Leopard Tortoise
Leopard TortoiseLeopard TortoiseLeopard TortoiseLeopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Ruaha National Park
15 Verified records at Ruaha National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape Province. It is the only extant member of the genus Stigmochelys, although in the past, it was commonly placed in Geochelone. This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or aardvark burrows. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Leopard Tortoise sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Speke's Hinge-back Tortoise

Speke's Hinge-back Tortoise

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Kinixys spekii

Insufficient data
Crevice Tortoise
CR

Crevice Tortoise

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Malacochersus tornieri

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

60–70
Jan
50–60
Feb
40–50
Mar
20–30
Apr
40–50
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
40–50
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
80–90
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
60–70%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
3 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
4 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
5 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
6 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
7 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
8 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
9 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
30–40%
10 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
11 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
12 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
13 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
15 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
20–30%
16 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
17 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
18 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
19 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
20 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
21 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
22 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
10–20%
23 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
24 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
25 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
26 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
27 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
28 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
29 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
30 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
31 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
32 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
33 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
34 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
35 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
36 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Leopard Tortoise in Ruaha National Park?

About 47% of wildlife watchers report a Leopard Tortoise sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Leopard Tortoise in Ruaha National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Leopard Tortoise in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Ruaha National Park