Breeding and Propagation
A very long-lived animal, the leopard tortoise is seldom sexually mature until it is between the ages of 12 and 15 years. Captive leopard tortoises, however, grow faster and may mature as young as six years of age.
Leopard tortoises "court" by the male ramming the female. When mating, the male makes grunting vocalizations. After mating, the female lays a clutch consisting of between five and 18 eggs. The South African leopard tortoise is significantly more difficult to propagate in captivity than the common leopard tortoise, g. p. babcocki. Rarely will eggs hatch in an incubator. Most successes have occurred when eggs are left in the ground, and when the climate is similar to the natural one for these tortoises.
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