The tail is prehensile and curls around twigs providing support. These fascinating animals are rarely sighted in the Garden. The mountain leopard tortoise is the largest of the Southern African tortoises and may exceed 70cm in length. These larger specimens are at least 30 years old, possibly more. A young tortoise grows very quickly at first to gain the sort of size where it less vulnerable to predators.
Subsequent growth is much slower.
Sexual maturity is reached at about 15 years. Newly hatched tortoises have to dig their way out of their underground nests, often waiting until the rains have begun for the earth to be soft enough. The coloration and markings vary with age, but are predominately a yellowish background with irregular dark blotches. The hinged tortoise is of a smaller size, up to 20 cm. As its name suggests it may be recognised by a joint across the shell in the hind quarter.