My Cousin: The Red-Footed Tortoise

The Red-Footed Tortoise is a captive-bred, readily available and fairly hardy tortoise that makes a wonderful captive. Adults range from 10 to 14 inches in length, and originate across South America tropical forests and grasslands.

Red-footed tortoises require strong enclosures - it is best to make an indoor tortoise enclosure long and relatively narrow. A temperature gradient should be provided or a hot rock may also be used so long as a cool area is always provided. Red-footed tortoises are almost half bone and shell, so they have a great need for calcium. In order to absorb all the calcium they require, calcium levels in their diet must exceed phosphorus levels.

Foods high in calcium, but low in phosphorus, include dandelion greens, collard greens, parsley, kelp, watercress, celery and orange rind. An almost exclusive vegetarian diet is best; pesticide-free grass can provide roughage.

Look at this beauty!!