Why is my baby sulcata blowing bubbles?

[Spookyruca]

Im a new tort mom and I’ve got a baby sulcata who is about 9 months old and I’ve been soaking them often in a shallow tub of water that goes to about where the bottom of the shell meets the top. I’ve noticed that sometimes my tortoise will lay down in the water and blow bubbles with sides of their mouth. My tortoise keeps their head above water with their mouth slightly in. Should I lower the water more or be concerned at all? I haven’t noticed any other problems with my tort besides this.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm so glad to see that you are soaking your baby! That's one of the top 3 things to do to make sure he stays healthy. The water level you are using is great! You can even make it slightly deeper if you want. As long as it remains easy for him to keep his head above water, it's fine.

Often, torts will drink when we put them in to soak. And, as you mentioned, they will lay in the water, which put the mouth right at the surface. Or frequently, they will put the whole head underwater. This one can be frightening because of how long they stay under, usually drinking.

All these activities involve water and air. It sounds like your baby is comfortable in his soak, and lets his head down far enough that exhaling causes bubbles. Or maybe he does it on purpose for some reason. Whatever the cause, you don't need to be concerned. If this was bubbles out his nose when not in water, that would be of concern. But bubbles out the mouth, in water, with no signs of illness...I wouldn't worry.

In case you haven't seen it, here is our care sheet. If you have questions or concerns, please come and ask about them. We're happy to explain.

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

There is one more possibility...torts do pass gas, and they do burp. Both of those are easily recognized out of their respective places on the tort. ?