KidZone Animals
Red-Footed Tortoise
Photographer, Paul Ritchie; used with permission under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Now, this tortoise is my favourite! Look at it! It is named the Red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) for the small scale spots on the sides of its limbs! It is a part of the genus Chelonoidis. It is a part of the family of tortoises, Testudinidae. They are usually found in the tropics of South America.
The largest of the Red-Footed tortoises can measure up to 44 cm long! The larger of the tortoises, however, are found in rainforests in South America. On average, males are larger than females. Males usually measure 35 cm, and females measure 30 cm.
These tortoises, despite their scary-looking demeanor, are actually extremely friendly! They are often kept as pets and have been known to out live their owners.