# Tort bath



## TaylorTortoise (Feb 7, 2021)

Tank does not like his baths ? but he is squeaky clean afterwards.


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## Chubbs the tegu (Feb 7, 2021)

I think its time for a bigger “bath”


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 7, 2021)

Chubbs the tegu said:


> I think its time for a bigger “bath”


He goes in the sink I use the bowl to wet his shell to get the debri off


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## TeamZissou (Feb 7, 2021)

Looks like tortoise punch!


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## Chubbs the tegu (Feb 7, 2021)

A white russian


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 7, 2021)

TeamZissou said:


> Looks like tortoise punch!


?? pretty much then he is like tazz when I let him free out of the bowl to bathe!


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## Warren (Feb 7, 2021)

Chubbs the tegu said:


> A white russian


Would that be on the rocks, shaken or stirred .


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## Warren (Feb 7, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> He goes in the sink I use the bowl to wet his shell to get the debri off


I'm going to need a bigger sink. Jan. 3 2019 ,and now Jan. 3 2021.


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## Chubbs the tegu (Feb 7, 2021)

Warren said:


> Would that be on the rocks, shaken or stirred .


Just dump the glass and start over lol


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 7, 2021)

Warren said:


> I'm going to need a bigger sink. Jan. 3 2019 ,and now Jan. 3 2021.


Ahh, wow!!!! What a beaut


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## Jan A (Feb 7, 2021)

Warren said:


> I'm going to need a bigger sink. Jan. 3 2019 ,and now Jan. 3 2021.


WOW!! I call that a very good diet & owner!!


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## Sue Ann (Feb 7, 2021)

Warren said:


> I'm going to need a bigger sink. Jan. 3 2019 ,and now Jan. 3 2021.


2 years old,how much does he weigh?
Looks great ?


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## Warren (Feb 8, 2021)

Sue Ann said:


> 2 years old,how much does he weigh?
> Looks great ?


My Sammy turned 3 on Dec. 21, 2020, on Feb. 1, 2021 he weighed 28 lb. 2 ozs. At 1 yr. old he weighed 2 lbs. At 2 he weighed 9 lbs. At 3 he weighed 24 lbs. 6 ozs. When I got him on March 13, 2018 he weighed 46 grams. at 4 month's old.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Tank does not like his baths ? but he is squeaky clean afterwards.


Why is Tank so dirty he needs baths?


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Warren said:


> My Sammy turned 3 on Dec. 21, 2020, on Feb. 1, 2021 he weighed 28 lb. 2 ozs. At 1 yr. old he weighed 2 lbs. At 2 he weighed 9 lbs. At 3 he weighed 24 lbs. 6 ozs. When I got him on March 13, 2018 he weighed 46 grams. at 4 month's old.
> View attachment 317666
> View attachment 317667


Oh jeez he's pretty!!!


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

This is how Mary Knobbins gets a drink. Evidently she had some sort of trauma as she is petrified of water in a container. But Spring and Summer this is how she drinks. She is badly pyramided and small for her approximate age. I put her between 5 and 8 years and she's 20 lbs, and has not gained any weight recently. She eats really good tho


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## Warren (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> Oh jeez he's pretty!!!


Thank you, he's my baby!


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Warren said:


> Thank you, he's my baby!


Good job! My Sulcata have all been rescues in one way or another, so I have never had a good looking Sulcata. I love them and would have more if I could.
This picture is from 4 or 5 years ago...I was really happy about tortoises then.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> Why is Tank so dirty he needs baths?


I bathe him to make sure he is hydrated and to get the dirt off his plastron from when he poops in case any gets under there and on the tail. It’s good to bathe them


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> I bathe him to make sure he is hydrated and to get the dirt off his plastron from when he poops in case any gets under there and on the tail. It’s good to bathe them


I'm sorry...I was kinda being sarcastic...I have had tortoises for about 20 years now, I do not bathe them. My tortoises live outside mostly and dirt is part of living. Nobody gives them "baths" and I *soak *them for hydration, and everybody except for those living in the UK, soak not bathe. Baths and soaking are not the same thing, and nobody is there in the Savannah to bathe them if they get dirty. I just think that new keepers obsess over nothing making things harder. Some day all tortoise keepers will *S-O-A-K* their tortoises, not *B-A-T-H-E *
You would be surprised to know that many new keepers ask why they need to "bathe", as in wash, their tortoise.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 8, 2021)

I think the confusion is in the word 'bathe.' You're not actually giving your tortoise a bath, with soap and a wash cloth, you're "soaking" him in order to hydrate him.


