The Fish Room
Yellow Foot Tortoise Care
CHOOSING YOUR YELLOW FOOT TORTOISE
Yellow-footed tortoise care isn’t for everyone. With their large size and specific habitat requirements, these reptiles are best suited for an owner with a bit of experience (and room in their home).
But if you fit that description, owning one of these tortoises as a pet will be an incredibly rewarding experience. The bond you’ll be able to build throughout their long life is something that you can’t find with many other pets.
COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS
Yellow-footed tortoises can suffer from a litany of health issues (especially if they don’t receive proper care). They’re susceptible to many of the same ailments as other captive reptiles face.
Issues like respiratory infections, parasites, and bacterial infections are all possible. Luckily, they are easy to avoid with the right care and living conditions.
Keeping the humidity and temperature levels stable is key to avoiding respiratory infections. This species is a bit more finicky about environmental conditions than red-footed tortoises, so keep an eye on your hygrometer and thermometer.
To prevent bacterial and parasitic problems, clean the enclosure regularly. Remove waste and sanitize surfaces about once a month.
Avoid purchasing wild-caught yellow-footed tortoises. Wild specimens have a notoriously hard time adapting to life as pets.
Many suffer from fading syndrome, which causes slow premature death regardless of how good the environment is. A wild-caught yellow-footed tortoise can also harbor parasites and diseases you don’t want to spread.
HOUSING
You have several ways to house a yellow-footed tortoise.
Most owners will keep them indoors to make temperature management easier. However, if you live in a warm and humid environment, you can also keep them outdoors.
For indoor housing, these tortoises do best in large tubs or turtle tables. For young hatchlings, you can get away with an enclosure that’s as small as two feet wide by three feet long.
But once they reach adulthood, they need an enclosure that’s no smaller than eight feet long by four feet wide. Yellow-footed tortoises aren’t big climbers, so the walls of their home only need to be about 12 to 18 inches tall.
Tons of decorations aren’t necessary for this tortoise species. They do fine with just the basics!
For the floor of the enclosure, use a substrate material that holds onto moisture well. This is incredibly important since it will play a crucial role in maintaining the appropriate humidity level .
There are a few options here:
Some owners will use untreated wood mulch or peat moss. You can also create a mixture of sphagnum moss, organic topsoil, and sand. This mixture is closer to what the tortoise may walk on in the wild.
Next, add a hiding box on a cool side of the enclosure. The box should be big enough for the reptile to get in without any issues.
Some live plants and shade structures are welcome, too. If you’re keeping your tortoise outside, shade structures are a must to avoid overheating.
LIGHTING
Yellow-footed tortoises prefer a temperature gradient. Most of the enclosure can be around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, one area needs to be significantly warmer. Using a basking light, creating a warm spot of 85 to 90 degrees.
If you’re housing the tortoise outdoors, make sure that daytime temperatures don’t exceed 90 degrees. At night, the ambient temperatures should be higher than 65 degrees to keep these creatures healthy.
For indoor homes, you’ll need to provide UV exposure. UV light is necessary for calcium synthesis. Without it, your tortoise could suffer from a litany of health problems.
Use a full-spectrum UVB lamp and shine it on as much of the enclosure as possible.
These reptiles come from super humid environments. In South American rainforests, humidity levels regularly rise to 100 percent!
In order to keep your yellow-footed tortoise happy and healthy, you must do your best to provide a high-humidity environment in captivity.
Aim for humidity levels of around 80 percent. You can achieve this by regularly misting the habitat or using an automated dripper system.
An absorbent substrate will hold onto some of that water to keep things sticky.
It’s also absolutely necessary for you to purchase a reliable hygrometer. These measurement devices will give you exact information about humidity levels. It’s better to use one than making rough estimates that could harm your tortoise.
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*PLEASE DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH PRIOR TO OWNING A YELLOW FOOT TORTOISE
FEEDING
Your tortoise’s home should have a large water dish since these reptiles love to soak! The dish needs to be big enough for the tortoise to climb right in.
As for depth, aim for no more than three inches of water for adults.
Keep an eye on the water quality in the dish. Tortoises are prone to defecating in it and making a mess.
Clean the dish out daily and replenish the water regularly. This will prevent bacteria from growing and minimize the chance of your yellow-footed tortoise getting sick.
A healthy diet for a yellow-footed tortoise will consist of a mix of leafy greens and fruits. Keep things interesting! Tons of variety will ensure that your tortoise is getting a healthy mix of nutrients and vitamins.
About two to four times a month, provide pinky mice or earthworms for protein. You can also offer up some commercial foods to ensure that all of their dietary needs are covered.
Here are some good foods to include in their diet:
Dandelion greens
Collard greens
Zucchini
Kale
Romaine lettuce
Clover
Carrots
Grasses
Chicory
Endive
Alfalfa
Mustard greens
Squash
Mango
Mixed berries
Melon
Kiwi
Pumpkin
Plums
Peaches
Papaya