MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source ↗
Leopard Tortoise
Bergskilpad · Stigmochelys pardalis
The largest tortoise in Kruger, named for the beautiful black-and-yellow leopard-spot patterns on its high, domed shell. A gentle plant-eater, it munches grasses, succulents and fallen fruit. Slow and harmless, it is often spotted plodding across roads, so drivers watch carefully. It can live for many decades and pulls its head and legs into its shell when scared.
Log your Leopard Tortoise sighting — free →How to identify it
A high, dome-shaped tortoise with bold black-and-yellow blotches like leopard spots all over its shell.
Where to see it in Kruger
Widespread in grassland and savanna across the whole park, very often seen slowly crossing the tar roads in the early morning.
Did you know
It is one of the few tortoises that can swim, and it sometimes eats bones and old droppings to get extra calcium for its shell!
See it? Log it — free.
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