Okay, so yesterday was Monkey Monday which means today is going to be Tortoise Tuesday. To tell you the truth, that was just a coincidence but I might see if I can keep this trend going all week long. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves since we still need to finish talking about the Leopard Tortoise. This particular tortoise is actually the forth largest tortoise species in the world. Not too shabby Mr. Leopard Tortoise. If you want to catch a glimpse of these massive reptiles then you need to head to the African savanna. Yep, there are tortoises roaming around in the hot African sun.
I know I said that these animals are the fourth largest of their kind and I also know that you are dying to find out just how big they are. Well my friends I am going to feed your curiosity right………..now. The Leopard Tortoise can weigh up to an amazing 54 kilograms. And for my metric challenged readers, that is about 120 lbs. As with other tortoise species this particular one also has a hard shell and the ability to pull their limbs in so that no part is left exposed. That is a pretty handy defense tactic if you ask me.
While you are wandering through the savanna you probably won’t come across herds of these reptiles. Nope, the Leopard Tortoise is a solitary animal that spends most of their time grazing on grasses. You may not get to see a group of these guys but you could see the same one over and over again throughout your life. This is due to the fact that the Leopard Tortoise can live up to 100 years. This just further proves that the pull your limbs into your shell trick really is a great defense mechanism.
I guess it is a great thing these animals are able to live so long since they don’t reach maturity for up to 10 years. Once they reach maturity the females will lay her clutch of eggs (which could contain as many as 18 eggs) into burrows in the sand. She covers up the burrows and voila, her parenting is done. I guess the Leopard Tortoise must save a lot on babysitters.
That does it for Tortoise Tuesday. Make sure you check back here to see what Wednesday brings us. Enjoy the rest of your day!
