It's an animal that has found its way into history and legend. Darwin took note of the tortoise on the Galapagos Islands and we have all been told the story of the tortoise and the hare. But if you are considering a leopard tortoise the potential adult size can be an issue for some people.

“They can easily get to be 18-24 inches in a straight line length. They can grow to be 30 or 40 pounds, so in the winter housing can be difficult for some people. They usually say you need ten square feet for a sub adult, so where are you going to put him when he gets that big? It usually takes about 10-15 years before they grow that big, so you have some time to think about it, but they do get big,” said pet shop owner Karl Ackerbauer.

The leopard tortoise is an herbivore, so their ideal diet is high fiber grasses and greens like escarole, and pesticide-free grass is good for grazing. But watch out for foods high in oxalate like beet greens, spinach, romaine lettuce or berries as they can cause digestive upsets. Calcium/vitamin D3 supplements are needed daily for leopard tortoises especially for those kept indoors.

Leopard tortoises love warm days in the 80s to 90s, but they also need shade, hiding spots, and access to shallow water, deep enough to soak in but shallow enough that drowning isn't a possibility. Tortoises, unlike turtles, are land dwellers and can't swim.

A leopard tortoise can live 50 years or more, and it's not uncommon for some of their larger cousins to live to be 100. So it's obvious a tortoise is a long term commitment and you might have to add them to your will.

Ask a pro to help you design a space for your growing tortoise so you can both enjoy a happy, healthy life long relationship. If that type of commitment isn't for you maybe it's time for a gold fish.