Redfoot tortoise: Geochelone carbonaria In the Wild Description: Can reach 12-14 inches in length Can weigh 11 lbs Develop distinctive hourglass shape as they mature – from above, adults look as though they have a slight waistline Males are longer and heavier Dark red scales on feet and yellow scales on head Habitat and Range: Native to southern Central America to South America, including the countries of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina They are also on several Caribbean islands where they were introduced centuries ago. Redfoots can survive in a few different types of habitat, and it is not clear which they prefer. They are found in dry forests and grasslands, as well as in humid rainforests. Diet Eat fallen fruits, wild vegetables, grasses Will eat carrion when they come across it Adaptations Heavy shell protects them from predators Like all tortoises, redfoots have strong limbs, good eyesight, and a keen sense of smell No teeth but have sharp, powerful jaws similar to bird beaks Males have a pronounced concavity of their plastron to help during mating Lifespan 50 years or more in captivity Reproduction Breed during the rainy season (June-September) Males compete for females Female lays 5-15 eggs, either in a hole that she digs or on a patch of ground that she clears No parental care Eggs hatch after about 3-7 months Temperatures determine sex of offspring. Temperatures higher than 88° F will produce female offspring, and lower than 82°F will produce male offspring. Few babies survive to adulthood 02/06/2013 Redfoot tortoise: Geochelone carbonaria Activity Diurnal Most active immediately after the rainy season Other “fun facts” Perhaps the most usual thing about their breeding behavior is that the male makes a clucking sound during courtship and mating. The clucks sound amazingly like a hen. When the weather turns cool, their metabolism slows down considerably, allowing them to survive on minimal food. With the temperature in the sixties, for example, a mature redfoot can survive nearly a month on a single banana! Conservation Status and Threats: IUCN Least Concern Threatened by habitat loss. Redfoots can survive in open savannas, but are more easily captured there and often perish in fires set by farmers practicing slash-and-burn agriculture or by hunters flushing out other wildlife. Hunted for their meat, also collected for pet trade Protected under Appendix II of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Giving protective status to redfoots means that they cannot be exported from any home country without a permit, and acknowledges the pressure that this species is under from over-collection and hunting. Within some countries, efforts are also being made to protect and preserve habitat for redfoots in the form of national parks or private reserves At the Zoo Jake and Ellwood are both males. They were purchased by the zoo in 1986. Their ages are unknown. They are fed produce What We Can Do Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat – conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution Choose your pets responsibly. If you do decide to keep a redfoot tortoise as a pet, make sure that it was bred sustainably in captivity, not caught in the wild. References: www.marylandzoo.org http://www.tortoise.org/archives/carbonar.html http://www.kingsnake.com/rockymountain/RMHPages/RMHredfoot.htm 02/06/2013