Identification please for leopard tortoises (I think)

[Emmie]

Hello I’m new here, excited to get lots of reading in.
I have rescued two gorgeous leopard tortoises but they look completely different.
I was wondering if anyone could identify them. I have read that there are sub species and even hybrid?
I’ve split them up since realizing they are opposite sexes but have had two clutches of eggs and have no idea what I’m doing, it’s always been a dream of mine to hatch tortoises since I was a little girl and so I was delighted but have no idea if they will be fertile. I’ve got them in a plastic box with holes in and vermiculite and then inside a polystyrene box sat on a beat mat with a digital thermometer it’s at 31c day time and 27c at night. Can anyone help? I’ll attach pics of my happy torts.

 

[Yvonne G]

One has been housed indoors (the darker one) and the other has been living outside. They are both the same species.

 

[Ink]

@Tom should be able to help you with the eggs. Welcome to the forum

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
I've had a leopard in the UK for the last 10 years and you're in the best place to learn all about caring for them.
Start by reading through this

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

and also look at the Info for New People thread which will answer a lot of questions, but if anything needs clarifying then please ask the forum - there is always someone ready to help.

There's a lot of old and unsafe information still circulating on other websites, social media etc so just follow the advice on TFO and your torts should thrive. Check what equipment you need here, before buying as pet shops rarely know about tort care and often sell unsuitable lamps etc. for profit

You're right to separate the torts, they are territorial and don't like company so whatever the gender they shouldn't be kept in pairs, as you'll see from the many threads where stress and injuries have resulted.

My tort was found in a field and the first vet I saw said that many African torts are dumped because they are expensive to keep - need heat, uvb and food all year around because they don't hibernate. So you may find it hard to find good 'forever' homes for babies. Youngsters will be easy because they don't need the space that juveniles and adults require but once they start to grow they need plenty of room. My tort has had his own adapted room since he was about 3 because he was too big for any enclosure.

There is a lot to learn to keep your torts happy and healthy and even after 10 years I still need the support of the members here, so I hope you find it as friendly and helpful as I have.

 

[Tom]

Hello I’m new here, excited to get lots of reading in.
I have rescued two gorgeous leopard tortoises but they look completely different.
I was wondering if anyone could identify them. I have read that there are sub species and even hybrid?
I’ve split them up since realizing they are opposite sexes but have had two clutches of eggs and have no idea what I’m doing, it’s always been a dream of mine to hatch tortoises since I was a little girl and so I was delighted but have no idea if they will be fertile. I’ve got them in a plastic box with holes in and vermiculite and then inside a polystyrene box sat on a beat mat with a digital thermometer it’s at 31c day time and 27c at night. Can anyone help? I’ll attach pics of my happy torts.

Hello and welcome.

31C is good for the eggs. 27C at night is too low. Try to keep them no lower than 30C at night. More info here:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

The thread Lyn left is great, and here is more helpful info for you:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org