Shell color changes due to sun?

[lvstorts]

All,
I've just taken in a rescue Leopard whose owner purposefully kept him out of the sun to keep his shell very white. I've heard of the sun changing or enhancing shell color but a few questions for those more experienced than me with Leopards:
1. Is this a normal practice? What is the purpose? Looks? Value?
2. If I get him in the sun (I'm a firm believer of creating a climate as close as possible to their native climate, which I'm sure includes sun!) do I run some sort of risk because he's had limited exposure (of course I'll provide plenty of areas for him to get out of the sun! )?
3. Can anyone tell me what subspecies he is?

 

[leigti]

Did they provide him UVB of any sort? I'm definitely no expert but I think son is great hopefully some experienced people will come along soon.

 

[teresaf]

You may need closup pictures to tell subspecies. pis straight down to see the top of his shell. closer of his face etc. All i know to look for is the one dot or none in each shute is usually babcoki.

 

[Jodie]

People with PP leopard usually know what they have. In the U.S. the rest are babcocki. Some mix of whatever, if that makes sense. Is this a confirmed male? I think whoever kept him out of the sun is an idiot. I have never heard of the sun darkening the shell. I can't imagine getting him sun could be harmful. He is very pretty. Wish it was a she. I would really like to add a female to my group.

 

[lvstorts]

People with PP leopard usually know what they have. In the U.S. the rest are babcocki. Some mix of whatever, if that makes sense. Is this a confirmed male? I think whoever kept him out of the sun is an idiot. I have never heard of the sun darkening the shell. I can't imagine getting him sun could be harmful. He is very pretty. Wish it was a she. I would really like to add a female to my group.

He's a confirmed male! I had to laugh at your 'idiot' comment! When I took him in I wanted to say something of the sort but you can't do that in rescue situations! Lots of times people think they are providing great care when in face they are not. I've learned there's a fine art to getting someone to surrender an animal they think they are taking care of! Obviously, not talking about this particular one...just a lesson I've learned!

 

[lvstorts]

Top view, couldn't get his head at the moment.

Any thoughts as to the subspecies?

 

[leigti]

I think you will have lots of people lining up to adopt this one, he is gorgeous.

 

[diamondbp]

Lucky find because he is quite the looker . It's a babcocki male. Whether there is any p.pardalis blood in him is hard to determine without more detailed photos. But you can safely just call him a babcocki leopard.

The sun does affect their coloring slightly but that shouldn't keep someone from allowing outside time. All new white growth comes in much "whiter" than it will stay. I've noticed over the years that breeders that keep their babies indoor with artificial UV have "whiter" young torts than those that give outside time.

My torts all show nice white growth around the scute seams but because I keep them outside a lot their white soon becomes a yellow/tan color.

Here is an example of how the new growth around the scute seams appears "whiter" than the older white growth

 

[teresaf]

I blew the pic up and it looks more like pardalis to me, not babcoki. I'm a newbie though,,,

 

[lvstorts]

Head shot. Any thoughts....

 

[gingerbee]

Wow what a beautiful guy!! I'd be in that line for adoption lol!!!

 

[diamondbp]

Head shot. Any thoughts....

looks very babcocki

 

[teresaf]

The top view clearly shows 2 dots in the schutes along the "spine"(when I enlarged the photo). Doesn't that indicate Geochelone paradalis paradalis ?@yvonne?

 

[Yvonne G]

Usually the SA leopards have a whole lot of freckles on their skin. Because there has been so much intermingling of the two, you really can't go so much by the spots/no spots anymore.

 

[teresaf]

freckles? do you have an example?

 

[teresaf]

Really? well, I'm still learning. Learning more and more thanks to you all here on the forum. Sorry @diamondbp I wasn't dissin you, just wasn't understanding how to tell the difference. Thanks. I did look up freckling and I see it on the babies but not sure that you can see it on the young adults of adults so easily.

 

[diamondbp]

Really? well, I'm still learning. Learning more and more thanks to you all here on the forum. Sorry @diamondbp I wasn't dissin you, just wasn't understanding how to tell the difference. Thanks. I did look up freckling and I see it on the babies but not sure that you can see it on the young adults of adults so easily.

It's ok. That's actually not a double dot pattern but a common "fading" of the baby scutes in babcocki that can eventually appear to be a reverse image of double dots. It's fairly common in adult babcocki to have that look , but it's not the dark double dots you find on adult pardalis pardalis . If I get time I'll try to find some other examples of this for you

 

[teresaf]

I love it! That one's so brightly marked...pretty

 

[lvstorts]

Thanks for all the info, I've learned a lot but I'm still clueless as to what subspecies this rescue is!
Anyone feel they can give me a definitive classification?

Thanks.

 

[Jodie]

Babcocki. There are only 2 sub species in the states. The PP, also referred to as South Africans or SA and a mix of others locales, called bcocki.