They are omnivorous tortoises, consuming a wide assortment of plants, grasses, flowers, fruit and (notably) fungi, as well as the occasional earthworm or other invertebrate.

Over-collection of eggs, and the capturing of mature animals, from their native habitat has caused them to be listed as “vulnerable” to extinction, despite the relative ease of captive breeding and the availability of captive-bred tortoises.

Eggs, hatchlings, and even mature tortoises are food for many animal predators, including caimans, crocodiles and giant otters (if near water), as well as birds of prey, bushdogs, jaguars, jaguarundis, margays, certain monkeys, ocelots, pumas and tayras.

Population density ranges from locally common to very scarce due, in-part, to habitat destruction and the aforementioned over-collection for food and the pet trade.

[8] Many of these generic names are still debated; for example, no specific definition of Geochelone is given, and Chelonoidis is primarily used for geography rather than unique anatomic characteristics.

[5] Red-footed tortoises show sex, regional, and individual variations in color, shell shape, and minor anatomical characteristics.

Many of the scales are colored pale yellow to brick red, especially those on the top of the head, above the tympanum, around the nostrils, on the lower jaw, and on the sides of the neck.

The variants south of the Amazon are generally both larger and smaller than the holotype, have a very different plastral pattern, and have an enlarged scale or 'spur' on the inside of the fore limb elbow.

[5] Several theories are offered to explain the relatively small number of tortoise species in South America and the relationship between them, but the fossil record is not very complete.

One long-held theory is that they came from Asia using the land bridge, then spread down through North America and shared ancestors with the gopher tortoises (Gopherus species).

Treefalls are a favored site, as are debris piles, burrows (especially those of the armadillo (Dasypodidae family) and agouti (Dasyprocta species)), hollow logs, holes, and heavy vegetation cover.

Red-footed and yellow-footed tortoises seem to be a significant food source for jaguars in some parts of their respective ranges, such as Manú National Park in Peru.

[10] Discussing the diet of the red-footed tortoise is difficult due to the wide variety of foods it eats, the variety and seasonal availability of plants available across the extensive range, interpreting what field reports are trying to describe,[5][15] and because studying fecal pellets gives very different results from what the animals are observed eating.

Common fruits come from cacti (Opuntia), figs (Ficus), pehen (Acacia aroma), Spondias, Annona, Philodendron, bromeliads, and more.

[5] The rest of the diet includes grasses, leaves, flowers, roots, and shoots from a wide assortment of plants as well as fungi, live invertebrates (such as ants, termites, beetles, butterflies, snails, and worms), carrion, and feces (especially from foxes).

Tortoises are often found at carcasses feeding until gorged, and occasionally eat small live animals such as snakes and rodents.

The dry season sees 40% fruits, 23% flowers, 16% fresh leaves and shoots, and the rest fungi, moss, and animal food.

[5] Red-foot tortoises forage over areas ranging from 0.63 to 117.5 hectares (1.6 to 290.3 acres) usually making a 'spiderweb' pattern centered on a good hide or a recent fruit fall.

While they generally forage in zig-zag or looping patterns, they sometimes move 100 m (110 yd) or more in fairly straight lines, often at a rapid pace.

[5] Subadult tortoises grow quickly to reach breeding sizes- roughly 20 to 25 cm (7.9 to 9.8 in), depending on the average adult size of the regional variant.

After trailing, the male mounts the female, his feet planted on the costals of her carapace, rams his anal scutes against her supracaudal, and makes a loud raspy 'bark'.

[18] The red-foot tortoise is considered a vulnerable species and is listed in CITES Appendix II, restricting international trade- although this does not offer protection within a country and smuggling still occurs in large numbers.

Conservation parks and refuges, captive-breeding farms in natural conditions, and increased captive breeding in other countries has helped, but they are still exported in large numbers (35,565 from 2000 to 2005), mostly as pets and food.

Even people living in countries with an abundance of available livestock enjoy wild game, such as tortoises, when possible.

[18] Pet tortoises should be purchased as captive-bred from a reliable breeder when possible to both help protect wild populations and to avoid internal parasites.

[18] Any reptile can carry Salmonella species, so keepers should practice proper hygiene, such as washing their hands after handling the animals or their wastes.

[12] Indoor housing is generally scaled to the size of the tortoise and must be secure and waterproof for this high-humidity species, as well as offering adequate space.

[18] An indoor habitat should be lined with a substrate, such as hardwood mulches (like cypress), coconut coir, soil and sand mixes, or some combination.

The basic diet should consist of a variety of plants, vegetables, and fruits with occasional meat, and be high in calcium and fiber, and low in sugars and fats.

Good choices would include: cactus pads and fruits, papaya, figs, mango, mushrooms, pumpkin, squash, melon, pineapple, strawberry, cucumber, hays and grasses (such as wheatgrass), corn, peas and beans, carrot, apple, pear, plums, and okra.