sulcata's and leopards

[Diana Stone]

I seem to think up these stupid questions while I am sitting around watching my tortoises and drinking coffee on sunday mornings, my favorite thing to do
Stupid question.... I know about the dangers of mixing the species due to the internal pathogens they have grown up with. But I am wondering why it would be just as dangerous to mix the different species from the same continent. For instance, Leopards and Sulcata's. They are both from the same continent, have the same diet and habitat needs and I am sure they run into each other at some point, wouldn't they? Just a stupid question that came to mind this morning.

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi,
They are from the same continent, but their ranges don't overlap. You can though raise CB young animals, until the sulcata starts to out grow the leopard.

Danny

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Leo's are much more shy and in a couple of years the difference in size will be evident and the Sulcata will start to bully the Leo. Sometimes the bullying is mental and not physical so the keeper doesn't see it and tells everyone "but they get along so good" meanwhile the Leo has stopped eating and will just whither away and die. Sulcata are great tortoises, but they are aggressive and like I said will bully the Leo...

 

[Diana Stone]

K, thats makes sense about the size difference and then the intimadation. Guess it would not be a good idea to put a 1 1/2 yr old in with a 5 yr old sulcata or ditto that for leopards then would it .

How come the territories don't overlap if Leopards are found in north africa to south africa?

 

[egyptiandan]

Leopards aren't found in North African countries and neither are Sulcatas. All African tortoises (except Greeks and Egyptians) are found south of the Sahara.
Here is a map showing the range of the 2. It's from the Chelonian Library series #1 Leopard and African Spurred Tortoise by Holger Vetter.

Sulcata, Centrochelys sulcata is in brown
Northern Leopard, Stigmochelys pardalis babcocki is in red
Southern Leopard, S. p. pardalis is in blue
The pink is where the 2 subspecies mix

Danny

 

[Kristina]

VERY cool Danny!

Kristina

 

[galvinkaos]

Wow, I'd love to check out Danny's library. That is cool.

Dawna

 

[tortoisenerd]

That sounds like a very good book!

 

[Diana Stone]

ok then, I did not know that. Seems to me that I saw a map that led me to believe the Leopards were pretty much divided one variety to the north and the other variety to the south. Thanks for that clarification Danny.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Wow, I'd love to check out Danny's library. That is cool.

Dawna

I'd like to check out his brain...actually I have made it my life's work to find a question that he doesn't not have the answer to...

 

[Karyn]

Good luck with that, Maggie!

 

[galvinkaos]

Maggie, I agree that might be a challenge.

Dawna

 

[Macheteslaststep]

Isn't it possible that Leopards and Sulcatas could meet eachother in the area that is circled? I am sure neither would hesitate to walk that far for forage or water. It's just a thought

Sara

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Sara,
Thats actually a deep canyon 156m below sea level, so no I wouldn't think there was any chance of them meeting. Also a little to the west of that is a large mountain range and thats preventing them from meeting also.

Maggie when your done with it give it back

Danny

 

[aktech23]

over on turtle times someone has posted images of scully/leopard hybrids.

any truth to this?

http://www.turtletimes.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66422

 

[egyptiandan]

They are hybrids as far as I know.

Danny

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hi Sara,
Thats actually a deep canyon 156m below sea level, so no I wouldn't think there was any chance of them meeting. Also a little to the west of that is a large mountain range and thats preventing them from meeting also.

Maggie when your done with it give it back

Danny

Good lord! An empty headed man just like my third husband!

 

[Yvonne G]

LOL!! That really made me laugh out loud. I went to the face in hole web site and I see that you can pick and choose where you want to put your face. Danny: Is that really you? Just curious what you really look like. And Maggie's comment! LOL!!

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

Yes the face is really me

Danny