tail swollen

Question
I have a red-footed tortoise he/she is 7 years old very active and healthy. This morning i noticed that Rupert was not normally where i greet him for food in the morning. I went to go find him and his tail looked noticeably bigger. What could this mean?

Answer
Probably either getting ready to poop, showing it is a male (BIG tails!), or getting ready to 'fan' (expose the penis).

Red-foot males have amazingly large tails that they usually keep politely tucked in under the shell near a leg. When you see one fully extended, it can be shocking!