Chelonoidis carbonarius
Red-footed tortoise
A warm, humid tortoise enclosure. This is not a dry Mediterranean species and it is not brumated.
Legal status
- CITES II
Chelonoidis carbonarius is recorded as CITES Appendix II under TESTUDINIDAE spp. in Appendix II, except Appendix I species. No EU annex letter was verified for this exact species in this record, so the annex field is empty. Confirm Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 before you import, sell, or rely on an annex. Not marked as an EU invasive alien species. Not marked venomous. Not named in 50 CFR 16.15. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 24–30°C
- Basking
- 32–35°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6
- Humidity
- 60–80%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 180 × 90 cm of floor for one adult, and a humid retreat
- Adult size
- Often 30–40 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 30–50 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Greens plus a larger share of fruit than a Hermann’s tortoise gets. Fruit is part of the diet, not the whole diet. Daily.
Substrate
Cypress, soil, or a similar mix that holds humidity.
Health
Pyramiding in dry boxes, metabolic bone disease, and shell rot in filth.
Handling
Two hands. They are heavier than they look.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.