I have to consider though that these really big ones may get over their reluctance to be touched and may show interest in interaction not just respond to food. I hope to find out directly someday if this is true.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, that is a really good looking tortoise.
