Leo
About Leo
Leo is not a snake; he is a Russian Tortoise!
Unlike our other ambassador animals, Leo's species is NOT native to San Diego. They come from, you guessed it- Russia, and other places in southeast Asian, and parts of the middle east. Leo is our first ambassador, enjoys salads and taking long walks in the sun.
Species Status
VULNERABLE (not threatened or endangered, but not quite stable)
Species Information
Russian Tortoises - Testudo horsfieldii are native to Russian, southeast Asia and parts of the middle east. Russian Tortoises are and stay small. Unlike other species, like the Sulcata Tortoise, Russian Tortoises will never grow larger than ten inches.
Russian Tortoises prefer arid environments and love to dig. They are also exceptionally good climbers for their shape and size.