The Red Footed Tortoise is a species of tortoise from northern South America. These medium-sized tortoises generally average 12 inches as adults, but can reach over 16 inches. They have dark-coloured, loaf-shaped shells, with a lighter patch in the middle of each scute (Scales on the shell), and dark limbs with brightly coloured scales that range from pale yellow to dark red.



Their natural habitat ranges from savannah to forest edges around the Amazon Basin. They are omnivorous with a diet based on a wide assortment of plants, mostly fruit when available, but also including grasses, flowers, fungi, carrion, and invertebrates.



Eggs, hatchlings, and young tortoises are food for many predators, but the main threats for adults are jaguars and humans. Population density ranges from locally common to very scarce due in part to habitat destruction and over-collection for food and the pet trade.

Fun Facts

Red Footed Tortoises seek out foods high in calcium even if other foods are more readily available.