My red-foot hates bath time

buckminstertortoise

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My baby red-foot is always trying to escape the bath. I tried different locations, different containers and he always wants out. Is that normal? Is he drinking?
 

JoesMum

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Some like it less than others, but there are a couple of things you can check.

Use a large flat bottomed bowl that your tortoise cannot see over or through (this is really important)... a washing up bowl is ideal even for tiny tortoises as the larger volume of water cools more slowly.

The water needs to be warm, not hot and not tepid. Think baby bath. You will have to experiment a bit but get the temperature right and your tort is more likely to relax and chill out.

The water needs to be deep enough to come just up over the join between the plastron (undershell) and the shell.

I find soaks most successful when done first thing in the morning. Unlike Greeks, redfoots should be kept at the same temperature day and night so the impact of the time of day may not be so great for you.

If your tortoise still doesn’t enjoying the soak, just reassure yourself that marching round a large soak bowl is good for encouraging a poop and don’t worry too much.
 

xMario

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My baby red-foot is always trying to escape the bath. I tried different locations, different containers and he always wants out. Is that normal? Is he drinking?
Ur tortoise will calm down over time normally if not make sure the water temperature is warm enough and also not too hot
U need to supervise him to know if hes drinking but hes definitely getting hydrated through his skin
 

jsheffield

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I combine my redfoot's soak with feeding, and he likes food enough to tolerate the soak ... by the time he's full, I figure he's soaked enough for the day too.

Jamie
 

Toddrickfl1

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I've got one that hates being soaked and one that literally soaks herself in her enclosure for hours.
 

Ben02

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I’ve got a tort that is scared of water, if she walks in by accident she will run frantically back to her hide.

I bathe her daily anyway and she’s not happy about that!!! I also spray her food just so she gets that crucial moisture.
 

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