Nicole edwards
Active Member
When you think of a sulcata you think of a desert tortoise that is rarely around water. My little guy constantly drinks and will drink for 10+ minutes at a time. Is this normal? 
Can my sulcata drink too much water?
- Thread starter Nicole edwards
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It might be because the dish is too small. Most tortoises drink by putting almost their whole head into the water. His dish should be big enough for his whole body to fit into.
Nicole edwards
Active Member
Well that's just his daytime dish. He gets soaks in a large tub twice a day
You have to remember that they have an ingrained sense that water is scarce, so when they come across a puddle it's only natural they're going to take advantage of it. I'm pretty sure he'll get the hang of it eventually and realize that there's always water in his bowl.
But they should have a day time dish that is large enough for them to get into and drink or self soak should they want. A large clay saucer, the kind that goes under flower pots are most recommended. You can still use the small one, as he wont be able to dirty it as easily, but he should have a larger one too.
Nicole edwards
Active Member
Good deal! I feed him out of a clay saucer I'll have to get another!!
If he's peeing and pooping okay then I wouldn't worry at all.
Mine sometimes won't drink at all in his soak but immediately after the soak he'll go to his water dish and drink half the water in it. That puzzles me more than anything.
Mine sometimes won't drink at all in his soak but immediately after the soak he'll go to his water dish and drink half the water in it. That puzzles me more than anything.
In my large outdoor pen, I use a water heater overflow pan. These are pliable, hard plastic. And the cost is easy on the wallet. They are also large and shallow allowing for a large sulcata to enter and exit easy while being able to do a full body self soak. Tomorrow I'll get a picture for you.
This is a commonly held misconception. They are not desert animals, they live in grasslands and Forest edge areas. It takes a lot of annual rainfall to maintain grasslands and forests.
While it is dry for eight or nine months of each year, what is never mentioned in books or websites is that the other 3 to 4 months of every year are the monsoon season where it rains all the time, marshes form, there are puddles and green growing food everywhere, and humidity is very very high.
It is normal and good for them to drink a lot. My big sulcatas will submerge their head and drink a gallon or two in one sitting.
I agree with Barb that it is time for a water dish upgrade.
I'm glad you asked this question. My husband keeps insisting I give Charlie too much water! Now I have something to show him to prove he is wrong. When Charlie drinks, he sticks his whole head under the water and keeps it there a long time. Like Tom said, he can drink the dish dry in one sitting.
surfergirl
Well-Known Member
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ditto, my sully likes to drink out of bowls, drink off the ground while it is raining and soak in a big pan. he does not necessarily drink while he soaks though. He will come out and walk in the rain a lot and then go back in his house when he has had enough. He seems to have his own schedule as to when he drinks. I just make sure he has plenty of sources of water available all the time .
Speedy-1
Well-Known Member
I don't see how they could drink too much since what goes in , is used or comes out . Just like food , clean water is always available .
As promised, today is tomorrow and I went out this morning and took a picture of the water heater overflow pan. I've also included a picture with my boot on the edge for a size reference. The boot is a size 10 mens. The white thing at the top edge of the pan is threaded for a garden hose and makes cleaning a breeze. I hadn't cleaned it out yet.
these pans are 2"-3" deep, allowing the tortoise to do a back splash while self soaking and also makes it very easy to climb into/out of when they get the hankerin.
