Do adult redfoots need soaking?

[birdandtortoiselover]

I live in south Florida and have one 8 inch redfoot who lives outdoors full time. Does she need to be "soaked" and if so, how frequently?

 

[jaketheskate]

I'm not a red foot expert but it probably won't hurt. Maybe better if they don't drink on their own.

 

[mike taylor]

Yes they do . You can make a small water hole and they will soak themselves. On hot days I would soak them just to know they are hydrated.

 

[N2TORTS]

YESRRR~EE...you should AT ALL TIMES have a large enough saucer/pan for your tort to climb in and out of on will......along with any daily soaks you want to preform. Soak times manually are a great opportunity for you to visually inspect your animal for any ailments they may be having.
JD~:shy:

 

[birdandtortoiselover]

She does have a large terra cotta water dish in her enclosure, but since I don't live at home and she's always outside, it's hard to monitor whether or not she uses it

 

[EricIvins]

No, they do not need to be "soaked". Give them an area big enough that they can sit in and that will suffice. They know what water is and how to utilize it, and they don't need to be monitored as long as you are providing the options the animal(s) needs.

 

[Yvonne G]

Once my tortoises go outside, any species, I provide them with a waterer they can climb into and sit. I don't ever soak them anymore after moving outside.

 

[N2TORTS]

No, they do not need to be "soaked". Give them an area big enough that they can sit in and that will suffice. They know what water is and how to utilize it, and they don't need to be monitored as long as you are providing the options the animal(s) needs.

"No, they do not need to be soaked" Well I would disagree on that after reading all the posts of their torts eyes being swollen shut.

"Give them an area big enough that they can sit in and that will suffice" Well for 3/4 of the folks in here they keep them in fish tanks or tubs in the house .....again usually no where near enough space for adults nor the weather permitting to keep them outside year around


"they don't need to be monitored as long as you are providing the options the animal(s) needs" What?.....I check on all my animals daily ....I'm not a tortoise "dealer" who makes money off imports ... I hatch my own, as well as being special "pets" thus even providing the upmost near perfect climate , housing and food ... they ALWAYS are checked upon.

 

[mike taylor]

I agree with Jeff . That whole piece of advice is wrong sory not to bad mouth any one . Reds are prone to shell rot and fungus . So that being said you need to use your soak time to check the wellness of your tortoise .

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I agree with Jeff . That whole piece of advice is wrong sorry not to bad mouth any one . Reds are prone to shell rot and fungus . So that being said you need to use your soak time to check the wellness of your tortoise .

 

[mikeh]

No, your tortoise doesn't need to be soaked, in your case. Like Yvonne and Eric said, if you provide appropriate space (which you do) and manage the environment with correct parameters for the species your tortoise will manage itself (including soaking).

One can soak tortoise all he wants, if the environment is suffering, chances are so will the tortoise.

I believe it was Will who said, "Managing a healthy environment/ecosystem will yield a tortoise that thrives."

 

[N2TORTS]

No, your tortoise doesn't need to be soaked, in your case. Like Yvonne and Eric said, if you provide appropriate space (which you do) and manage the environment with correct parameters for the species your tortoise will manage itself (including soaking).

One can soak tortoise all he wants, if the environment is suffering, chances are so will the tortoise.

I believe it was Will who said, "Managing a healthy environment/ecosystem will yield a tortoise that thrives."

you can side with whomever you want and use quotes ...but this is the big picture.."but since I don't live at home and she's always outside"

Well my friend unless she has a natural spring well....no other animals using the water ....let alone mosquito larva build up ...
I guess your right ....
for the other 47 or so states ...there is no where near enough humidity in the air outside your home, for tropical tortoises unless a " water system of some sort" ...Dish , Mist Lines , Drip what ever is checked.....Whops I'm sorry ... it's frozen....Calcium build up ?
I guess I'm not that much of a risk taker.
So why not kill two birds with one stone ?

 

[mike taylor]

Why not be safe than
sorry . I soak all my torts . Some do some don't I guess is the answer . But like I said use the soak time to clean your tortoise and health check him . If he gets fungus it's a lot easier to treat as fungus than it is as rot . If you let your tortoise live out side and it's hot they will sit in water and soak . If he stays in the water or in a mud hole . It's only a matter of time be for you have a problem . At least soak and clean them two to three times a week .

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Just a qustion Jeff how long have you been keeping reds? Same question Mike H . Not trying to make a big fuss just curious .

 

[N2TORTS]

Why not be safe than
sorry . I soak all my torts . Some do some don't I guess is the answer . But like I said use the soak time to clean your tortoise and health check him . If he gets fungus it's a lot easier to treat as fungus than it is as rot . If you let your tortoise live out side and it's hot they will sit in water and soak . If he stays in the water or in a mud hole . It's only a matter of time be for you have a problem . At least soak and clean them two to three times a week .

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Just a qustion Jeff how long have you been keeping reds? Same question Mike H . Not trying to make a big fuss just curious .

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Mike I got my first tortoise in 1973 .....a DT....from there the bug bit me. My first RF was in 1984..with just about owning every species in-between those early times .In 2000 I dedicated most of my collection to just Cherries along with a few others "special ones".
The Hypo project became a passion in 2003 and a long wait, with a very large investment with no guarantees' .. 7 years later I hatched my first Hypo in 2010. 4th of July as a matter of fact. On the cherry side ... I stopped counting hatchlings years ago ....I'm a simple hobbyist with a passion for tortoises. :shy:
JD~

 

[mike taylor]

Thanks for the reply Jeff .

 

[birdandtortoiselover]

Thank you all for the input! I'm currently home for spring break so now's the time to ask questions and make changes (and relay the replies to my parents who take care of her while I'm up at school haha)

 

[Tom]

It does no harm to soak a tortoise that doesn't need it. Very few people live in the right area and provide the right environment and have an established tortoise that uses the aforementioned correct environment.

Yes it is possible for the right tortoise in the right enclosure in the right climate to take care of its own water needs. For the rest of us, soaking is cheap easy insurance. If you are 100% sure that every element is perfect, like Eric appears to be, then go ahead and skip the soaks. If you are less than 100% sure that every element is perfect, go ahead and soak your tortoise once in a while. If you are wrong and every element really is 100% perfect, nothing bad will happen because you (or your parents) soaked your adult tortoise once or twice a week. If any element is less than 100%, those occasional soaks could save the tortoises life.

 

[sibi]

Well, that does that. Problem solved Lol

It does no harm to soak a tortoise that doesn't need it. Very few people live in the right area and provide the right environment and have an established tortoise that uses the aforementioned correct environment.

Yes it is possible for the right tortoise in the right enclosure in the right climate to take care of its own water needs. For the rest of us, soaking is cheap easy insurance. If you are 100% sure that every element is perfect, like Eric appears to be, then go ahead and skip the soaks. If you are less than 100% sure that every element is perfect, go ahead and soak your tortoise once in a while. If you are wrong and every element really is 100% perfect, nothing bad will happen because you (or your parents) soaked your adult tortoise once or twice a week. If any element is less than 100%, those occasional soaks could save the tortoises life.

 

[mike taylor]

Well said Tom! You have a talent with words . I have been waiting for Tom's sulcata care tips the book . But really if you did put out a book I would buy it .