Color selection by juvenile leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) in Namibia

Although many reptiles, including tortoises, may be equipped morphologically to discriminate colors, there is very little experimental evidence that reptiles distinguish among hues and levels of saturation and brightness. Visual abilities or color (hue) discrimination have not been investigated for most tortoise species. In a behavioral experiment to test what visual cues are important, juvenile Leopard Tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) approached the colors red, light green, and olive most often, raising important questions regarding plant color and selection by Leopard Tortoises. © 2010 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.