PARDALIS 10" BREEDER MALE

[Tortuga_terrestre]

I thought this was a beautiful tortoise. I dont know if its a pardalis? But it does have a nice shell. http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=50&de=797724 I have personally met this seller in the past and he has an awesome collection. Let me know what you guys think?

 

[Neal]

Great looking tortoise, don't know anything about the seller, but looks like a pardalis to me.

 

[samstar]

Looks like a pardalis pardalis to me which is the bigger of the two leopard species.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

He is so pretty...if only he was a she

Saranna

 

[Greg T]

That is a nice looking Leo, but I question his size. The pictured tort is more like 7-8" max, not 10". I have both sizes and the hand holding it up fits my smaller size just like the picture. You won't see the hand on a 10" tort. Not that's its a big deal, but this is one problem with buying a tort through the mail.

 

[GotTurtles]

Looks Babcocki to me

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

How can you tell it's pardalis? That looks A LOT like my leopard does and I've been told she's babcocki. Also, I agree with Greg, he doesn't look 10 inches.

 

[Tortuga_terrestre]

I would love to add this beautiful leopard to my collection. Im just short $849.00 lol. Its a bit much; but it is rare to find one with a nice shell like this one..I also agree...it doesnt look 10 inches.

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So I just called the seller of the this tortoise. He says its a P.Pardalis and it's about 10inches and 4 years old. Raised on a natural diet and kept outside.

 

[Neal]

How can you tell it's pardalis? That looks A LOT like my leopard does and I've been told she's babcocki. Also, I agree with Greg, he doesn't look 10 inches.

Really the only way to tell for certain is if the geographic origin is known by whoever bred the tortoise. Hatchling P.Pardalis typically have two dots on each scute, but not all the time.

The reason I think it's Pardalis is because the blonde coloring appears more dull than I've seen on babcocki's, and the color pattern "looks" more on the Pardalis side, but these are my own observations which can't verify with any amount of assurity weather it is in fact P. Pardalis.

 

[Tortuga_terrestre]

Check out the new pics of this beautiful leopard tortoise. I want this tortoise soooo bad.. Let me know what you guys think?
http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=50&de=799522

 

[Tortuga_terrestre]

Here are new pics of this tortoise. http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=50&de=799522

AHHH...I really want this tort.

 

[egyptiandan]

A very nice male who is about 9 inches SCL. It does though look like a Stigmochelys pardalis babcocki to me. Saying it's pardalis can't come back to haunt him either as pardalis is the species name and people will just assume he means pardalis pardalis. Sellers can be tricky that way.

Danny

 

[Tom]

Since opinions were asked for, I agree with Danny. It is Stigmochelys pardalis, but the subspecies looks like babcocki to me too.

Still, not a bad looking fellow.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm thinking it is a pardalis, however it is a pardalis babcocki, not a pardalis pardalis. Also, if you notice the measuring device is two inches out in front of the tortoise. You measure from the front of the shell, not the front of the head, so if you go to the back of the tape where the end of the carapace shows 11", you have to take off the two inches from the front and the tortoise is 9" like Danny said. Its a pretty tortoise, but they're asking too much for a pardalis babcocki.

 

[Greg T]

Yvonne and Danny, and whoever else too -

The size of this guy at 3 years seems awfully big for a babcocki, as I have read that they grow slower than the larger pardalis pardalis. I have two babcocki that are a few inches less than this guy and mine are probably 2 years older.

Am I mistaken that babcocki grow slower and not as large as a true pardalis pardalis?

 

[Tom]

Yvonne and Danny, and whoever else too -

The size of this guy at 3 years seems awfully big for a babcocki, as I have read that they grow slower than the larger pardalis pardalis. I have two babcocki that are a few inches less than this guy and mine are probably 2 years older.

Am I mistaken that babcocki grow slower and not as large as a true pardalis pardalis?

The growth rate is highly variable, and there are just too many variables involved, so size is just not a good indicator of age. Yes the Gpp do generally get larger than the Gpb, but they don't necessarily grow faster.