Tort Psychology

[buckey]

OK..Here is my problem. A couple years ago I made a water hole with a rubber liner for my Sulcata. He had no problem going into it to do his thing. The problem I had was I didn't put a drain in it, so I had to flood it all the time to get fresh water. It was in the full sun. So...I decided to build another water hole with the same liner and a drain on the other side of the yard in the shade. He totally refuses to use the new waterhole. How can I get him to use the new waterhole? I have tried with no water and bribing him into it with Hibiscus Flowers. That didn't work. Any suggestions would very much be appreciated.

 

[wellington]

Take the old one out for a while. Then when he gets used to using the new one, try putting the old one back.

 

[Yvonne G]

They (not just sulcatas, but all species) really do get set in their ways. I had a small waterer for my two Aldabran tortoises up against the fence. It was way too small for them, so a friend of mine dug a new hole, put in a drain, etc. and made a nice, big waterer out in the center of the habitat. No one was ever interested enough to even look at it. I ended up having to dig a new hole where the old, small waterer was and place the new one there.

Maybe you can mount a nice, big garden umbrella over the spot of the old waterer and make your new one in the same place??????

 

[buckey]

The old waterhole has no water or liner in it. I will be filing it in soon. The reason I moved it to the other side of the yard was so the drain pipe would drain and not be so long.. The original waterhole would have needed about 30 ft of so of drain pipe just because of the layout of the property. Make sense?

 

[Yvonne G]

I dug my drain hole straight down. Dug down with a post hole digger as deep as I could and still open the handles of the digger. Then I filled it up with small rocks and placed the waterer where the drain was over the hole. I just have to un-screw a cap on the bottom of the waterer and the water drains down into the hole. I have never tested it to see if the hole will take all the water because I get impatient, and scoop out some of the water with a flat pitcher.

 

[Evy]

Could you please posted pictures. I would love to see to get ideas for my outside enclosure. Thank you so much


My loves:
Husband
2 dogs Blue and Baxter
3 sulcatas Donatello, Penny, and Charlie.

 

[buckey]

Here is his new waterhole with drain. The only difference is this one has a gradual slope for him to get into it. The other was just a drop off.

 

[ascott]

Maybe he does not like the gradual slope, which is essentially a slippery slope P)....Perhaps if you offer a similar step down place he will like it.....?

 

[Tom]

Tortoises can be fussy about their watering holes. Just the way it is. I would keep fiddling with it and keep putting him in it on hot days. Sometimes they will decide its okay and stat using it.