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## Warren (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> Good job! My Sulcata have all been rescues in one way or another, so I have never had a good looking Sulcata. I love them and would have more if I could.
> This picture is from 4 or 5 years ago...I was really happy about tortoises then.
> View attachment 317670


That nice of you to take on rescues, but 1 Tortoise is all I can handle with my other pets.
2 Jack Russell dogs, 2 cats , 1 bird "Rosie Bourke
Parakeet had 2 but 1 pasted away last month. They were a pair for many years. Woody is a male. I understand you have bird also.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Warren said:


> That nice of you to take on rescues, but 1 Tortoise is all I can handle with my other pets.
> 2 Jack Russell dogs, 2 cats , 1 bird "Rosie Bourke
> Parakeet had 2 but 1 pasted away last month. They were a pair for many years. Woody is a male. I understand you have bird also.


lol a bird???? I have 16 parakeets and 4 eggs in a nest. 
I operated a small turtle and tortoise rescue for a number of years, so I have 'pets' from then, missing legs, missing eyes, blind and just a bad temperment.
This is my living room with several of my birds cages







So I have 16 parakeets, 3 tortoises, 15 box turtles and 1 water turtle
2 cats, Simon is a 35 lb Main Coon


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> I'm sorry...I was kinda being sarcastic...I have had tortoises for about 20 years now, I do not bathe them. My tortoises live outside mostly and dirt is part of living. Nobody gives them "baths" and I *soak *them for hydration, and everybody except for those living in the UK, soak not bathe. Baths and soaking are not the same thing, and nobody is there in the Savannah to bathe them if they get dirty. I just think that new keepers obsess over nothing making things harder. Some day all tortoise keepers will *S-O-A-K* their tortoises, not *B-A-T-H-E *
> You would be surprised to know that many new keepers ask why they need to "bathe", as in wash, their tortoise.


Yeah bathe as in I let my tort soak for hydration and to keep his shell looking nice. I don't obsess over them though since Russian tortoises do not need to be wet a lot since they retain their water more to stay hydrated due to their natural environments.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> lol a bird???? I have 16 parakeets and 4 eggs in a nest.
> I operated a small turtle and tortoise rescue for a number of years, so I have 'pets' from then, missing legs, missing eyes, blind and just a bad temperment.
> This is my living room with several of my birds cages
> View attachment 317682
> ...


Jeez...
Where do you keep everything?


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## Dcatalano (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Yeah bathe as in I let my tort soak for hydration and to keep his shell looking nice. I don't obsess over them though since Russian tortoises do not need to be wet a lot since they retain their water more to stay hydrated due to their natural environments.


My RT loves his “baths”. He’s become very social and wants to visit when I’m drinking coffee and watching his very exciting soak time.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

Dcatalano said:


> My RT loves his “baths”. He’s become very social and wants to visit when I’m drinking coffee and watching his very exciting soak time.


he is beautiful!!!! where did you get him? wish mine was that pleasant!


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## Warren (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> lol a bird???? I have 16 parakeets and 4 eggs in a nest.
> I operated a small turtle and tortoise rescue for a number of years, so I have 'pets' from then, missing legs, missing eyes, blind and just a bad temperment.
> This is my living room with several of my birds cages
> View attachment 317682
> ...


You don't have pets, you have a Zoo. For over 20 yrs. My sons and I raised Box Turtles in the back yard. At one time I had a least 50 Turtles. We were averaging 30 baby a year. I never sold then, I would always give them away in pairs. I stop raising them about 10 yrs. ago, I found one of my baby's that was chewed on from a rat. I gather all of my Turtles up and put them on my 5 acres in West Virginia.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> I think the confusion is in the word 'bathe.' You're not actually giving your tortoise a bath, with soap and a wash cloth, you're "soaking" him in order to hydrate him.


yass pretty much


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## Jan A (Feb 8, 2021)

Dcatalano said:


> My RT loves his “baths”. He’s become very social and wants to visit when I’m drinking coffee and watching his very exciting soak time.


Your cutie looks very wise! I'm sure he gives great advice.


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## Dcatalano (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> he is beautiful!!!! where did you get him? wish mine was that pleasant!


