The red foot tortoise is native to Central and the northern part of South America. They grow up to 16 inches (or 40 centimetres) long, but there is a slightly smaller variant, called the cherry-headed tortoise, which hails from Brazil. Some of the other names for this type of tortoise are Savannah Tortoise, Jabuti in Brazil or Morrocoy in Venezuela. It is related to the larger yellow-footed tortoise, also known as the Brazilian giant tortoise.Their appearance is quite distinctive. They have bright red scales on their legs and red and yellow or orange markings on their heads. In size they average between 10 and 14 inches (or 25.4 – 35.6 cm). They occur naturally in Panama, Surinam, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Argentina, but were also brought to Barbados, Trinidad and St Lucia. Although found in the drier grassland of South America, they love water and mud.
Red foot tortoises reach adulthood around the age of fifteen and they can live up to fifty years, perhaps longer. Since they hale from warmer climates, red foot tortoises do not hibernate in the wild. Red foot tortoises have a pleasant, gregarious personality
Be advised that the red foot tortoise enjoys the protection of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species also known as CITES. You will need a permit to export one. Their decline in numbers result from several factors. In South America, they are considered a delicacy. Similarly, the destruction of some of their natural habitats and over-exploitation in the exotic pet trade has had a negative impact.
Their ideal environment is a humid tropical setting and for a happy tortoise you will need to bear this in mind. Provide plenty of plant cover for cooler areas. You could also use a sprinkler to help with the humidity.
You may need to consider heating the undercover shelter of your tortoises, if your red foot lives outside and night temperatures drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius.
If you are planning to keep your red foot tortoise indoors, you will need to construct a fairly large enclosure. A bare minimum is 4 (1.2m) by 6 foot (1.8m), but larger would definitely be advisable. You will need to incorporate floor cover that can absorb some of the moisture this breed loves.
Cypress bark is recommended, although paper might work and has the added bonus of being easy to clean.
Despite their exotic origins, a red foot tortoise can be fairly easy to care for, with the necessary research and preparations.