Why do you soak a tortoise?

Soaking tortoises are important because the normal waste product for protein metabolism is ammonia. Tortoises convert this ammonia to uric acid, which is less toxic to the bladder wall and lets them hold water in their bladder for long periods of time.


Do tortoises need to be soaked?

Hatchling and young tortoises should be soaked daily decreasing this to every other day as they grow older. Older juvenile tortoises should be bathed 2-3 times a week and adult tortoises bathed weekly, but more frequently if kept indoors under heat lamps.

What happens if you don't soak your tortoise?

Tortoises need to soak twice a week or so to help them stay hydrated and clean. This keeps them strong and healthy, avoiding getting sick from dehydration or bacteria that can build up on their body. Tortoises also need to soak so that the shell and the skin do not crack from dryness.


Should I soak my tortoise before hibernation?

Starving your tortoise before hibernation

This can be done by bathing them daily for up to two weeks before hibernation. They should be starved during this 2-week bathing period. They absorb water to hydrate themselves this way and it encourages them to defecate.

Can I soak my tortoise in tap water?

The best care for turtles and tortoises would be to use tap water directly, and to not worry about the presence of chlorine. Dechlorinators are absolutely unnecessary anyways, because chlorine will evaporate completely within 24 hours, and the majority evaporates if left to sit overnight.


Hydrating your Tortoises . ( Soaking , feeding, and tips)



How long do tortoises need to soak?

The tortoise needs to soak for at least 20 minutes, but he will generally let you know when he's done by trying to climb out. Take the water out. Once the tortoise has soaked, you can take the water out. Discard the water in the toilet to avoid spreading any germs.

Do you dry a tortoise after a bath?

Once you have finished scrubbing your tortoise set them on a dry towel and very gently pat and wipe away the water. This would also be a good chance to let them walk around a warm room to dry off and get exercise.

Why do you put tortoises in the fridge?

A refrigerator is an ideal place to hibernate a tortoise as it provides a controlled cold temperature environment above freezing. To maintain hibernation, the tortoise must be kept between 1C and 10C. It is preferable to use a separate fridge – not one used to store food – due to food hygiene concerns.


What happens if you wake a tortoise up during hibernation?

Unless it receives adequate quantities of heat and light it will simply 'not get going properly', and instead of starting to regain weight and strength lost during hibernation, will refuse to eat, will use up its existing fat and energy reserves, and will begin to decline.

How many days can a tortoise go without water?

Desert tortoises are herbivores, dining on grasses, flowers, fruit, and cactus. These foods contain a lot of moisture, and desert tortoises can go for up to one year without access to fresh water!

Do tortoises enjoy baths?

It is perfectly safe to give your chelonian friend a bath, in fact he/she might actually like it! All one needs is a toothbrush, a tub of some sort large enough to accommodate the tortoises, and tepid water, no deeper than is necessary to cover the entire plastron, and a few centimetres of the carapace.


Will my tortoise be OK without a heat lamp?

In most cases, overnight heating will not be required for your tortoise, unless the room temperature gets too cold. If this is the case, it may be better to use heating so that a temperature of around 15-18°C (60-65°F) can be maintained overnight.

How do you know if your tortoise is happy?

An excited tortoise will willingly move toward whatever has her attention. They often run, or move as fast as they can. You can tell they are excited by the speed and surety of their movements. Nothing can distract and excited, determined tortoise.

What happens if you leave a tortoise in water?

Can Tortoises Survive Underwater. The short answer is “no”. Although sea turtles have evolved to hold their breath for as long as seven seven hours, most land-dwelling tortoise species cannot hold their breath for more than a few minutes and will drown if left in deep water for very long.


How deep should the water be when soaking a tortoise?

To correctly soak your tortoise, the water should be lukewarm and no deeper than the juncture between the bottom shell (plastron) and the top (carapace). You should soak for at least five to ten minutes each time and make sure the tortoise is clean and dry when it goes back in its enclosure.”

How often should you feed your tortoise?

How much and how often should I feed my tortoise? As a general rule, you should offer an amount of food equivalent to the size of your tortoise's shell. They should be fed once a day, 5 days a week. The 2 starve days can be implemented at any time, in any order.

Is it OK not to hibernate my tortoise?

Irregular hibernation will adversely affect the tortoise's health and lifespan. Most Mediterranean breeds are biologically set to hibernate for a period of time; it is unnatural for tortoises to be awake and eating 365 days a year.


What time of year do tortoises hibernate?

Reaching late-October, the hibernation process begins: over a few weeks, gradually reduce your tortoise's environmental temperature in the day and night, and the size of their meals too. They should be eating less and less as they become less active.

Can tortoises go a day without eating?

Healthy tortoises do eat every day but can easily skip a meal or two. On the colder months they do not necessarily eat every day. When tortoises hibernate, they do not eat for weeks as their metabolism slows down significantly.

Can you leave a tortoise for a week?

The problem with this is that you might experience a great deal of anxiety thinking about all the things that could go wrong. We asked tortoise breeder Suzi Newman if she'd leave her tortoise alone if she went on holiday and this is what she told us: "I would never leave a tortoise on its own for four to five days.


Do tortoise like hot or cold?

Tortoises are cold-blooded and, therefore, require an external heat source to raise their body temperature to an acceptable level. A tortoise's preferred temperature is about 30˚C. This can only be achieved with bright sunlight or a basking lamp.

Do tortoises feel when you rub their shell?

Absolutely yes! Tortoises and turtles feel their shell very well because there are nerves that lead back to their nervous system. They can feel their shell being stroked, scratched, tapped, or otherwise touched. Tortoise and turtle shells are also sensitive enough to feel pain.

How long can tortoises go without food?

He said: "They are particularly resilient and can survive for two to three years without food. In the wild they eat fruit, leaves, dead animals, even faeces."