# Leopard tortoise (*Stigmochelys pardalis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/leopard-tortoise  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises group, belonging to the family Testudinidae in the order Testudines. It is a medium-sized animal with an adult body mass of 20 kg. Its eggs incubate for 160 days, clutches hold 8.67 eggs and up to 13, and sexual maturity is reached at 9.5 years, with reported values from 5.5 to 13.5 years. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category, and its lifespan is given as 30 years, with values up to 100 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 20 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 30 years – 100 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland |
| Egg incubation | 160 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 8.67 – 13 |
| Age at maturity | 5.5 years – 13.5 years |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Testudines
- family: Testudinidae
- genus: Stigmochelys
- species: *Stigmochelys pardalis* (Bell, 1828)

Synonyms: *Centrochelys pardalis*, *Geochelone pardalis*, *Geochelone pardalis*, *Geochelone pardalis pardalis*, *Megachersine pardalis*, *Megachersine pardalis*, *Psammobates pardalis*, *Psammobates pardalis*, *Testudo biguttata*, *Testudo bipunctata*, *Testudo pardalis*, *Testudo pardalis babcocki*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the leopard tortoise?

The leopard tortoise is a reptile in the turtles and tortoises group, classified in the family Testudinidae and the order Testudines.

### How heavy is a leopard tortoise?

An adult leopard tortoise has a body mass of 20 kg, which places it in the medium size class.

### How long does a leopard tortoise live?

Its lifespan is given as 30 years, and values up to 100 years have been reported.

### Is the leopard tortoise endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List classifies the leopard tortoise as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How many eggs does a leopard tortoise lay?

A leopard tortoise clutch holds 8.67 eggs, with up to 13 reported, and the eggs incubate for 160 days.

### When does a leopard tortoise reach sexual maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 9.5 years, with reported values from 5.5 to 13.5 years.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/leopard-tortoise