Common Names: Redfoot Tortoise
Scientific Name: Chelonoidis carbonaria
Distribution: South America
Size: Redfoot Tortoises grow up to about 20 inches.
Temperament:Redfoot Tortoises are Very tame, mellow disposition, can be kept in groups.
Hardiness: Redfoot Tortoises are very hardy when properly set up and maintained. They must be deparasitized.
Sexing: Male Redfoot Tortoises are larger with concave plastron and a longer tail.
Food: Redfoot Tortoises can be fed vitamin/calcium coated grasses, spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, frozen / thawed vegetables, sprouts, various other vegetatuibm apples, grapes, pears, bananaas, various other fruits, moistened dry dog food, monkey chow, rabbit pellets, also jumbo mealworms, night crawlers, butterworms and various other insects. Baby Redfoot Tortoises have high calcium requirements.
Housing: Baby and small juvenile Redfoot Tortoises can be housed in a minimum 20 gallon sized or preferably larger enclosure. Recommended substrate is rabbit pellets, but for display purposes use either straw or potting soil / sand mixture. Landscape with select driftwood, hollow logs, cork bark slabs and smooth flat rocks. Larger Redfoot Tortoises require a large custom built enclosure sized according to size of the tortoise.
Water: Provide a large shallow pan of clean water with easy access for drinking, soaking and defecation for your Redfoot Tortoises. Or provide no water pan and instead give a weekly soak in a bucket of tepid (shallow) water for about 10 minutes.
Temperature/Humidity: Redfoot Tortoises like day temperatures between 72 degrees F to 82 degrees F gradient; Night temperatures should be 68 - 74 degrees F. Moderate to high humidity is provided by the large water pan and / or daily mistings of the enclosure.
Lighting: Full spectrum lighting/U.V. radiation is required for long term maintenace of Redfoot Tortoises. If kept indoors, occasional exposure to unfiltered natural sunlight is recommended.
Heating: Under tank reptile heating pads placed under 1/2 to 3/4 of the enclosure including the water pan will provide 24 hour bottom surface and water heat. Incandescent light bulbs with reflectors situated over basking areas will provide the proper daytime heat gradient. Use a high range thermometer.
Notes: The very similar Yellow-foot Tortosie (Chelonoidis denticulata) can be set up and maintained under identical conditions.