Red footed tortoise care sheet
Filed under health, pet care, red footed tortoise, tortoise, turtle care, wiki
This is a wiki care sheet. Please feel free to add or edit any useful information. Thank you!
Don’t see the care sheet? Click here
Contents |
[edit] Description
the red footed tortoise is a South American land dwelling turtle that has very prominent red-orange scales mainly on its leg, but are also visible on their tail and head. They usually have a max SCL of 10-14 inches but can sometimes reach 14″.
Cherryhead redfoots typically reach 10-12″ SCL.
The red foot tortoise does not hibernate. Males are larger than females and have indented plastrons.
[edit] Habitat
Red Footed tortoises come from the humid, tropical areas of South America. Temperature varies from 90-95°F (32-35°C) at day and 65-70°F (18-21°C) at night. Red foots require about 80% humidity and a water dish.
They can be kept in a large indoor habitat, but an outdoor area about 4′ by 8′ is much better.
[edit] Diet
Omnivorous, they can eat vegetables and fruits and dead animals, such as mice and chicks.
Redfoot and Yellowfoot tortoises from South America will eat a diet comprised mostly of leaves and flowers for part of the year, then change to a diet comprised mostly of fallen fruits later in the year.
Appropriate greens include dandelion greens, turnip greens, collard greens, grape leaves, and hibiscus leaves, clover, endive, mustard greens, watercress, romaine.
Flowers are also a common food of choice in the wild. Edible flowers include hibiscus, nasturtium, prickly-pear flowers, and dandelions. They show a preference for red and yellow flowers.
Good fruits to offer include strawberries, peaches, pineapples, plums, papayas, mangoes, kiwis, melons, and prickly pear fruits. Banana should be fed seldom, and with the peel. pumpkin, winter squash, grated carrots, crook-neck squash, zucchini, cantaloupe
NO spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts
[edit] Breeding
Redfeets lay 5-15 eggs. Like other turtle/tortoise/reptile species, the temperature the eggs are incubated in determine the sex the hatchling will have.
[edit] Health Concerns
As with all pet turtles and tortoises, shell pyramiding and shell rot as health issues.
Most common ailments can be fixed by providing the proper environment, such as correct heat and humidity.
Related posts:
August 13th, 2011 on 7:25 pm
i have a 2 year old red foot tortoise name tj. i wanted 2 know why does he sleeps so much and why he doesn’t like to drink water that much?
August 27th, 2011 on 12:54 pm
different turtles have different and individual personalities and habits. Just make sure your red foot tortoise has all the necessities he needs and he’ll be fine.