Thank you. He was a classroom pet at our local Montessori school for over 10 years. I’m not sure where he was prior to that, other than with a family who had kids at the school. Due to Covid and needing more space in current times, he has come to live with us. He was well cared for but didn’t receive much outdoor time or soaking. Hopefully we can pamper him more now!


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Jeez...
> Where do you keep everything?


I own my own home, and I don't have any friends or family.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> I own my own home, and I don't have any friends or family.


No friends either? How about your animals counting as friends


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## Jan A (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> I own my own home, and I don't have any friends or family.


A Maine coon cat can be superior to most people & then there's Mary.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> No friends either? How about your animals counting as friends


Nope, not friends, I don't even name most of them. I try hard not to anthropormorphisize them. They are animals that I take care of and find better homes for.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 8, 2021)

Smokey


and Simon, he gained 2 pounds last year, bringing him to 35 lbs


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## Warren (Feb 8, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> Smokey
> View attachment 317717
> 
> and Simon, he gained 2 pounds last year, bringing him to 35 lbs
> View attachment 317718


Nice looking cats, my 2 cat are of normal weight and are sisters, Itzzy and Tigger. Received a call to rescue 1 Kitty and left with two, only about six weeks old at that time. Now one of my Irish Jack Russell dogs Buttons is a little over weight, Irish Jacks


have short legs. So when she wants to lay down she just rolls over, mostly for a belly rub.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 9, 2021)

Warren said:


> Nice looking cats, my 2 cat are of normal weight and are sisters, Itzzy and Tigger. Received a call to rescue 1 Kitty and left with two, only about six weeks old at that time. Now one of my Irish Jack Russell dogs Buttons is a little over weight, Irish Jacks
> View attachment 317726
> View attachment 317727
> have short legs. So when she wants to lay down she just rolls over, mostly for a belly rub.


She's all belly!!! My Simon is bigger than your dog! Simon is 1/2 Maine Coon and 1/2 Norwegian Forrest Cat. He's 7 years old. I have had him for a year. He has a slow growing melanoma in his right eye, when I got him the iris was about half brown and in a year the brown now covers all his iris. Smokey is 12 and I have had him for a year also. Opps! We will get reprimanded for hijacking this thread.


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## Warren (Feb 9, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> She's all belly!!! My Simon is bigger than your dog! Simon is 1/2 Maine Coon and 1/2 Norwegian Forrest Cat. He's 7 years old. I have had him for a year. He has a slow growing melanoma in his right eye, when I got him the iris was about half brown and in a year the brown now covers all his iris. Smokey is 12 and I have had him for a year also. Opps! We will get reprimanded for hijacking this thread.


That nice, Sorry


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## kaycov (Feb 10, 2021)

The first photo of the two of them at a few months old back in 2018. The second two photos are of them now - 3 1/2 years later. Soon they'll have to be in the bathtub.


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 10, 2021)

Karen Covill said:


> View attachment 317854
> 
> View attachment 317855
> 
> ...


Do they both pee and poop in the sink you put your dishes in? xD


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## maureen allenza (Feb 10, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Tank does not like his baths ? but he is squeaky clean afterwards.


How old is he? He is gorgeous! Does he mess his bath right away?


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## harrythetortoise (Feb 10, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Do they both pee and poop in the sink you put your dishes in? xD


I was curious about that too...


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## Warren (Feb 10, 2021)

harrythetortoise said:


> I was curious about that too...


Let me reply to this question, my Tortoise has been soaking in my kitchen sink during cold weather. He has a pool in the warmer weather outside. Yes he does pee and poo in his water while he's soaking. When he's is in the sink, there is no disks around and the counter is clear. When he is finished soaking, I deinfect the counter and the stainless steel sink. Over the year's I raised three boy, and when they were infants I would bath them in the same sink. Many times they would make a mess, so I just clean it up and deinfect. You would be surprised on what go on in the back of many restaurant Kitchen that you know nothing about! When I'm soaking my Tortoise, I don't wash my dish with him.


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## harrythetortoise (Feb 10, 2021)

Warren said:


> Let me reply to this question, my Tortoise has been soaking in my kitchen sink during cold weather. He has a pool in the warmer weather outside. Yes he does pee and poo in his water while he's soaking. When he's is in the sink, there is no disks around and the counter is clear. When he is finished soaking, I deinfect the counter and the stainless steel sink. Over the year's I raised three boy, and when they were infants I would bath them in the same sink. Many times they would make a mess, so I just clean it up and deinfect. You would be surprised on what go on in the back of many restaurant Kitchen that you know nothing about! When I'm soaking my Tortoise, I don't wash my dish with him.



