Desert tortoises eat grass, cacti, flowering plants, insects and larvae. Water is
obtained mostly from vegetation
, although they do drink from puddles during and after rainstorms.
Where do desert tortoises store water?
They can store water
in their bladder
, and are able to tolerate high levels of urea in their blood to keep from losing moisture through excess urinating. They can go for long periods of time without food or water. In California, the desert tortoise is most often found in open washes in creosote-bush flats.
Can desert tortoises get wet?
While tortoises cannot swim and do not live in water like turtles do,
there is no danger in a tortoise getting wet
. Tropical rainforest species of tortoise, such as the popular red-foot tortoise, are living proof that they can handle significant amounts of rain.
Does desert Turtle drink water?
2. The
desert tortoise never needs to drink water
. FALSE. It gets most of its water from food that it eats but still needs to occa- sionally drink water.
Do desert tortoises need to be soaked?
So, why do tortoises need to soak? 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.
How long does a tortoise live?
Pet tortoises are popular pets for many people since they are quiet, cute (especially as hatchlings), and don't shed any fur. But tortoises can live a very long time (anywhere from
50 to 100 years
). If you take one as a pet, be prepared to provide a lifetime of care and consider that your pet might even outlive you.
How can you tell if a desert tortoise is male or female?
Inspect your tortoises' stomach or bottom shell, if
it is curved like a bowl then it is a male
. Females have much flatter stomachs, but do not expect them to be completely flat. If the tail and the stomach match in terms of gender determination, then you don't need to look at the shell notch.
Do tortoises like being touched?
Just like some people like to hug their friends and other people don't like hugs, some tortoises really enjoy having their shells scratched and other tortoises don't like it so much. However, we have pretty good evidence that
many tortoises enjoy being touched and getting attention
.
Where do tortoises go when it rains?
Doors must be shut at night and that way, everyone can hibernate outside. If you cannot provide this kind of shelter, bring them in. If it rains a lot (especially with El Nino on the way), tortoises can drown
in outside burrows
and box turtles like to screw themselves way down in the dirt. Better bring them in.
What should you not feed a desert tortoise?
Do not feed tortoises
frozen vegetables
or sodium-rich foods including canned vegetables, dairy products, breads and celery. Please exercise caution to ensure that captive tortoises cannot consume toxic plants such as oleander, chinaberry trees, tree tobacco and toadstools.
How often should I soak my desert tortoise?
It is important to limit access to water. Instead of providing a water bowl we recommend soaking the tortoise in shallow warm water for 15-30
minutes 1-2 times weekly
. This will encourage them to drink and to fully void their bladder, which will help prevent bladder stones.
How old can a desert tortoise live?
Males are larger than females and can be identified by curved horns on the lower shell, beneath the neck. Once they reach adulthood, desert tortoises can live
between 30-50 years in the wild, and sometimes up to 80 years
. Unfortunately, due to habitat destruction desert tortoises are struggling for survival.
How often should you bathe tortoises?
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.
Why do tortoises poop in water?
So why do tortoises poop in the water? There is no definitive scientific answer for why tortoises poop in water. One answer is that
warm water relaxes a tortoise's bowels making it easy to release poop
. Another possibility is a “hygiene mechanism” in the wild (poop in running water equals bye-bye poop!)
Can you soak a tortoise too much?
Well there has to be some limit of being in water that would eventually do harm, but for all practical purposes, soaking daily won't hurt anything. If you soak a tortoise that is already well hydrated and doesn't need to be soaked,
it hurts nothing
.
