The red-footed tortoise is a beautiful tortoise that can be found in South America. They are popular pets that can live more than 50 years, and it’s not hard to see why they’re so popular. Keep reading to learn more about these fascinating tortoises!
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Quick Facts
Scientific Name: Chelonoidis carbonaria
Common Names: Red-Footed Tortoise, Red Foot Tortoise, Red-Legged Tortoise, Savanna Tortoise
Geographic Range: Northern South America
Life Span: 50+ Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Not Evaluated, Thought To Be Vulnerable
Top 10 List – Red Footed Tortoise
1. Red Footed Tortoises Rest For A Large Part Of Their Day
Even though the red-footed tortoise is diurnal, meaning they are awake during the day, they still can spend over half of their day resting. They may rest even longer than that after a large meal. Sometimes they can rest so long that leaf litter can build up on top of them, or termites may even build termite mounds on their shells! They are most active during the day and after it has rained. They seek shelter to rest in areas that are able to protect them from predators, such as fallen trees, hollow logs, debris piles, burrows of other animals, and areas of heavy vegetation cover.
Their shelters are often communal, and while they are not animals who need to be social, they do display semi-social behavior. They can often be found eating together at areas where lots of fruit falls or there is carrion, and usually lack any aggression to each other during these times. They also do not tend to protect their territory, and will often follow each other or each other’s scent trails.
2. They Prefer Areas That Are Heavily Forested And Humid
Red-footed tortoises prefer areas that are heavily forested, humid, and have temperatures that are around 86°F (30°C). They can be found in rainforests, dry thorny forests, and savanna areas. Less commonly they are found in forest clearings that have mangoes, palms, and other vegetation. They tend to avoid overly muddy areas due to the mud making it hard for them to burrow.
3. Female Red Footed Tortoises Lay Anywhere From 2 – 15 Eggs At A Time
During the breeding season, males will fight other males in order to gain access to female tortoises for breeding. The “losing” male is often the one who got flipped on their back. After mating, during nesting season (which is from June to September), females will dig a nest in leaf litter on the forest floor, and then lay her 2 – 15 eggs. Incubation time can depend on the conditions of the area where the eggs were laid. However, the average is around 150 days. The temperature of the eggs during incubation will determine the sex of the baby turtles.
4. Hatchling Red-Footed Totroises Are Independant From The Second They Are Born
When red-footed tortoises hatch they must dig themselves out of their nest, and immediately become independent in order to survive. When they hatch they have a carapace (upper shell) length of 1.5 – 1.8 inches (39 – 45 mm), weigh 0.78 – 1.06 ounces (22 – 30 grams), and are generally more colorful than adults. They are considered sexually mature adults once their carapace has reached a length of 7.9 – 9.8 inches (20 – 25 cm), which is around when they are 5 years old. Due to being easily preyed upon most hatchlings will not survive into adulthood. However, those that do can live a long life, over 50 years!
5. They Are Hunted For Meat And Their Shells Are Sold As Souvenirs
While they have not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List, red-footed tortoises have been listed on CITES Appendix II, meaning they are sensitive to becoming threatened or endangered if things do not change. Hatchling and younger tortoises are at the most risk from predators, often being preyed upon by lizards, coatis, rodents, mammals, predatory birds, and crocodiles. Basically, a lot of animals want to eat these young tortoises. The main animal predator of adult red-footed tortoises is jaguars. Humans also contribute to the decline of the wild population by hunting and eating them as food, capturing and exporting them as pets and as well as food, and selling their shells as souvenirs. Habitat loss and destruction due to humans is another big problem for these tortoises.
6. They Are Omnivores And Eat Both Plants And Animals
While red-footed tortoises are primarily herbivores, they have been known to eat small amounts of animal matter such as insects and carrion, and are therefore considered to be omnivores. Most of their food comes from the leaves, grasses, fungi, fruits, and flowers found around them. They occasionally will swallow large mouthfuls of sand, which has been thought to maybe help aid in their digestion. When the weather cools down and the tortoises have a harder time moving, their metabolism will also slow down, allowing them to eat less food than usual and still survive.
7. They Can Produce Clucking Sounds That Resemble That Of A Chicken
Male and female red-footed tortoises communicate using head movements as various signals to communicate with each other. They can also produce a series of clucks that resemble chicken noises. These clucks and clicks are usually used by males during courting or mating to attract female tortoises and ward off other males. Juvenile tortoises may also regularly produce chirps or clucks while foraging and will bob their heads while making these sounds.
8. Male Red-Footed Tortoises Are Generally Larger And Brighter Than Females
The appearance of red-footed tortoises can vary depending on the region they live in, between individuals, as well as their sex. Their carapace (top half of shell) is an elongated oval shape, highly domed, and ranges in color from dark brown to black-brown, with each scute containing a pale center. They have a relatively small, squarish head with black-brown eyes and a hooked upper jaw. The red-footed tortoise’s skin is mostly black with red patches sometimes on its head. On their tail and legs, they have enlarged scales as well as more red patches. The plastron (bottom of shell) is yellow, with the males’ curving inwards to help when mating.
Males tend to be slightly larger and more colorful than females. On average a red-footed tortoise will grow to be 12 – 14 inches (30.5 – 35.6 cm) in length, but some adult males of 20 inches (50.8 cm) or more have been found. The average weight for these tortoises is around 11 pounds (5 kg), but larger adults, especially males, can weigh up to 20 – 30 pounds (9.1 – 13.6 kg).
9. They Are Popular Pets Around The World
The red-footed tortoise is a popular pet that is kept all around the world. This is due to the fact that they are relatively inexpensive, are a manageable size, have interesting personalities, and are also very colorful. In order to avoid having to deal with parasites, as well as keep the wild population stable, it is best to look for a captive-bred tortoise if you are looking to buy one of your own. They also can live for over 50 years, so it’s important to remember they are a long-time commitment!
10. They Are Often Mistaken For The Yellow-Footed Tortoise
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Red-footed tortoises are often mistaken for yellow-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis denticulatus). With even their names being similar, it’s not hard to see why they can often be mistaken for one another. They are actually closely related to each other, both coming from the same genus, Chelonoidis. They are also both found in South America and resemble each other with their enlarged colorful scales, darker skin, and shells. One of the main differences is, of course, the red-footed tortoise is more red/orange in color while the yellow-footed tortoise is more yellow.
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