How to get tortoise to self soak

[hunterk997]

I recently noticed that my russian tortoise has never "self-soaked." I guess I noticed before, but I didn't think much of it, so I increased the amounts of soaks per week. How can I go about getting her used to soaking in her water dish? I ask because her skin has begun to she a lot. On her neck, some parts of legs and a little on her head. Today I have started placing her on her water dish. Is this a good way to go about it?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I have caught all 4 of my Russians self soaking. Multiple times. Mine are set up outside with the clay terra cotta saucers larger than they are.

I don't know that they would do it being housed indoors.

Any future plans on building an outdoor enclosure? Keep up her forced soaks for now and maybe by next spring you can move her out. I really think they behave differently when housed outside in a natural space.

 

[hunterk997]

I have caught all 4 of my Russians self soaking. Multiple times. Mine are set up outside with the clay terra cotta saucers larger than they are.

I don't know that they would do it being housed indoors.

Any future plans on building an outdoor enclosure? Keep up her forced soaks for now and maybe by next spring you can move her out. I really think they behave differently when housed outside in a natural space.

Yes! I actually have a huge 10'x10' enclosure planned out. So I don't need to worry about her self soaking?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Good to hear you have an outside space planned! That will be fantastic.

Don't worry that she doesn't self soak. Give her the soaks to help her shed. Once she is outside, don't soak at all. Water her pen down daily and provide clay saucers larger than her. Maybe 2 or 3 of them. She'll take care of herself just fine that way.

I can't tell you how AWESOME it is to pass by a pen and see a Russian drink or self soak. It makes me want to snap a photo and blast it to everyone that says "they don't need water". ugh...

 

[wellington]

I have seen mine both inside and outside pass through the water dish, but not really soak.

 

[Tom]

One thing that will make them not want to self soak is a water dish that is too big, slick, deep, tall sided or steep sided. So that is the first thing I would examine. I have had the best results with appropriately sized terra cotta plant saucers sunk into the substrate so the rim is level with the substrate.

 

[hunterk997]

One thing that will make them not want to self soak is a water dish that is too big, slick, deep, tall sided or steep sided. So that is the first thing I would examine. I have had the best results with appropriately sized terra cotta plant saucers sunk into the substrate so the rim is level with the substrate.

Yeah, I used to use the bad ones when I first got my tortoise, and she used that. But she won't use this one.

 

[Mgridgaway]

I use a large shallow terracotta dish with a CHE overhead. My torts sometimes sleep all night in the thing!