Chelonoidis carbonarius (Red-footed tortoise)
 

Origin: Humid forests, savannas, and grasslands of tropical Central and South America.
Length: Up to 50 centimeters
Weight: 20 to 30 kilograms
Lifespan: Up to 75 years
The red-footed tortoise has one of the more colorful appearances in the tortoise family. They have a black, elongated shell with faint yellow spots. Their truly colorful features are the bright red scales on their feet and head. They are therefore also known as the "red-footed tortoise."

Care
Experience: Beginner tortoise keeper
Food: Vegetables, herbs, special tortoise food (sometimes meat or insects)
Feeding adults: Daily
Feeding young: Food available at all times
Water dish: Yes
Water changes: Daily
Nutrition
The fire-breasted tortoise is a voracious eater that lives on a diet of various plants and occasional meat. In captivity, you can feed them a diet of various vegetables, supplemented in moderation with fruit and meat. Suitable vegetables include bok choy, endive, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries (in sizes), broccoli, and wildflowers. For fruit, you could consider apples, tangerines, pears, and melons, and for meat, you could offer beetles, worms, and cat food. Therefore, try to vary the different fruit and vegetable choices.

To ensure the diet fully meets the animal's needs, additional vitamins and calcium should be provided. This can be achieved by providing extra vitamins and minerals with their food.

Water
The fire-breasted tortoise lives in moist habitats and therefore needs clean drinking water at all times. A medium-sized water bowl, changed daily, is sufficient.

Cleaning
As herbivores, they also defecate like true herbivores. For this reason, it's wise to remove feces from the enclosure daily and remove soiled substrate once a week. It's also wise to thoroughly clean the entire enclosure a few times a year to prevent the buildup of germs and bacteria.

Handling
You will occasionally need to handle your tortoise, and this should be done correctly to avoid injury or stress. Handle the tortoise by grasping it from both sides, in the center of its shell. This is best done when they are unable to scratch your hand with their paws. If this is the case, the turtle can push off onto your hand, with all the consequences that entails. Also, always wash your hands before handling the turtle and ensure you handle it with both hands.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for one pair: 180*120*80
Daytime temperature (warm side): 35-40C
Daytime temperature (cool side): 27-30C
Nighttime temperature: 20-23C
Daylight hours: 12 hours
Humidity: 60-80%
Substrate: Herpeasy, potting soil, or peat soil
Equipment
The coal-burner tortoise lives in a variety of habitats, ranging from savanna to tropical rainforest and everything in between. To create this, the enclosure must include a cool and warm area. This can be achieved by using a spotlight on one side of the enclosure and creating shade in another. It is also recommended that if you keep multiple coal-burner tortoises together, you create visual barriers in the enclosure. This will ensure that they can separate from each other if they conflict.

Like other turtle species, the fire-breasted tortoise cannot produce vitamin D without UV light. You can provide them with UV light by using the aptly named UV lamp and by adding extra vitamins to their food.

Behavior
Diet: Omnivorous with a preference for herbs and vegetables.
Lifestyle: Trial and active during the day
Temperament
Charcoal burners are always on the lookout for food, making them interesting pets that are fun to watch.
Points of interest
Most people don't expect it, but charcoal burners are quite adept at escaping. If the enclosure isn't completely enclosed, they will attempt to escape.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The red-breasted tortoise is listed under CITES II. To own this tortoise species, you need CITES or transfer papers. You should receive these upon purchase.
One-time costs: These include the costs of the enclosure, lighting, heating, water tank, and decorations. This can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the cost of food, which amounts to several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: There are costs involved if your tortoise accidentally becomes ill or your equipment breaks down.