HABITAT AND RANGE:
The Red-Footed Tortoise lives throughout
southern Central America, central and
northern South America. They can be
found in Panama, Argentina, Brazil,
Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana,
Paraguay, Bolivia and French Guyana.
These tortoises can live in all types of
forest habitat, savannah areas and
grasslands.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Red-Footed Tortoises have red scales on
their limbs and facial markings that can
be red, orange and/or yellow. They can
grow between 10 and 16 inches in
carapace length. The males are larger
than the females in length and weight,
but are not wider or taller. Males can
easily reach twenty pounds. The male
Red-Footed Tortoise has a concave
plastron. As these tortoises mature,
they develop a unique mid-body
constriction; from the top, they have an
hourglass appearance. This is more
developed in the male than the female.
DIET:
Red-Footed Tortoises have an omnivorous
diet, but are primarily herbivorous.
Flowers, grasses, fruits and small
plants are a common food of choice in
the wild. They enjoy hibiscus,
nasturtium, dandelions and prickly-pear
flowers. They have been known to eat
carrion as well.
REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
Male to male combat is important in
inducing breeding. It begins with a
round of head bobbing and proceeds to a
wresting match where the male attempt to
turn each other over. The winning male
(usually the largest) then attempts to
mate with the females. They will watch
seemingly uninterested females until
they can maneuver them into a mating
position. The unique body shape of the
male facilitates the mating process by
allowing him to maintain his balance
during copulation while the female walks
around, seemingly attempting to dislodge
the male by walking under low-hanging
vegetation. In the wild, the Red-Footed
Tortoise lays clutches of 5 to 15 eggs
between July and September. They are
usually buried in a nest in the ground.
The eggs are oblong and brittle. The
hatchlings are round and flat and are
about 1 ˝ inches in diameter. The
Red-Footed Tortoise generally lives 40
to 50 years.
STATUS IN WILD:
In every country in its range, the
biggest threat to the survival of the
Red-Footed Tortoise is over-hunting by
man. Tortoises are considered “fish” by
the Catholic Church and during holy
week, Red-Footed Tortoises are consumed
in mass amounts. They are collected and
shipped to South American cities to be
sold as a delicacy. Another threat to
these tortoises is the omnipresent
habitat and disturbance. Exportation for
the pet trade also has had a negative
effect on them. The Red-Footed Tortoise
is a protected species in the wild. They
will suffer greatly if the destruction
and degradation of South American
forests continues at its present rate.
