Meet Our Animals

The Brandywine Zoo proves that great things do come in small packages. The Zoo features animals from the tropical and temperate areas of North and South America, Asia and Africa. Our animals range from more common species to the highly endangered. All enjoy natural settings and welcome your visit to the zoo. Some animals may be off exhibit during cold weather.

Chelonoidis carbonaria

Red-footed Tortoise

Habitat

Rainforests, dry thorny forests, temperate forests, and savanna areas. It prefers heavily forested, humid habitats, but avoids muddy areas due to low burrowing capacity of these habitats.

Geographic Region & Range

South America from Panama to Argentina, and also on the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Barbados.

Diet

They are primarily herbivores and eat various grasses, leafy plants, flowers, fungi, and fruits.

Physical Description

Red-footed tortoises typically have dark brown to black shells with dark-brown edges and pale-gold middles. Their red markings vary in amount and location and are influenced by geographic location, genetics, and diet. Young tortoises have small distinct areas of yellow or tan coloring surrounding or covering each bump. Bright red marks may appear on the head. The legs and tail often have patches of orange, yellow or red.

Lifespan

Natural Habitat: 50 years
Under Human Care: 50+ years

Threats

The biggest threat to red-footed tortoises is being over hunted by humans. Considered a delicacy in much of their range, thousands are eaten by humans. They are also threatened by habitat loss and other human activity, including drainage of wetlands for housing, agriculture, logging and road construction. Tortoises and turtles are particularly vulnerable, as humans often develop land next to rivers, lakes and seas where these species lay their eggs. Furthermore, the demands of the pet trade impacts populations so much that in the wild they may become extinct.

Status

Red-footed tortoises are not evaluated on the ICUN Red List.

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