# Should i keep water in my Russian Tortoises habitat?



## Alex17 (Dec 28, 2011)

I have a baby Russian tortoise and care for them is all new to me since I am a first time owner. I have read that weekly soaks and periodic mists are all that is needed. Is this true?
Thanks


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## kimber_lee_314 (Dec 28, 2011)

I always keep a dish of water available for all of my tortoises. It should be just big enough that he can climb in and sit in it. You never know when they will want water, and babies are prone to dehydrating, especially under heat lamps.


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## Jacqui (Dec 28, 2011)

True they may be able to survive like that, but to me it is not the optimal way to care for them. I think all tortoises should have water available to them to choose to use or ignore. Simply my reasoning is, they may need or want water at times other then we humans may deemed them needing water. How would you feel, if I said you can only have a drink at 2:30 am?


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## lynnedit (Dec 28, 2011)

Yeah, keep a shallow water dish (pot tray?) in there. Add a few pebbles if he needs them to climb out.


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## pdrobber (Dec 28, 2011)

Welcome! I agree with others in keeping a water plant pot saucer available to them.


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## dmarcus (Dec 28, 2011)

Hello and welcome to the forum, like others have said you should keep water available for your tortoise...


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## Floof (Dec 28, 2011)

Definitely offer a water dish! My adult Russians always have a water dish available. Furthermore, "periodic mists" sounds like it'd lead you to having a very dry enclosure... With Russians, the usual advice is to keep the substrate slightly moist. Not wet, but not bone dry, either. Just moist enough that it clumps loosely when you squeeze a handful (assuming you use a product like soil or coconut coir). This often takes a lot more than a "periodic mist." Depending on what you use and how deep it is, you may have to add water and "stir" the substrate every few days to keep it from getting too dry.

Also, keep in mind, the vast majority of care sheets for Russians are for adults, since the vast majority in captivity _are_ adults--most Russian tortoises are wild caught as adults, and there are relatively few breeders of Russians, so there aren't very many hatchlings in the trade. _Some_ keepers prefer not to use water dishes, and write that into their care sheets. They can get away with this because adult Russians are much less prone to dehydration, as well as being very tough and very good at surviving less than ideal conditions (including the artificial drought you put them through by not offering water). 

Hatchling tortoises, on the other hand, are very prone to dehydration. You might be able to get away with only offering an adult Russian water once a week, but, with a baby, that's just asking for major trouble.


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## Alex17 (Jan 21, 2012)

Thanks for the help!


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## GBtortoises (Jan 22, 2012)

For all baby Testudo species I suggest either keeping a very shallow water dish, with the top rim sunken to ground level, in the enclosure at all times and still continuing to water (soak) them seperately twice weekly, as well as spraying their enclosure at least once daily. Or if not keeping a water dish in their enclosure 24/7 they should be watered (soaked) every other day and their enclosure sprayed twice daily.


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