FYI, I have regular leopards ready to go.
Sulcata Vs Leopard Tortoise
- Thread starter Ryansiegelreptiles
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- Nov 7, 2012
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- South of Southern California, but not Mexico
Some of the deeper POV of the geographic variants of leopard tortoises.
Those from the the area of Cape Town are considered an introduced population. There are no skeletal remains in cave trash piles pre-European colonization. They were initially selected and brought there by farmers who liked them around and because they taste good. Some of those selection pressures continue there and in captivity here. Some people breed true for the characteristics that make them what they are, some mix them back into less well defined groups.
There are several distinct population types, most of which are not know to be specifically available as that type. Many folks sell lines as dwarf, blond, etc and maybe they have selected for those characteristics maybe they just happen to have some that often turn out that way.
The United States has been short changed on this species as they were deemed to be a source (vector) for ticks that carry a disease potentially dangerous to cattle and other livestock. There are a few folks out there that have groups from potentially know places from before this happened (2001). But even if they imported the tortoises themselves they only have the word of the seller/shipper as to the validity of the source.
The whole point is to not get too caught up in the folklore of the tortoises. Find ones you like for what you see, not so much the story behind them.
I see many people sell leopards that are really good looking and started out with optimal conditions. They may or may not be 'south Africa', but they are great tortoises none-the-less.
In Europe and and many parts of Asia, there are many people who do breed specific geographic variants, and they field collected the adults.
Those from the the area of Cape Town are considered an introduced population. There are no skeletal remains in cave trash piles pre-European colonization. They were initially selected and brought there by farmers who liked them around and because they taste good. Some of those selection pressures continue there and in captivity here. Some people breed true for the characteristics that make them what they are, some mix them back into less well defined groups.
There are several distinct population types, most of which are not know to be specifically available as that type. Many folks sell lines as dwarf, blond, etc and maybe they have selected for those characteristics maybe they just happen to have some that often turn out that way.
The United States has been short changed on this species as they were deemed to be a source (vector) for ticks that carry a disease potentially dangerous to cattle and other livestock. There are a few folks out there that have groups from potentially know places from before this happened (2001). But even if they imported the tortoises themselves they only have the word of the seller/shipper as to the validity of the source.
The whole point is to not get too caught up in the folklore of the tortoises. Find ones you like for what you see, not so much the story behind them.
I see many people sell leopards that are really good looking and started out with optimal conditions. They may or may not be 'south Africa', but they are great tortoises none-the-less.
In Europe and and many parts of Asia, there are many people who do breed specific geographic variants, and they field collected the adults.
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