This girl is huge - anyone care to guess which kind she is? I don't know much about the Pardalis, but considering her size I would guess she might be one. Or maybe a hybrid?
The pattern doesn't look like a typical South African leopard, but the marginal flaring certainly does. I assume since you are in So Cal that this tortoise may have originated in So Cal? It wouldn't surprise me if it did have some significant SA genetics.
The guy who now owns Aladar has a HUGE leopard...right around 120#. He showed me a picture on his phone...and although that's not the most reliable source...the scale between him and the brick planter next to him left little doubt! He's also the premier Leopcata breeder I know of...which isn't saying much. For the record, I neither condone nor condemn hybridizing the two!
Two posts in leopards...WTF!?!? I'm going back to sulcatas...where I belong!