Welcome home, Shelldon
We adopted Shelldon on . Yellow-foot tortoises can live 50 to 60 years (and often more), so this is the start of a very long, very slow friendship. We're settling in for decades of muddy paws, papaya breakfasts, and morning soaks — and we couldn't be happier to have him as part of the family.
Meet the yellow-foot tortoise
Chelonoidis denticulatus — the yellow-foot tortoise — is a rainforest species native to the Amazon basin and the Guianas. They take their name from the bright golden-yellow scales on their legs and faces, set against a deep mahogany shell.
They're built for warm, humid forest floors: 75–85°F by day, a basking spot in the upper 80s, and 70–90% humidity. Adults reach 11–16 inches and 20–40 lbs, and grow slowly — patience is the whole hobby.
Yellow-foots are forest grazers and opportunistic omnivores. The bulk of the diet is leafy greens, flowers, and fallen fruit, with occasional protein (a worm, snail, or a Mazuri pellet) and a steady calcium supplement to build shell.
They're quietly curious — slow to startle, fond of routine, and surprisingly social once they recognize their people. Done right, a single tortoise is a half-century commitment, not a pet.
The humans
Proud parents of Shelldon
Behind every well-soaked tortoise is a team of devoted humans. We're the ones chopping greens before sunrise, double-checking humidity at midnight, and lovingly narrating Shelldon's every slow, deliberate step. Here's to the next 50 years together.
The kids pitch in right alongside us — washing greens, refilling the water dish, and being Shelldon's favorite slow-motion adventure crew. He's growing up with a whole little family looking out for him.
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Photo album
Every photo we snap inside the Forage app lands here automatically.