The yellow-footed tortoise is native to South America; these shelled reptiles’ habitats include rainforest regions in Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, French Guiana, and Bolivia.
The yellow-footed tortoise spends most of its time in humid areas. They prefer to be near water and usually walk among fallen leaves and undergrowth in the rainforest.
Yellow-footed tortoises (Geochelone denticulata) are found in deep, humid rain forest areas of southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, and Bolivia. They spend a great deal of time in and around water and in the leaves and undergrowth of moist tropical forests.
The yellow foot is a close cousin to the red-footed tortoise, and they share habitats in a few countries. The yellow-footed tortoise is not as colorful as its red cousin, but the yellow shades have their beauty.
One interesting fact is that yellow-footed tortoises are the largest South American mainland tortoise. Of course, sizes can vary according to country of origin, but some specimens tend to grow to 14 inches long while others can reach up to 28 inches or more.
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Indoor Housing For Yellow-Footed Tortoises
A yellow-footed tortoise will usually cover a lot of ground in a while. This is a crucial factor most new owners fail to understand. This means that an indoor enclosure will need to be relatively large. Yellow foot’s like to have plenty of shade and in an enclosure. Remember that they typically live near water and regularly hide under undergrowth. Humidity is also significant when it comes to the yellow foot.
While living in Peru, I’ve had yellow foots several times throughout the years. These tortoises did quite well in Lima’s city, which is directly correlated with Lima being a very humid city (with little rain) throughout the year.
Indoor Enclosure For Yellow Footed Tortoise Hatchling
Here are the recommended measurements to put together an enclosure for a yellow-footed tortoise hatchling. The enclosure should measure 2 feet by 3 feet. Remember, this is just for a hatchling. A bigger tortoise will need more space. A larger specimen will need around 9 feet by 5 feet to be comfortable.
Earlier in this article, I mentioned that these tortoises like to cover a lot of ground in the wild. Well, if your enclosure walls are too short, the tortoise might climb out. These little guys are an all-terrain type of tortoise so make sure the walls are at least 14 to 20 inches tall.
Lighting And Temperature For Yellow Footed Tortoise Enclosure
Lighting and temperature are essential factors in ensuring your yellow-footed tortoise stays healthy. It would help if you had a basking lamp for your tortoise set to generate a hotspot of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellow-footed tortoises are originally from South American rainforests, so a consistent temperature and proper humidity levels will be necessary at all times.
Yellow-footed tortoises usually spend their time in damp areas soaked in mud or among fallen leaves on the forest floor, so they don’t need 24 hours of sun rays. This does not mean they don’t need a UVB lamp, though.
Make sure to provide a full spectrum UVB lamp at all times. The Lamp is essential for vitamin D synthesis. It is also vital to have a cool dark place for your tortoise. Yellow-footed tortoises love dark, humid places to hide and sleep in.
Substrate For Yellow-footed Tortoise
If you don’t live in a humid place, the correct type of substrate will be vital in keeping your tortoise healthy. The substrate you choose must hold in the moisture to keep the yellow-footed tortoise enclosure at an appropriate humidity level.
There are a variety of substrates to choose from. A few good choices are untreated mulch, peat moss, long-fibered sphagnum moss, and top organic soil.
During my time in Lima, Peru, I had to get regular dirt and spray some water once or twice each week. I would get the soil from municipal landscapers once every 60 days and change the substrate.
For owners living in the parts of the United States that are not Florida or European pet owners, keeping humidity levels in the enclosure will be trickier. I’ve seen a few set-ups where they have automatic misters, and they seemed to work fine.
Water Areas For Yellow- Footed Tortoise
Yellow-footed Tortoises love to soak regularly. You will need a few water areas in the enclosure that are big enough for the tortoise to climb in and be able to soak.
Make sure the water depth is around 3 – 4 inches deep, and change it regularly. These tortoises love to go into a giant water dish just to defecate, so cleanliness in the enclosure is essential.
Keeping A Yellow-footed Tortoise Outdoors
If you live in a warm climate or would like to have your tortoise outdoors during the warmer months, you might want to invest in an outdoor set-up for your yellow-footed tortoise.
