How Does a Tortoise Drink Water?

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Redfoot dip their whole head under water. Same thing. They never gulp like you would imagine.
Some tortoises absorb water through their rear ends from what I recently read here.
Regardless of weather they are seen drinking or not. Every tortoise needs clean water available.
I'm sure you are seeing normal behavior.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I have placed a water bowl inside my tortoise enclosure and my tortoise will occasionally put its face into the water. I have never seen it open its mouth while doing this. Can they hydrate themselves through their nose or is it doing something else?
Yes they can suck it in through their nostrils, but they also don't need to open their mouths much.
 

daniellenc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
2,084
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Another owner of a head dunking RF. I can see him swallowing though but never see an open mouth. Of course his entire head is under so my view is distorted. Funny how the same species have so many shared mannerisms even in captivity.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
The other end of the nostrils doesn't go down the throat like mammals, it ends up in the roof of the mouth. So tortoises drink through their noses. I read a long time ago that there is only one species of chelonian that actually drinks through the cloaca, and that's a turtle native to Australia.
 
Top