Sulcata won't drink water

[Merlinthepug]

I have had my African Spurred Sulcata Mordred or Mordy since he was a hatchling. He's now 15 and 70 pounds and quite a character or punk as my partner calls him! In his entire life, I've seen Mordy drink maybe 10 times. When he was a baby, I did soak him all the time. He always had water, but would just walk through it, knock it over, or drag his hay into it. Since moving from San Diego to Warwick, RI his drinking habits have not changed. Now I just soak his treats in a glass pie dish and set it out in the yard hoping on hot days he's getting something. He has seen exotic vets on both coasts, but they did not seem concerned. It is possible that some Sulcata's just refuse to drink?

 

[xMario]

My sulcata is still young but also refuses to drink water the only way of getting him to drink was with moving water

So now I just place her in my bath tub and let the water run for a bit he always takes a drink now [emoji16]

 

[Merlinthepug]

My sulcata is still young but also refuses to drink water the only way of getting him to drink was with moving water

So now I just place her in my bath tub and let the water run for a bit he always takes a drink now [emoji16]

Thanks for your reply. He doesn't fit in a bathtub...too wide. He's also too heavy. I can't lift him. Maybe I can try the hose instead!

 

[katieandiggy]

Thanks for your reply. He doesn't fit in a bathtub...too wide. He's also too heavy. I can't lift him. Maybe I can try the hose instead!

Have you tried soaking him in a large plastic kiddie pool?

 

[sibi]

Thanks for your reply. He doesn't fit in a bathtub...too wide. He's also too heavy. I can't lift him. Maybe I can try the hose instead!

That's what I do with my torts. Mine too are too heavy for soaks. So, I use the hose and let it trickle a bit. I place it at the creak of his mouth, and even put it in his nose.

After observing my animals for a very long time, I discovered that my torts place their face over the bowl of water and actually sniffs the water up their nose. Don't understand why they do this cause most animals instinctively drink from their mouth. But, my animals smell their water! Go figure.

 

[2wgasa]

After observing my animals for a very long time, I discovered that my torts place their face over the bowl of water and actually sniffs the water up their nose. Don't understand why they do this cause most animals instinctively drink from their mouth. But, my animals smell their water! Go figure.

Taking a drink 1 year ago. He has made this his bowl.

 

[vladimir]

It's so cute when a sulcata sticks their whole face in there

 

[Yvonne G]

Just in case any of you don't know: The other end of a tortoise's nostrils goes to the roof of his mouth, not down his throat. So breathing in the water from his nose takes the water into his mouth.

 

[TammyJ]

They do prefer moving water. Like my green iguanas, they tend to drink from dripping or flowing water. My iguanas start lapping whenever I put the hose on fine spray to run over them, and my redfoots hear the water falling into their pool from the hose and they come along and start drinking. It is like rain or streams in the forest where they originated.

 

[Erik Elvis]

I have a little guy compared to yours. Had him 2 years and have seen him drink once. My leopard will drink some just about every time I soak him.

 

[Lyn W]

All living things need water so he is probably getting it from somewhere.
I rarely catch mine drinking and he never drinks in his soak, but the level in his water dishes drops so he must be using them. I also soak his leaves before feeding to rehydrate them.
Make sure his water dish is deep enough for him to put his head in, I've read that they need to cover their nostrils to drink.
They also like to self soak so need a pool of some sort which is easy to get in and out of.
They are mucky things so it's up to us to change it and provide fresh water.

 

[Merlinthepug]

Thanks to all! Getting a plastic pool this weekend and running the hose for Mordy!!

 

[sibi]

Taking a drink 1 year ago. He has made this his bowl.
View attachment 278062

So, I don't know, but it seems that he's also sniffing the water down his mouth. I can't see him lapping the water like dogs do, LOL

 

[sibi]

Just in case any of you don't know: The other end of a tortoise's nostrils goes to the roof of his mouth, not down his throat. So breathing in the water from his nose takes the water into his mouth.

Right on Yvonne! I've looked into the upper part of their nostrils and see it opens into the mouth. Even though I never learned it from anyone or any book, I observed it with my four torts. So, I would tell people they mostly drink from their nostrils.

 

[Tortoise Rescue Brenda]

Mine loves the sprinkler. He will drink the puddles under the sprinkler or from his water dish if the sprinkler splashes in it. Otherwise, he doesn’t drink either.

 

[Bigred1974]

Great to know that they do drink through their nostrils as well as my Horsefield always does this as well. She loves the shower head on her or the water from the sink on her back but she is much smaller than a sulcata