If you are making an outdoor enclosure, make sure the objective is to keep predators out of the pen. The idea is to keep the tortoise safe, and there are several animals like cats, dogs, rats, or even birds that can harm your tortoise.
Make sure to have walls that are at least 16 inches tall. High walls will keep your tortoise in the enclosure and not outside exploring unprotected.
A good idea is to include several non-toxic species of plans in the enclosure. The plants are beneficial in two ways. The first is to provide natural shade for your yellow-footed tortoises. Remember, they like to hike and stay in dark, damp areas throughout the day. The second benefit plants will provide is food to snack on. A yellow-footed tortoise will eat just about anything it can, including plants that can be snacks.
Correct Temperatures For Yellow-Footed Tortoise
This species of tortoise likes the temperature hot and their climate humid. This doesn’t mean the tortoise wants to be in very high temperatures constantly. The correct temperatures to mimic their rainforest habitat is a maximum of 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime, and they should have access to several shaded areas, though. The yellow-footed tortoise is not a species that likes to bask in the sun all day.
The temperatures at night should not fall under 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If anything, the nighttime temperatures are at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets any colder at night, you could provide a heat mat or move your tortoise indoors.
Do Yellow Footed-Tortoises Hibernate?
No, yellow-foot tortoises do not hibernate; they are a species that can graze, eat, and be active all year long. They require stable temperatures, humidity levels, and a proper diet to achieve this. Temperatures in their natural habitat are consistent. For example, in the Peruvian rainforest, it is either hot and rainy or hot and not as rainy throughout the entire year. The climate is consistent and allows species like the yellow-footed tortoise to thrive.
The Yellow-Footed Tortoise Diet
What does a yellow-footed tortoise eat? A yellow-footed tortoise is an omnivore, so they eat just about everything. They have hardier appetites than their red-footed tortoise cousins.
A yellow-footed tortoise should have a diet consisting of romaine lettuce, chicory, dandelions, spring mix, and other leafy greens. This species absolutely loves fruit, and they can have a fair bit more than red-footed tortoises can.
In the wild, these tortoises will eat berries, bananas, camu-camu, pineapples, and a host of other fruits. In addition, they will eat just about any fruit that falls to the ground and is ripe enough to get to.
These tortoises will also enjoy a fair bit of protein. If they run into an animal carcass, they will eat as much as possible. So the yellow-footed tortoise is a scavenger in a sense.
The tortoise I had in Lima would eat a varied diet similar to what it would find in the wild, with a few exceptions. I would feed it leafy greens every day; I usually just got spring mix for this purpose. My yellow-foot would also get bananas, papaya, pineapple, and mango several times each week.
This species also should get some protein once each week. Some keepers like to give them pinky mice, earthworms, or insects for this purpose. Yellow-footed tortoises can eat considerably more protein than other species of tortoises.
I would leave Saturday as “protein day” where the tortoise got some group beef(raw), or I would make scrambled eggs.
What Is The Difference Between Yellow-Footed Tortoises and Red-Footed Tortoises?
While these tortoises can share a habitat and have similar lifestyles, their differences are not just based on colors and shades. There are several different characteristics between yellow and red-footed tortoises. First, the gular on the shell of a yellow-footed tortoise is even with the posterior side of the carapace. A red-foot will have a gular that is usually shorter than the carapace. The yellow-footed tortoises have a small inguinal scute, while the red-foot’s scute tends to be a bit more prolonged.
When it comes to size, Yellow-footed tortoise females are larger than males, while male red-foots are typically bigger than females.
Yellow-footed tortoises will have a broader and more round-like appearance, while red-footed tortoises tend to be more elongated and have a higher dome at the top of the shell.
In behavioral terms, a red-footed tortoise will have a more approachable demeanor, while yellow-footed tortoises may not be as friendly. Once they’ve gotten to know and accept you, this might quickly change.
Both species can live well over 50 years of age when cared for properly.
Conclusion
Yellow-footed tortoises are fascinating reptiles that like to live in warm and humid climates. They will want to bask under the sun but quickly return to their hiding space.
Yellow-footed tortoises are scavengers that will eat almost anything they encounter on the rainforest floor. Unfortunately, this species also likes to explore, so keeping them in small enclosures will be a problem. However, they are not difficult to maintain once you have the appropriate temperatures and humidity.
