Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Alberto Esquivel and José Luis Cartes and is used with their permission.
RED-FOOTED TORTOISE Chelonoidis carbonaria
Tortoises are terrestrial turtles, they cannot swim and have feet adapted for locomotion on land - not flattened as in the turtles. There are two species of Tortoise found in Paraguay, though neither is easy to find. The Red-footed Tortoise is the largest and more colourful of the two. This species is usually seen after rain, when it emerges to drink from puddles on roads and paths - in fact according to beliefs of indigenous tribes in the Chaco the appearance of the tortoise means that rain is on the way. Tortoises are vegetarians, feeding entirely on plant matter and using their bird-like "beak" to crop the most succulent shoots.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPREP20PH) Adult frontal, location unknown (José Luis Cartes undated).
FIGURE 2 - (FPREP21PH) Adult lateral, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 3 - (FPREP583PH) Adult lateral, Cerro León, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 4 - (FPREP584PH) Same individual dorsal (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 5 - (FPREP585PH) Same vental (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 6 - (FPREP586PH) Same individual defensive lateral (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 7 - (FPREP587PH) Same individual defensive frontal (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 8 - (FPREP588PH) Same individual footprints (Paul Smith July 2011).
FIGURE 9 - (FPREP589PH) Same individual single print (Paul Smith July 2011).
VIDEO - (FPREP590VI) Adult, Cerro León, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith July 2011).
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