Pyxis arachnoides

wellington

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Very cute. I would lower the water dish though, to be level with the substrate. Unless of course he likes giving butt shots :D
 

Anthony P

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it is for me always very interesting how these beautiful guys drink. Sticking their head under water.

They stick their heads into the soil as well. I brought this up to Michael Ogle and he mentioned sending one off to be examined to determine if this species has the same type of structure in their heads as Aldabras, which allows them to drink through their noses. I've been waiting patiently for that news.
 

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They stick their heads into the soil as well. I brought this up to Michael Ogle and he mentioned sending one off to be examined to determine if this species has the same type of structure in their heads as Aldabras, which allows them to drink through their noses. I've been waiting patiently for that news.
I heard in general, that tortoises do not have separate oesophagus and wind pipe. Just heard it.
 

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They stick their heads into the soil as well. I brought this up to Michael Ogle and he mentioned sending one off to be examined to determine if this species has the same type of structure in their heads as Aldabras, which allows them to drink through their noses. I've been waiting patiently for that news.

This seems like they would NOT have the same adaptive drinking as Aldabras based on this. Aldabras can drink with just the very tip of their nose in water, which allows them to drink from small condensation puddles, even from a curled leaf that is much smaller then their head. Where as sticking your whole head in the water is not that behavior at all. I would suggest an adult Aldabra could drink as well from small puddle with it's nostrils as a Pyxis could with it's whole head in the same puddle

I've seen pancakes, P. planicuada (Flat tails), Egyptians, and Speke's hingebacks drink with their whole head in the water. They even blow some back through their nose. That is they suck it up with their mouth slightly agape, then close their mouth and push some water back out. You can see small particles of 'stuff' in the water swirl around when they do this. At one time I thought the blow back was just sloppy sucking up, but it comes out with great force, so I interpret this as theyr'e cleaning their nostrils out.

Noenate leopards will walk into water well over their head, stick there head out and drink, then stick their head up to breath, look around and then, of course, deficate.
 

Anthony P

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This seems like they would NOT have the same adaptive drinking as Aldabras based on this. Aldabras can drink with just the very tip of their nose in water, which allows them to drink from small condensation puddles, even from a curled leaf that is much smaller then their head. Where as sticking your whole head in the water is not that behavior at all. I would suggest an adult Aldabra could drink as well from small puddle with it's nostrils as a Pyxis could with it's whole head in the same puddle

I've seen pancakes, P. planicuada (Flat tails), Egyptians, and Speke's hingebacks drink with their whole head in the water. They even blow some back through their nose. That is they suck it up with their mouth slightly agape, then close their mouth and push some water back out. You can see small particles of 'stuff' in the water swirl around when they do this. At one time I thought the blow back was just sloppy sucking up, but it comes out with great force, so I interpret this as theyr'e cleaning their nostrils out.

Noenate leopards will walk into water well over their head, stick there head out and drink, then stick their head up to breath, look around and then, of course, deficate.

Great stuff, Will.

Now, I know that you have seen much more tortoise activity than I, but I've never seen a tortoise species drink so often and what seems to be quite effectively, from the ground. No puddles. Just a nose against the ground, and swallowing. Pretty interesting. They do it every time I mist the enclosure.

Ant
 

turtlesteve

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Great stuff, Will.

Now, I know that you have seen much more tortoise activity than I, but I've never seen a tortoise species drink so often and what seems to be quite effectively, from the ground. No puddles. Just a nose against the ground, and swallowing. Pretty interesting. They do it every time I mist the enclosure.

Ant

I can vouch for seeing the same behavior from my spiders. But, mine seem to stick their noses on rocks preferentially, rather than soil.

Steve
 

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This seems like they would NOT have the same adaptive drinking as Aldabras based on this. Aldabras can drink with just the very tip of their nose in water, which allows them to drink from small condensation puddles, even from a curled leaf that is much smaller then their head. Where as sticking your whole head in the water is not that behavior at all. I would suggest an adult Aldabra could drink as well from small puddle with it's nostrils as a Pyxis could with it's whole head in the same puddle

I've seen pancakes, P. planicuada (Flat tails), Egyptians, and Speke's hingebacks drink with their whole head in the water. They even blow some back through their nose. That is they suck it up with their mouth slightly agape, then close their mouth and push some water back out. You can see small particles of 'stuff' in the water swirl around when they do this. At one time I thought the blow back was just sloppy sucking up, but it comes out with great force, so I interpret this as theyr'e cleaning their nostrils out.

Noenate leopards will walk into water well over their head, stick there head out and drink, then stick their head up to breath, look around and then, of course, deficate.
saw the same with the egyptians.
 

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