Last updated: 12 January 1999. Added section on Indian Star Tortoise Geochelone elegans
These are rugged and handsome tortoises from Africa which have a good personality and are fairly active. Their only drawback is their size. Leopard Tortoises grow to 12" or more in length, thus needed either a room of their own or a similar-sized enclosure outside, including a heated shed.
The African "Spurs" are the third largest chelonian in the world, beaten only by the giants of Aldabra and Galapagos. An average full-grown adult is 2ft long and weights 100-120 lbs. DeVosjoli considers that an enclosure of at least 16 x 16 ft is needed for a trio, with the enclosure fences sunk to a depth of at least one foot. Male Spurs tend to be very aggressive and only one should be kept per group. Both sexes are almost exclusively herbivorous and tend to eat a lot.
The Indian Star is a beautiful tortoise that comes from India and Sri Lanka. At 11" long adult size it is also just about small enough to keep indoors, making it a candidate for tortoise-lovers in cooler climates. Its only weakness is that it is vulnerable if kept in humid conditions for long periods, a strange fact given that many of this species come from countries of humid forest and monsoon seasons. DeVosjoli and Walls recommend that the Indian Star be kept in an outdoor enclosure when the weather is dry and hot but otherwise provided with an indoor vivaria. They are somewhat delicate and wild-caught specimens should be promptly checked for parasites. Males are aggressive towards one another and towards females when breeding.
If you want a large chelonian and are not bothered by considerations of beauty, charm or personality, then this might be the one for you. The Common Snapping Turtle of North America lives as far north as the Great Lakes and has a reputation for toughness, meanness and gluttony. These reptiles will devour anything kept in the same body of water and are known to survive winters under the ice. A large outdoor pool with a good filter is essential, but other than cleaning requirements they are apparently surprisingly easy to keep. Be aware that they grow to 2ft and about 200 pounds, and that you should keep your fingers away from their mouths at all times. Incidentally, this species is one that has started to show up abandoned in British rivers, so make absolutely sure you want to keep this creature and can do so before purchasing one, even a hatchling.
Soft-shelled turtles are exactly what their name says, chelonians with a rather malleable carapace. However this description also belies the fact that they are quite vicious and carnivorous, feeding on anything they can get hold of. They also spend all their time in the water, often not even coming out to sunbathe and only poking their elongated snouts out to breathe. As they are strong and active, a large and sturdy aquarium is required, and ordinary filters may not be able to cope with the amount of waste these creatures apparently put out. Only one or two (preferably one) should be housed per tank. There is not much information on soft-shells, so these could be a challenge to a more experienced keeper provided you don't expect much interaction (other than aggression) from such a pet. There are over 20 species of soft-shelled turtles found in Asia, Africa and North America, ranging in size from under a foot to over 4ft.
Box turtles hail from North America. They have suffered a similar fate to our own European tortoises, ie were regarded as a simple children's pet and easy to keep, whereas they in fact have fairly precise requirements: a reasonably large enclosure, a body of water, relatively high humidity and a varied diet. I have not seen any box turtles in my travels in this country, but should you do so, be aware that they are not the easiest of captives.