Leopard tortoise breeding & leopard tortoise husbandry

Leopard tortoise breeding and leopard tortoise husbandry information is below.  Please do your research if you’re looking into becoming a leopard tortoise breeder.  Leopard tortoises are monogamous, and both males and females become increasingly aggressive when searching for a mate. They fight for mates by butting and ramming rivals. During courtship, males follow their potential mate and repeatedly run into them until the females become immobilized. Males sometimes lift their mate off the ground by ramming them. Females become defensive and in some cases try to escape. During copulation, males mount the female and extend their necks and grunt during mating.

Mating System: monogamous

Leopard tortoises breed from May to October. Males become reproductively mature by five years of age, and although the specific age of maturation is unknown, females are thought to become reproductively mature later than males. After mating, females dig a hole in the ground, ranging from 100 to 300 mm deep, in which to lay her eggs. The frail eggs are white and spherical. Gestation ranges from 9 to 12 months and varies according to location, temperature, and precipitation. Females lay 5 to 7 clutches during a single breeding season, with each clutch separated from the previous by about 3 to 4 weeks. Clutches range from 5 to 30 eggs, with larger female having larger clutches.

Breeding interval: Leopard tortoises breed once yearly.

Breeding season: Leopard tortoises breed from May to October.

Range number of baby leopard tortoise offspring: 5 to 30.

Range leopard tortoises gestation period: 9 to 14 months.

Average Leopard tortoise gestation period: 12 months.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 5 to 6 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 5 years.

Paternal care in leopard tortoises is non-existent, as males leave directly after copulation. Females dig a hole in which to lay their eggs, which ranges in depth from 100 to 300 mm. After the eggs are laid, she covers them and leaves. Hatchlings are immediately independent upon emerging.

A variety of leopard tortoises for sale here at Tortoise Town!

At tortoise town, we have a variety of leopard tortoises for sale.  We have adult leopard tortoises, juvenile leopard tortoise, well started baby leopard tortoise and leopard tortoise hatchling sizes.  As leopard tortoise breeders we work with both regular leopard tortoises for sale, and giant south african leopard tortoises.