Red Foot Tortoise Care Sheet and Information
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Common Name:
Red Foot Tortoise
Latin name:
Geochelone carbonaria
Native to:
Tropical South America
Size:
Red foot tortoises reach 10 - 14 inches at maturity; males are larger than females of same age.
Life span:
40 - 50 years
General appearance:
Carapace (top part of shell) is black with the center of each scute being yellow. The plastron (bottom part of the shell) is yellow. In mature males the rear of the plastron is concave. There are red scales on the head and legs.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure:
Should be tropical, (high humidity). Space requirements should be at least two square feet per inch of shell length. A 4 in. youngster would need eight square feet. They need a shallow pan of water approximately 1/3 of their shell height to drink from and soak in. A source of UV light is recommended.
Temperature:
Temperature during the day should be 85° - 90° F at one end of the enclosure and 70° - 75° F at the other. This can be accomplished with the use of a heat lamp or pad (waterproof).
Substrate:
Newspaper, aspen, Cyprus are a few. (But not cedar or pine)
Diet:
The red footed tortoise's diet consists of vegetables, fruit and some protein. Broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts should be fed sparingly. Protein could consist of earthworms, mealworms, crickets, etc. They should be fed 2 - 3 times a week, with their food being dusted with a D3 vitamin and calcium. A commercially prepared tortoise food is also a recommended source of food.
Maintenance:
Changing the substrate and water when soiled is a must. Handlers are advised to wash their hands thoroughly after handling the red foot tortoise or reptile cage furnishings.
Other references or recommended reading:
Encyclopedia of Turtles: Dr. Peter C. H. Pritchard
Turtles of the World: Carl H. Earnst and Roger W. Barbour
Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles: A. C. Highfield