Do tortoises really need water?

KarenSoCal

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Interestingly, I read a desert tortoise care sheet, unfortunately I don't remember whose.

They recommended NOT having water available for DT's at all times, saying limiting the supply encourages bladder emptying and drinking.

Even AZ Game & Field's site says to offer a pan of water every few days.

I always have pans of drinking/soaking water for Chug, though I rarely see him in them. That's why I soak him every other day or so.

Anyone with a DT might find this interesting, even though it's from 2011.

http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Tortoise-Species.html
 

JoesMum

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Of course they need water! Posting a picture of a dish proves nothing!

They may survive long periods without, but water is essential for survival and denying it in captivity is at best ridiculous and at worst cruelty.

A terracotta plant saucer is safer than those reptile water dishes by the way.
 

Lyn W

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All living things need water.
It will be easier for your tort to drink if you sink the dish level with the substrate.
 

jsheffield

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I soak my redfoot tortoise 5+ times each week and have a water bowl for him to drink from (and stand in) ... He's only nine months but I imagine I'll keep doing it as time goes by.

Jamie
 

Tom

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Interestingly, I read a desert tortoise care sheet, unfortunately I don't remember whose.

They recommended NOT having water available for DT's at all times, saying limiting the supply encourages bladder emptying and drinking.

Even AZ Game & Field's site says to offer a pan of water every few days.

I always have pans of drinking/soaking water for Chug, though I rarely see him in them. That's why I soak him every other day or so.

Anyone with a DT might find this interesting, even though it's from 2011.

http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Tortoise-Species.html
I know that you know this, but I want anyone reading your post to know that this info is WRONG. Not correct. False. Not true. DTs need water and benefit from water just as much as any other species. I've rehabbed enough of them and saved so many babies that were on the verge of death because of the bad advice these people give. An adult can survive a long time with no water, but little babies cannot. Further: Dogs, bladder stones from dehydration, and incorrect hibernation are the top three killers of DTs in my experience. I see SOOOOOOOOOOO many of them dying because of giant bladder stones. Many tortoise vets out here in the western states have one or more of these DT bladder stones on display in their offices.

It was so sad I almost cried, but right next to Heather @Team Gomberg at the OC CTTC show was a booth with a bunch of empty DT shells and several sizes of these bladder stones that were taken from tortoises either surgically while still alive or after death. These people were promoting this old wrong info and were totally miffed that the "new" girl next to them was telling people to soak babies daily and to keep baby leopard tortoises in a humid closed chamber. They literally had their death and destruction the results of the care they were recommending, on display. Heather had a whole book of pics of live, smooth, healthy, growing, thriving tortoises, as well as her beautiful live specimens and a sample enclosure, and these people were upset with her !!! I bit my tongue and walked away, because I didn't want to be combative and make trouble for her. She was working on educating these people in her own way, and doing a great job. I deferred to her methods over my own combative, bombastic style.
 

KarenSoCal

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I know that you know this, but I want anyone reading your post to know that this info is WRONG. Not correct. False. Not true. DTs need water and benefit from water just as much as any other species. I've rehabbed enough of them and saved so many babies that were on the verge of death because of the bad advice these people give. An adult can survive a long time with no water, but little babies cannot. Further: Dogs, bladder stones from dehydration, and incorrect hibernation are the top three killers of DTs in my experience. I see SOOOOOOOOOOO many of them dying because of giant bladder stones. Many tortoise vets out here in the western states have one or more of these DT bladder stones on display in their offices.

It was so sad I almost cried, but right next to Heather @Team Gomberg at the OC CTTC show was a booth with a bunch of empty DT shells and several sizes of these bladder stones that were taken from tortoises either surgically while still alive or after death. These people were promoting this old wrong info and were totally miffed that the "new" girl next to them was telling people to soak babies daily and to keep baby leopard tortoises in a humid closed chamber. They literally had their death and destruction the results of the care they were recommending, on display. Heather had a whole book of pics of live, smooth, healthy, growing, thriving tortoises, as well as her beautiful live specimens and a sample enclosure, and these people were upset with her !!! I bit my tongue and walked away, because I didn't want to be combative and make trouble for her. She was working on educating these people in her own way, and doing a great job. I deferred to her methods over my own combative, bombastic style.
Tom, you? bombastic? Where did you ever get such a notion?? [emoji6]

I really appreciate your post. I should have emphasized how horrible this info is. I was shocked to see this on AZ F&G's site, which generally, IMO, gives decent advice.

I know that if I didn't regularly soak Chug, he would be severely dehydrated. I wish I knew why he won't drink or soak in any of his 3 water pans. I've also made him mud puddles to no avail. He also hates a sprinkler or being "rained on" with a hose. I guess he's just aquaphobic!
 

HollyLovesBob

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That’s so sad about the bladder stones... you’ve got me worried about my guy now since we found him outside and we have no idea how long he’d been out alone with no source of drinking water... He seems perfectly fine though, pees and urates are good and his poops are great now.

There’s no obvious signs of bladder stones are there?

Bob has a number of funny little idiosyncrasies which I sometimes question if they’re normal, like rubbing his butt on my mum’s leg if she’s squatted down with him o_O I could honestly write a whole thread on his quirky ways lol.
 

Ben02

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Tom, you? bombastic? Where did you ever get such a notion?? [emoji6]

I really appreciate your post. I should have emphasized how horrible this info is. I was shocked to see this on AZ F&G's site, which generally, IMO, gives decent advice.

I know that if I didn't regularly soak Chug, he would be severely dehydrated. I wish I knew why he won't drink or soak in any of his 3 water pans. I've also made him mud puddles to no avail. He also hates a sprinkler or being "rained on" with a hose. I guess he's just aquaphobic!
I usually see mine drink more in the winter, I don’t know what that’s about.
 

Levi the Leopard

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Thanks for the nice words @Tom. :) True, I didn't get through to many of the CTTC "experts" but they were nice (to my face) and did allow me to share this... crazy method?.. with visitors.

Nothing makes me happier than to see my tortoise drink water. (Same goes for my other reptiles and inverts) so many of these critters are kept with no water dishes in their enclosures yet I have seen all of mine use them. Some more than others but I sleep better knowing that they all have them if they need them. :cool:

**Searching for drinking photos I discovered that I don't have many recent photos. This is Levi almost 5 years ago!
0825151334c.jpg
 

Bee62

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I stole a picture from @ALDABRAMAN
It is the pure proof that tortoises not only need water,---- no, most tortoise species love water !

44997128_710402255987897_7004338219433066496_n-jpg.269710
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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My hatchling will drink water every third soak and will drink out of his water dish too almost everydayIMG_20190502_085359.jpg
 
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qiangzhu

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My tortoise likes to drink water when it is soaked. But I never see it ever touched that water plate I put in its tote
 
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