Bath time hater

[chester tortoiseson]

I try to bath my tortoise Chester twice a week, but he just hates it! He is fine for a Moment, but then freaks out and trys to run away so I take him out, it lasts for about 5 minutes! Is it because the water it too cold, if so how do you keep it warm for 15 minutes! He lives indoors in a preety big cage. Also I think he soakes him self (when I get home sometimes the water is dirty and there is poo in it) Any tips would be helpful!

 

[ascott]

Well, I personally would still do the soaks...you can keep the water warm by placing a basking light over the soaker and be sure that the sides are high enough that he can not get out (but I still would keep an eye on him as they can tip over in the water)...

If he seems to soak and drink then I would be less concerned, however, my gut says to still soak him....I am a fan of long soaks--however, as I am reminded from time to time from Maggie--since Russians seem to be the group that dislike soaks the most---a 10-15 minute soak every couple of days would likely serve him well instead of long soaks...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi CT:

Yeah, the steppe tortoises usually don't like being in water too much. None of mine will sit still either. I've gotten around soaking them by keeping a nice tub of water in their habitat. If they're thirsty, they'll drink.

I'm too lazy to go back and re-read your other posts, so forgive me if you've already told us ... is Chester a full grown steppe tortoise? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about forced soaking.

 

[ascott]

Yvonne, he is approx 9 to 10 months old

 

[Tyrtle]

I always use warm water and only to the level about between their bottom and top shell. Ours will sit quietly for a bit, then they spend a lot of time just trying to get out to no avail. I always see them getting several drinks and they relieve themselves there as well. Since I've always been told it's good for them, I figure it's for their own good.

 

[lauren43201]

Well my lil guy is a russian too, and he HATES soaks. So all i would say is to try your best to keep him in there. My soaks only last 5 minutes because he wont allow any more than that. LOL.

 

[michelle209]

You could also try the bath tub. My Russian does not soak in his habitat at all so I usually put him in the bathtub. It works well for me.

 

[Kerryann]

I soak mine in a cooking dish. My Russian loves her soakings and I know her water is getting too cold when she starts moving around. When I put her in she stretches out and just relaxes. My Marginated I put in a pan in the sink because he is an escape artist. He never relaxes and is constantly looking to get out. I just do water changes after about 7 or 8 minutes since they have poopied anyway. My tortoises both don't mind being handled so it doesn't weird them out.

 

[JoesMum]

The best way to bath a reluctant tortoise is to do it first thing in the morning before he's warmed up properly!

Some torts love baths, some hate them. The anti-brigade can usually be encouraged to relax and enjoy. Establishing a routine where the same things happen at the same time each day helps to reduce stress.

I suggest the morning goes something like: lights on, heat on, soak, feed...

My soaking tips are:
1. Soak first thing before your tort has warmed up properly to reduce escape attempts.
2. Use a high sided bowl or box so your tort can't see out
3. Use enough warm (not hot) water to just come over your tort's plastron (undershell). Get the temperature right and your not-warmed-up tort is more likely to lounge and absorb the heat.
4. Soak for a good 20 minutes. Don't worry if you don't see him drink; torts can absorb water through the skin. The length of soak is important.
5. Your tort may wee and/or poop in the water - it's more likely to concern you than him. You can change the water if it's truly disgusting. Don't worry if your tort eats his poop; it's said to improve gut flora!
6. Feed straight after the soak. Joe is always hungriest straight after his.

 

[Redstrike]

I have redfoots that really don't enjoy it either, but I subject them to it on a regular basis and hope that eventually they will take to them. If not, their struggling = good exercise. Hydrating them is worth it.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

My steppe tortoises get just one warm-water bath per week. They seem to be pretty comfortable in there as long as it's warm. After a few minutes, they eliminate wastes. When they start trying to climb out after about 5-10 minutes, I take them out.

Unless they're sick, I don't think it's necessary to bathe tortoises more often than once a week, or for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time. If they're content to stay in there for 15 minutes, then that's fine, but it doesn't have to be that long. In nature they would just wade into a shallow puddle for a few minutes, drink and do their business, and then wade right back out again. I think that's all we have to simulate in captivity.

Each of my guys has a little water dish in his or her pen, and I see them drinking or soaking in there from time to time. If they need more than the little bath I give them every Saturday morning, they can do it on their own.

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Don't worry if your tort eats his poop; it's said to improve gut flora!

While eating some other individual's poop may shift the composition of an animal's gut microbiota, re-ingesting its own waste is unlikely to change much, because the same microbes are put back in that were just taken out. Tortoises have been known to eat the dung of ruminants, like goats, although this is probably a mixed bag, because while they ingest nutrients, they probably also acquire parasites this way.

Captive tortoises have been known to eat their own waste, but probably not while in the bath. The only animals that really need to eat their own poop (corpophagy) are rabbits and some rodents. Young tortoises may be inexperienced or curious, and may actually build up their own gut flora by eating the poop of older tortoises. Otherwise, it's usually out of boredom or starvation.