Leopard Tortoise

Also known as Mountain Tortoise

Leopard tortoises wander open savannas and scrublands, relying on high-domed shells mottled with black and yellow blotches for camouflage among dry grass and thorny bushes. When seasonal temperatures become extreme, they shelter inside abandoned aardvark or jackal burrows because their sturdy elephantine legs are adapted for walking rather than deep burrowing. Females excavate flask-shaped nesting chambers during warm rains, laying clutches of hard-shelled eggs that can take more than a year to incubate in arid soils.