Stigmochelys

Stigmochelys, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma), meaning "spot", and χέλυς (khélus), meaning "turtle", is a genus of tortoise endemic to Africa. Stigmochelys pardalis, the leopard tortoise, is the only extant species.^[1] Leopard tortoises were once placed in the genus Geochelone along with many other large tortoises.^[2] Two fossil species are known:

• †Stigmochelys brachygularis Laetoli beds, Tanzania, Pliocene carapace length 40–50 centimetres (1.3–1.6 ft).^[3]
• †Stigmochelys crassa Kenya, Miocene-Pliocene carpace length >70 centimetres (2.3 ft)^[3]

Stigmochelys Temporal range: Pliocene–recent
Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Stigmochelys Gray, 1873
Species
Stigmochelys pardalis (Bell, 1828) †Stigmochelys brachygularis Meylan and Auffenberg, 1987 †Stigmochelys crassa Andrews, 1914