# Tortoises & Tea



## Rustybread (Dec 8, 2012)

Can tortoises drink cooled tea? Not tea mix, but made with a tea bag in a kettle then cooled.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 8, 2012)

I try to not give my tortoises anything they might not find in the wild. I'm not sure how good caffeine would be for a tortoise.


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## Katherine (Dec 8, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*

I had such a funny visual reading this, tortoises eating crumpets and clinking teacups would be quite a sight. Curious question. I would not offer my tortoises anything but water to drink.


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## Yellow Turtle (Dec 8, 2012)

Why would you give it to them firsthand? You can try and share the result to us though, that would be good information for us 

Although I still wouldn't do it to my torts whatever the results are


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## TortoiseBoy1999 (Dec 8, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*



emysemys said:


> I try to not give my tortoises anything they might not find in the wild. I'm not sure how good caffeine would be for a tortoise.



You sound JUST like my sister  She's all about "what about in the wild? Huh?! Huh?!"


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## Baoh (Dec 8, 2012)

Rustybread said:


> Can tortoises drink cooled tea? Not tea mix, but made with a tea bag in a kettle then cooled.



Supposing they could, why would you want to? 

Just keep it to water. They will never be accepted as members of high society anyway. They can keep a top hat on, but the monocle will always fall off.


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## Tortus (Dec 9, 2012)

What's 21 in tortoise years? I bet they like beer.


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## karleyreed (Dec 9, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*

18 is legal to drink beer here in the UK! Which is probs why we have so many alcohol relates issues.


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## Moozillion (Dec 9, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*



Baoh said:


> Supposing they could, why would you want to?
> 
> Just keep it to water. They will never be accepted as members of high society anyway. They can keep a top hat on, but the monocle will always fall off.



Hahahaaaaa!!!!! Love the image!


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## ottosmom18 (Dec 11, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*



Katherine said:


> I had such a funny visual reading this, tortoises eating crumpets and clinking teacups would be quite a sight. Curious question. I would not offer my tortoises anything but water to drink.



Haha same vision here.


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## Spn785 (Dec 11, 2012)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*



Katherine said:


> I had such a funny visual reading this, tortoises eating crumpets and clinking teacups would be quite a sight. Curious question. I would not offer my tortoises anything but water to drink.



LOL, I thought the same thing!




Baoh said:


> Rustybread said:
> 
> 
> > Can tortoises drink cooled tea? Not tea mix, but made with a tea bag in a kettle then cooled.
> ...



Hilarious! I like that!




Tortus said:


> What's 21 in tortoise years? I bet they like beer.



LOL. To quote one of my favorite bands, "All we need is Love and Beer!"

Seriously though, I would just stick to giving them water, they don't really need any else to drink. However some might come across tea plants (I'm not sure of their scientific names) in the wild.


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## Angi (Dec 11, 2012)

Maybe a homemade hibiscus tea. It would be refreshing on a warm day


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## Rustybread (Jan 15, 2013)

I'm not going to do that, I was just curious about it. I feel like tortoises deserve some of the good life at times.


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## Yellow Turtle (Jan 15, 2013)

As long as you provide them with good care, I think they are happy enough. If not, it's always better to hand it over to others or release back to nature.


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## Jacqui (Jan 15, 2013)

You know I was going to come to this thread and say something about it being two of my favorite ways to spend a day. However, instead it clicked a memory. Years back (20 odd years ago), I knew a young man who took in sick water turtles. At the time, it was mostly Asians that came his way. He was very much into using natural things for a cure. He did use weak tea water for them to be in. I forgot what healing properties it was suppose to have. It was something to do with shell rot. He did have amazing results.


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## lynnedit (Jan 15, 2013)

OK, this is a surprising post.

First I thought of a Mad Hatter tea party.


Baoh said:


> Supposing they could, why would you want to?
> 
> Just keep it to water. They will never be accepted as members of high society anyway. They can keep a top hat on, but the monocle will always fall off.



Then I thought, 'Plus, they can't raise their pinky finger'.

Although green tea does have some healing qualities...hmmm....


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## Weda737 (Jan 15, 2013)

With all the antioxidants in herbal teas (I myself drink them like they're going out of style) I can't say I haven't wondered this myself. Something Herbal though, not loaded with caffeine and nothing minty.


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## Baoh (Jan 16, 2013)

Jacqui said:


> You know I was going to come to this thread and say something about it being two of my favorite ways to spend a day. However, instead it clicked a memory. Years back (20 odd years ago), I knew a young man who took in sick water turtles. At the time, it was mostly Asians that came his way. He was very much into using natural things for a cure. He did use weak tea water for them to be in. I forgot what healing properties it was suppose to have. It was something to do with shell rot. He did have amazing results.



Yes, the tannins are antimicrobial, so that has a specific external medical application


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## Kapidolo Farms (Jan 16, 2013)

Teas make the water tannic, which provides some relief to some animals, teas for animals are not always the tea we drink. This was very popular way to 'make' amphibian water, frog and salamander people had elaborate recipes for amphibian tea. Many animals, live in or drink water that has settled in a basin of some sort and has plant extracts in it. The Rio Negro in Brazil is nothing but tea water. Small forest species of tortoise will drink rain or dew water that collects in curled leaves on a forest floor, and that too is a tea.

Oddly enough, why don't you all lament chlorine in your tortoises' water, that is not good for them, you know.

Will


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## Irwin4530 (Jan 16, 2013)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*



Baoh said:


> Supposing they could, why would you want to?
> 
> Just keep it to water. They will never be accepted as members of high society anyway. They can keep a top hat on, but the monocle will always fall off.



Monocle ..... HAHAHAHAHA.


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## Thalatte (Jan 16, 2013)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*

I have used pastes made from tea leaves on injured reptiles it helps with swelling and infections. My old iguana also drank green tea on occasion though he seemed to prefer red teas with dissolved honey in it (just a few drops for the anti inflammatory properties). 
If you use high quality organic teas that are made from nontoxic plants it isn't bad for them. They just don't need it. I have actually been thinking about finding fresh tea leaves and introducing them back into the diet of a few animals that are prone to infections to see if it helps.


Also I am now going to make a tiny too hat for my Sonoran. I think he will be adorable in it.


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## For Love of Everything Shell (Jan 17, 2013)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*

Dang,,. Now I want to give Bob some tea on a hot summer day... Or some warm tea in Az chilly winter nights to warm him up


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## Thalatte (Jan 17, 2013)

*RE: Tortoises & Tea*

Offer a very small bowl of it in addition to his water and see what happens. But verify that they can eat the plants the teas made of first. And that the teas are all natural. I generally research how teas are grown and dried before offering.


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