RED FOOT TORTOISE, CROCODILE PARK, MELAKA

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The Red Foot Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria) is a tortoise native to South America. It has been introduced to many islands in the Caribbean. It draws its name from the red or orange scales on its limbs as well as its head and tail. It is a popular pet though it is protected under Appendix II of the Convention of International Endangered Species (CITES), which means that this species cannot be exported from its home country without permit. This red foot tortoise has a larger cousin, the yellow-footed tortoise, also known as Brazilian Giant Tortoise.

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Red Foot tortoises have red scales on their limbs, as well as red, yellow and or orange facial markings. Red Foots will normally reach between 10 and 14 inches in carapace length, although in rare case may grow up to 16 inches. There is also a smaller phenotype commonly called the 'cherryhead' red-foot which can be identified by its bulbous nose and darker plastron. This phenotype which does not bear subspecies classification at this time, ranges in sizes as adult from 10 to 12 inches. Red Foot males are larger than females in carapace length and weight but are not wider or taller. Males can easily reach 9 kg or more, while females weigh a bit less. As with other tortoise species, male red-foot has a conclave plastron. As red-foots mature, both sexes develop an unique mid-body constriction (some have referred to it as a "waist") that, from a top view, give the red-foot tortoise a decidedly hourglass appearance. His "hourglass" figure is much more developed than the females. Mature males also have longer and wider tails than females. A red-foot tortoise generally lives between 40 to 50 years.

The red-foot tortoises are found throughout extreme southern Central America, and central and northern South America and in other countries live Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. They are also found in Trinidad and Barbados and have been introduced to many islands in the West Indies. The red-foot occupies a number of habitats within this extensive range. It occurs in all types of forest habitat (rainforest, temperate forest and dry thorn forest) and also dwell in savanna's area including man-made grasslands resulting from ranching and slash-and-burn agricultural practices. Forest edges and the savanna seemed to be the preferred habitat for this species, although there is some disagreement over this.