Species keeper protocol

Chelonoidis carbonarius

Red-footed Tortoise
A warm, humid South American tortoise with a very broad geographic range. Keep year-round warmth, high but ventilated humidity, deep substrate, permanent water access and a varied plant-rich omnivorous diet. No cold brumation. Rainfall seasonality can be used as a breeding cue, but exact timing varies strongly by provenance.

Day air26-29 CWarm year-round with shaded cooler retreats

Basking32-35 CBroad surface zone, not whole-enclosure air

Humidity76-86 / 84-92%Higher in refuges and for juveniles

SeasonHatching / female recovery; rainfall easesNo cold brumation; rainfall is the main seasonal cue

Keeper timer setting

T5 UVB: one hour later on, one hour earlier off

During active care — ON: 1 hour after daylight starts.
OFF: 1 hour before daylight ends.

During hibernation / full brumation: T5 UVB OFF (0 hours). In transition months, keep UVB off while dormant and use the active timer only once the animal is warmed and active.

October: daylight 11.9 h; T5 UVB 9 h 54 m.

The active T5 duration is the photoperiod minus two hours. Example: daylight 08:00–20:00 means UVB 09:00–19:00. Follow the monthly UVI strength measured beneath the tube and provide access to shade. This timing rule does not introduce hibernation for species whose schedule has only a mild or active winter rest. If an older combined heat / UV column is present, the new T5 UVB duration column governs UVB timing; existing heat settings are preserved.

UVI beneath the optional T5 tube

Working exposure target

October target at normal back height

UVI 2-4directly under the tube when it is on

The retained range remains a provisional captive working target. No new species-specific result was found that clearly requires a numerical change. Retaining it is not certification of an experimentally established optimum.

Your measuring point

Measure at the animal's normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the T5 strip, positioned toward the middle/back. The animal can enter and leave this area freely.

Keep a lower-UVI gradient and fully covered refuges near UVI 0. This is the optional exposure area, not the average across the cage.

Use a UV Index meter, such as a Solarmeter 6.5/6.5R. Warm the tube for about 30 minutes; keep reflector, guards and mesh in place. Raise or lower the fixture within its manufacturer's minimum-distance guidance, then recheck the reading and every higher accessible surface.

Evidence level: Provisional retention. These are working recommendations, often inferred; exact species optima and seasonal UV dose usually have not been measured. Log lamp-on time and animal behaviour as well as UVI.

Baines et al. (2016), UV-Tool · Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10

October management

Selected automatically using the Netherlands date

Hatching / female recovery; rainfall eases

Tropical South America - savanna, seasonal forest, forest edge and humid woodland

26-29 CDay air

23-25 CNight

32-35 CBasking

2-4T5 UVI*

11.9 hPhotoperiod

9 h 54 mT5 UVB duration

76-86 / 84-92%RH day / night*

Wet-to-drier transitionRain / mist

5-6Food days/week

Annual schedule

Scroll sideways on smaller screens

Month	Day air	Night	Basking	T5 UVI*	Photoperiod	T5 UVB duration	RH day / night*	Rain / mist	Food days/week	Seasonal management
January	25-28 C	22-24 C	32-34 C	2-4	11.5 h	9 h 30 m	70-80 / 80-90%	Drier phase; mist 3-4x/wk, humid refuges daily	5	Mild dry-season maintenance; no brumation
February	25-28 C	22-24 C	32-34 C	2-4	11.7 h	9 h 42 m	70-80 / 80-90%	Drier; keep deep substrate moist below surface	5	Maintain hydration and steady body condition
March	26-29 C	23-24 C	32-35 C	2-4	12.0 h	10 h	72-82 / 82-90%	Dry-to-wet transition; increase evening mist	5-6	Activity and courtship may increase
April	26-29 C	23-25 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.3 h	10 h 18 m	74-84 / 84-92%	Rain pulses increase; never waterlog substrate	6	Condition breeders; prepare nesting soil
May	27-30 C	24-25 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.5 h	10 h 30 m	76-86 / 85-93%	Wet season; frequent evening rain/mist	6	Courtship common; nesting area ready
June	27-30 C	24-26 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.6 h	10 h 36 m	78-88 / 86-94%	Wet; humid litter/soil with ventilation	6	Northern-cycle nesting may begin
July	27-30 C	24-26 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.5 h	10 h 30 m	78-88 / 86-94%	Wet; maintain moist diggable nest substrate	6	Main nesting window in many northern records
August	27-30 C	24-26 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.3 h	10 h 18 m	78-88 / 86-94%	Wet; frequent rain/mist, good airflow	6	Nesting / incubation; monitor females closely
September	27-30 C	24-26 C	33-35 C	2-4	12.1 h	10 h 6 m	78-88 / 86-94%	Wet; humidity high but surfaces not swampy	6	Late nesting; incubation / hatch preparation
October	26-29 C	23-25 C	32-35 C	2-4	11.9 h	9 h 54 m	76-86 / 84-92%	Wet-to-drier transition	5-6	Hatching / female recovery; rainfall eases
November	26-29 C	23-25 C	32-34 C	2-4	11.6 h	9 h 36 m	73-83 / 82-90%	Reduce rain gradually; retain humid retreats	5	Transition to drier phase
December	25-28 C	22-24 C	32-34 C	2-4	11.4 h	9 h 24 m	70-80 / 80-90%	Drier; localized moisture and soaking water	5	Seasonal reset; never cold or dehydrate

Keeper notes

Use measured gradients and animal behaviour, not single thermostat readings

T5 UVI measurement

Measure UVI at normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the optional T5 strip. Place the strip toward the middle/back with free access to and away from it; preserve a gradient into fully covered refuges near UVI 0. These numbers describe the exposure area, not the whole enclosure or a daily average.

UVI review

Range

Very broad tropical South American distribution; provenance can alter rainfall and breeding timing.

Humidity

Maintain humid retreats all year. Adults generally 70-85% RH; juveniles benefit from still higher microclimate humidity with good ventilation.

Diet

Naturally omnivorous and highly frugivorous. Plant foods dominate; mushrooms and occasional invertebrate/animal matter are appropriate but not a staple.

Breeding

Captive mating may occur year-round. Northern references commonly place nesting June-September, with multiple clutches possible.

Incubation

Controlled data strongly caution against constant high temperatures: 29 C outperformed 31 C, while 33 C was lethal. Use roughly 28-29 C as a conservative starting point.

TSD

Temperature-dependent sex determination is supported; 29 C appears strongly female-producing, while the male-producing range remains unresolved.

Trade

Chelonoidis carbonarius is listed in CITES Appendix II.