Your red-footed tortoise can't tell you the enclosure has dried out or the warm end has crept too hot. baskr watches the pattern across your logs, temperature, humidity, growth and feeding, and shows you what needs attention before it becomes a problem.
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Doing okay
Red-footed Tortoise
Humidity low
Averaged 48% vs the 60–80% a red-foot needs. Dampen the substrate.
Basking spot
30–32°C · 86–90°F
Ambient
26–29°C · 79–84°F
Humidity
60–80%
Ideal ranges for Chelonoidis carbonarius, the same targets baskr scores your logs against.
Basking and warm figures are surface temperatures at the spot; cool and ambient are air. Measure with a probe or infrared thermometer at the animal's height.
Life stage matters: Hatchlings especially must stay consistently humid with a moist hide, don't let youngsters dry out.
Diurnal
Active by day
Forests of Central & South America
Wild climate. Warm, humid tropical forest edge and clearings; steady warmth, high humidity, and a shaded, planted floor.
Why the care is what it is. This is why baskr targets a gentler 30 to 32°C basking spot, 60 to 80% humidity and an omnivore diet with fruit and a little protein, not a dry desert setup.
Logging is the input. The product is spotting when a single off reading becomes a pattern worth acting on.
30–32°C (86–90°F)
A cool basking spot slows digestion; this is a gentler basker than desert tortoises.
60–80% with a moisture-holding substrate
Too dry brings pyramiding and dehydration in a forest species.
Warm 26–29°C with a cool end of 22–25°C
Cold, dry conditions stress a tropical tortoise.
Steady and smooth
Rapid, lumpy growth means over-feeding.
Greens and fruit with a little protein
Too much protein or fruit unbalances it; keep animal protein small and occasional.
No hibernation
A cold, sluggish red-foot is too cold, warm it up.
Safe to include
Avoid
A planted, humid, shaded setup suits it, mirroring the forest edge it comes from.
Staples
Occasional / treats
Never feed
Supplements. Calcium dusted on food, with UVB; a multivitamin occasionally.
Good to know. An omnivore, unusually for a tortoise: mostly greens with regular fruit and small, occasional protein. Don't overdo the protein.
The right kind of kit, pick brands you trust.
UVB lighting
A 6–7% T5 HO tube (Ferguson zone 2–3) over the basking area, less intense than open-country tortoises need, replaced every 12 months.
Basking heat
A basking lamp to reach ~32°C over the spot, on a thermostat.
Thermostat
Controls the heat so the warm end can't overheat.
Thermometer + hygrometer
To hold the 60–80% humidity and a warm, not hot, gradient.
Humid substrate / misting
A moisture-holding substrate and misting to keep humidity up.
Large shallow water dish
Big enough to soak in, shallow enough to be safe.
Grounded in your own logs and the ideal ranges above, plain language, never a diagnosis.
Humidity has averaged 48% this week, low for a red-footed tortoise (target 60–80%). Dampen the substrate and check the enclosure holds moisture.
Basking spot reading 35°C, warm for a forest tortoise. Ease it toward 30–32°C so it isn't forced off the warm end.
Protein logged several times this week. Keep animal protein small and occasional for a mostly-plant omnivore.
Enter your own readings for an instant care score, the same check baskr runs for you every day.
Enter a reading or two above to see Red-footed Tortoise's care score.
A quick guide, not a diagnosis. Ideal ranges vary with age, morph and setup, and individual animals differ, so confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or a reptile vet.
Yes, around 60–80%. They're a tropical forest-edge species, so they want a damp, planted floor and a moisture-holding substrate, not the dry setup Mediterranean tortoises need.
They're omnivores: mostly leafy greens and weeds, with regular fruit and small, occasional animal protein (like an earthworm). Don't overdo the protein or fruit.
No. They come from warm tropical forest and stay active year-round. A cold, sluggish red-foot is too cold and should be warmed up.
Medium: usually 30–40 cm as adults. They need a large, humid floor with shaded cover, and can live 50+ years.
Log your red-footed tortoise's care in seconds and baskr does the watching. Free for your first 3 animals.
Start freeLast reviewed August 2026. General husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice, and ranges vary with age, morph, subspecies and setup. Confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or an exotics vet.