Thanks for explaining! It would be convenient, for sure, because you can add warm water directly from the tap to keep adequate temperature.. 



Warren said:


> You would be surprised on what go on in the back of many restaurant Kitchen that you know nothing about!



Uh oh... hopefully not what I am thinking


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## TaylorTortoise (Feb 10, 2021)

maureen allenza said:


> How old is he? He is gorgeous! Does he mess his bath right away?


Thank you! Honestly, I am not sure exactly how old he might be. I will assume he is about 4-5 years or more. He looks very young to me. And acts like a youngling tortoise. I did however get him from the pet store, and hence getting him at a store I believe I am very fortunate for how amazing of a tortoise Tank is, he is so similar to me in so many ways it’s nuts! We pretty much have the same sleep schedule, and he loves food as much as I do and gets so excited when a plate of food is in front of him!!!! He is a ball of energy. I got extremely lucky with him. We’re both excited for the summer days so we can roam around the lawn and find dandelions  we spend a light of time outdoors in summer getting our exercise!


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## Warren (Feb 10, 2021)

harrythetortoise said:


> Thanks for explaining! It would be convenient, for sure, because you can add warm water directly from the tap to keep adequate temperature..
> 
> 
> 
> Uh oh... hopefully not what I am thinking


You know what they say If you eat out, don't **** off the cook.


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## harrythetortoise (Feb 10, 2021)

Warren said:


> You know what they say If you eat out, don't **** off the cook.


Totally!


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## Jan A (Feb 10, 2021)

Warren said:


> Let me reply to this question, my Tortoise has been soaking in my kitchen sink during cold weather. He has a pool in the warmer weather outside. Yes he does pee and poo in his water while he's soaking. When he's is in the sink, there is no disks around and the counter is clear. When he is finished soaking, I deinfect the counter and the stainless steel sink. Over the year's I raised three boy, and when they were infants I would bath them in the same sink. Many times they would make a mess, so I just clean it up and deinfect. You would be surprised on what go on in the back of many restaurant Kitchen that you know nothing about! When I'm soaking my Tortoise, I don't wash my dish with him.


Been there, done that as far as 3 -compartment sinks in bars & restaurants. As far as I know, none of the help was taking baths in them but I wasn't there all the time. Whatever you soak your tort in, you're eventually going to want to clean it.


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## Radamila (Feb 11, 2021)

Taylorlynn48 said:


> Tank does not like his baths ? but he is squeaky clean afterwards.


It seems Tank is not comfortable and relaxed in this dish... Bath dish should be shallow, so any tortoises/ turtles feel secure, without fear to be drowned. I use large Terra-cotta Dish and my Sulcata, Miriam feels safe in this dish, she can get out if she is not comfortable or had enough soaking. Sometimes I had to use sink bath with a soft brush (poop get stuck under the plastron and stinks... When I rescued Miriam, she was in bad shape: eating her poop, covered with her own excrements and had (already) piramids from bad diet). Now, she feels better with good fresh food and baths, she takes 2 times a week.


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## Radamila (Feb 11, 2021)

I put my Miriam in large, but shallow Terra-cota Dish for soaking... She likes to be in it, and she can climb out, when she is done!


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## Sue Ann (Feb 17, 2021)

Warren said:


> My Sammy turned 3 on Dec. 21, 2020, on Feb. 1, 2021 he weighed 28 lb. 2 ozs. At 1 yr. old he weighed 2 lbs. At 2 he weighed 9 lbs. At 3 he weighed 24 lbs. 6 ozs. When I got him on March 13, 2018 he weighed 46 grams. at 4 month's old.
> View attachment 317666
> View attachment 317667


Don’t you just love baby pictures. He looks so cute! My Dexter is 2 in March and weighs 12 pounds. So I guess we are doing ok. This cold snap is playing havoc with the outdoor enclosure


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## Sue Ann (Feb 17, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> lol a bird???? I have 16 parakeets and 4 eggs in a nest.
> I operated a small turtle and tortoise rescue for a number of years, so I have 'pets' from then, missing legs, missing eyes, blind and just a bad temperment.
> This is my living room with several of my birds cages
> View attachment 317682
> ...


Love the just hatched babies!
I used to run a parrot rescue. Had 6 huge parrot cages. Also raised cockatiels.
Have 2 dogs and thought I’d get an easy pet..... 
a Sulcata ?


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