| Stigmochelys Temporal range: Pliocene–recent | |
|---|---|
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| Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Testudinidae |
| Genus: | Stigmochelys Gray, 1873 |
| Species | |
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Stigmochelys is a genus of tortoise endemic to Africa. Stigmochelys pardalis, the leopard tortoise, is the only extant species. Leopard tortoises were once placed in the genus Geochelone along with many other large tortoises. Two fossil species are known:
- †Stigmochelys brachygularis Laetoli beds, Tanzania, Pliocene carapace length 40–50 centimetres (1.3–1.6 ft).
- †Stigmochelys crassa Kenya, Miocene-Pliocene carpace length >70 centimetres (2.3 ft)
References
- Stigmochelys at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 1 February 2022.
- Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2014). "Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status" (PDF). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs. Vol. 5. IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. pp. 329–479. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014. ISBN 978-0965354097.
- ^ Georgalis, Georgios L.; Macaluso, Loredana; Delfino, Massimo (2021-04-02). "A Review of the Fossil Record of Afro-Arabian Turtles of the Clade Testudinoidea" (PDF). Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 62 (1). doi:10.3374/014.062.0103. ISSN 0079-032X.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Stigmochelys | |