Leopard Tortoise — care sheet

Intermediate. Not hard to feed, but hard to house well. A leopard tortoise is a large, grazing grassland animal that needs serious floor space (realistically a whole outdoor pen or a huge indoor table as an adult), strong UVB, a warm year-round climate, and a diet almost entirely of grass and weeds. The care is simple; the space, the decades-long commitment, and getting humidity right as a hatchling are what trip people up.

A grazer. Feed roughly 90% grasses and weeds and about 10% leafy "salad" greens. Great staples: Bermuda grass, orchard grass, timothy/grass hay, dandelion (leaves, stems, flowers), plantain (Plantago), sow thistle, clover, hibiscus leaves and flowers, mallow, grape leaves, and cactus pads (Opuntia), plus greens like endive, escarole, romaine, collard/mustard/turnip greens. High-fibre, low-protein, low-sugar. Fruit is not part of the natural diet: skip it, or offer only tiny amounts (well under 5% of the diet, or none) as a rare treat. Never feed dog/cat food or other animal protein.

Bigger than most people expect. Adults are best kept in a large outdoor pen where climate allows: a pair fits in roughly a 10 ft x 10 ft pen, and about 60-80 sq ft is a reasonable floor for a single adult, with a solid, opaque wall at least 18 in tall (buried 12-24 in) to stop pacing and digging out. Indoors, use the largest tortoise table you can build (a small terrarium is not adequate for an adult); hatchlings can start in a smaller table for the first year or two.

Basking spot about 95°F (35°C), with warm-side ambient around 82-85°F (28-29°C). Some vet sources cite a basking range up to ~95-104°F; aim for a clear hot spot near 95°F under the light with room to move away.

Cool end around 72-75°F (22-24°C). The whole point is a gradient so the tortoise can choose its temperature across the enclosure.

Nighttime can safely drop into the high 60s to low 70s°F (around 68-72°F / 20-22°C). If ambient falls below about 60°F, move the tortoise indoors or into a heated house kept around 60-70°F. Leopard tortoises are NOT a hibernating/brumating species.

High UVB need. Indoors, use a strong linear T5 HO tube such as an Arcadia T5 HO 12% or Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 10.0 running the length of the basking zone, mounted roughly 17-18 in above the shell to deliver a basking UV Index (UVI) of about 3.0-5.0 (verify with a Solarmeter). Run about 12-14 hours in summer and ~10 hours in winter. Natural unfiltered sunlight outdoors is even better (glass and most plastics block UVB).

Adults do well in moderately dry conditions, about 40-50%. Hatchlings and juveniles need noticeably more, roughly 60-80%, plus a humid hide/microclimate; this is a major factor in preventing shell pyramiding. Provide humid retreats even for adults so they can self-regulate. Wild leopards shelter in burrows and dense grass where humidity is much higher than the open savanna air.

A deep, slightly-damp organic substrate: plain topsoil, or topsoil mixed with coco coir (some keepers use a ~60/40 topsoil-to-play-sand blend), at least 3 in deep so they can dig in and hold humidity at ground level. Outdoors, natural soil planted with grasses works best. Avoid pure sand and dry, dusty beddings; spot-clean often and refresh indoor substrate every few months.

Keep a cuttlebone in the enclosure at all times for free-choice calcium. Lightly dust food with a plain calcium (calcium carbonate) supplement a couple of times a week for adults and more often for growing juveniles and gravid females. With strong UVB or natural sunlight plus a varied grazing diet, added vitamin D3 is usually unnecessary; avoid over-supplementing.

Commonly 10-18 in (25-45 cm) carapace and roughly 20-40 lb, with larger subspecies/individuals reaching 24-30 in and well over 40 lb. One of the larger tortoises kept as pets.

Typically 50-100 years; 80-100 years is a realistic captive figure with good care. Plan for a pet that may outlive you and needs to be written into your estate plans.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Not eating for an extended period, sunken eyes, or a lightweight 'hollow' feel when lifted (signs of dehydration/anorexia).; Runny or bubbly nose, mouth-breathing, wheezing, gaping, or lots of mucus (possible respiratory infection/pneumonia) - a common and serious problem in tortoises kept too cold or damp-cold.; Soft, misshapen, or rapidly pyramiding shell, soft jaw, or weak/wobbly legs (possible metabolic bone disease).; Straining, no urates/feces, or gritty white stones passed or stuck (possible bladder stones or impaction).; Swollen, weepy, or crusted eyes; swellings, abscesses, or a beak/nails badly overgrown.; Diarrhea, worms visible in feces, or a new tortoise before it has had a fecal check (parasites). See a reptile/exotics vet for any of these; this list is for triage, not diagnosis..