Red-Footed Tortoise Facts

Video Transcript

"Here, I'm holding two Red-Footed Tortoises. Their species name is Carbonaria. The female is the much smaller tortoise and the male is the larger tortoise. They are found in South America and Tropical Rainforests and moist Avenues. They draw their name from these beautiful red and orange scales found on their feet, their head and their tails. This particular species can have a carapace length of up to fourteen inches and they can live up to fifty years. Perhaps the most unusual thing about their mating is that the male will cluck to the female during courtship, and their cluck can rise in pitch and it sounds much like a hen. This species of female can lay up to fifteen eggs and they usually lay them in September. The Red-Footed Tortoise is an omnivore, eating both plants and animal matter but if you have on in captivity they'll be just as happy eating a mixed salad of fruits and vegetables like kale or cantaloupe. An interesting fact about both the male and female of this species is as they age, their carapace becomes indented on both sides giving them the illusion of having an hourglass waist. A very interesting thing about these tortoises, also, and is common in most turtles is that their sex is determined by the temperature which they are incubated at. The eggs that are incubated at cooler temperatures by females tend to come out males and the eggs that are incubated at higher temperatures will come out females."