Hydration

[Mondreysmommy]

I have a question...is it true that the hingebacks get their water through soaking it in via their skin? Im just wondering because some people say that its true and others say its not? I never actually see my tort drink anything but I noticed that the water is not as full as it was when I put it in that morning or etc. Also do hingebacks eat calcium and dandelions? I was going to go buy these items and put them in his tank...thanks ahead of time!

 

[dmarcus]

I don't have a hingeback but my Sulcata will not drink water if I offer it to him, he will knock the water bowl over so I make sure he gets his mud soaks and i make sure his greens are moist when I feed him and I have never had a problem with him.

 

[Jacqui]

I have a question...is it true that the hingebacks get their water through soaking it in via their skin? Im just wondering because some people say that its true and others say its not? I never actually see my tort drink anything but I noticed that the water is not as full as it was when I put it in that morning or etc. Also do hingebacks eat calcium and dandelions? I was going to go buy these items and put them in his tank...thanks ahead of time!

Hingebacks get their water just like all the other tortoises. You just may not ever catch him just reaching over the edge of the water dish to take a drink. One of the favorite ways with my hingebacks is once they are soaking in their water, they just sorta submerge their heads under the water a little.

I can't recall if yours is a Homes (which I am pretty sure I recall it was) or an Erosa, but both of these,even more so then the other hingebacks love to soak (and some even enjoy swimming). That would be one major reason the water dish empties quickly.

Hingebacks do need calcium. I do give mine some every so often on their food or worms. I have a cuttlebone in all my tortoises enclosures (turtles too). For the most part I seldom see it gnawed on. However there are times it will set for months in an enclosure completely untouched and suddenly one day it gets gnawed to half it's size. You just never know if or when it will happen, but it's nice to have it there when and if they do need it. That being said, if any of my hingebacks have used their cuttlebones, it has been such a small amount I haven't noticed it.

Dandelions are fine and I have a couple who eat them, but mainly the Bells. It's just always good to try them on anything. If I recall, Kristina's homes tend to be more plant eaters then mine are.

 

[Madkins007]

If you look up reptiles on Wikipedia or other sources, one thing you will see is that their skin is waterproof- so, no, they don't absorb water through the skin. Studies have also shown they do not absorb water through the cloaca into their system (although it can recharge their bladder).

Soaks offer several benefits- hydrating the skin, easy drinking, recharging the bladder, relaxing, easier defecation, encouraging urination, and so on. Of course, if they get stressed during the soak (trying hard to escape, for example), then it may not be helping as much.