Help with my tortoise!?

Question

I need a bit of help with my tortoise. He keeps eating stones. Does it help his digestion or something like that?

Also, can anyone reccomend how to get him to drink? He doesn't seem to ever want to drink. I try to offer him a drink about three times weeky, but he never drinks, just poos in the water.

Thanks urban cowboy, and tarig, try to display at least a little intelligence ;)

Answer 1

TORTOISES GET ALL THEIR NOURISHMENT INCLUDING MOISTURE THROUGH THE FOOD THAT THEY EAT. MAKE SURE IT GETS LOTS OF LETTUCE, CABBAGE, CARROTS, CUCUMBER & BANANA TO EAT. THIS IS ENOUGH TO SUPPLY ALL THE FLUID THAT IT NEEDS TO SURVIVE.

YES TORTOISES ARE KNOWN TO EAT PEBBLES THAT AID IN DIGESTION.

LASTLY, DO LEAVE IT A BOWL OF WATER JUST IN CASE IT GETS CURIOUS..................................

ALL IS WELL OTHERWISE, DO NOT WORRY.

Answer 2

Stones- Eating SOME stones is common, eating them often is not and can easily cause impaction in the intestines. Consider going to a larger stone- I recommend pea-sized gravel.

Drinking- Some species of desert tortoises rarely drink, but most drink often. If it is a species that rarely drinks no problem, otherwise you got to get this fixed!

Try giving your tortoise a nice long soak in clean, warm water. In dry weather, do this weekly. It will often defecate in the water- this is actually usually a good sign.

Try different kind of bowls. Some tortoises perfer 'soaking tubs', other like drinking dishes. Make sure the dish is tortoise-friendly- that is, as close to ground level as possible. I usually do this by either sinking a small tub into the tank floor or making a small platform that the tub is sunk into.

Keep the water available 24/7.

Humidty-loving tortoises need LOTS of water- in the air, in a tub, etc. Keeping them well humidified is important or they get messed up. They often stop drinking as well.

Without knowing the species invoplved, i can't give more specific info, but try this site:

Answer 3

Firstly, you should know which kind of tortoise that you keep. It's grass tortoise or green tortoise? For grass tortoise, they never drink water, they just take the water from eating vegetable and plants. They need sunlight as well from 9am-11am. For grass tortoise, they usually don't drink water like other animals. they drink water when they swim into the water. So, don't worry too much, Tortoise don't get easy to dead. They can live without food for one month.

Answer 4

like most reptiles they get the "moisture" from the food they eat lots of greens and some fruits ,bananas ,maybe some kiwi, but, nothing with any type of acids like oranges or even apples .... remember that a tortoises natural habitats are more arid or at least semi- arid as far as eating stones it may be from an unbalanced diet ! do some research online a stone of size may "block " the digestive tract altogether !! they are great animals but, "exotic" as well so do the research.!!!!!

Answer 5

I dont know if stones help or not, but I have a sulcata tortoise and he usually doesnt drink water, but I leave a water dish in this tank, so that he can soak in it. You should soak your tortoise in warm water, just enough water so he can still breath. It helps them digest, it helps them take a dump while your soaking them. Every time I soak my tortoise he always takes dumps. I have seen him soak himself in the water dish that I leave for him.

Answer 6

hahaha yea they do that if hes handleable take him and fill the sink with a small amount of water warm too make sure that it doesnt submerge him completely the water level should not be deeper than the top of his shell.leave him there for about 30 hell drink, and poo there too:)

Answer 7

Hay, i think you should keep stones away from him, what makes him hungry and give the ability to drink..

and the best solution is taking him to veterinarian for checking of any problem..

Answer 8

I dun know.but i know is bring him 2 the vet

Answer 9

hes polly, u should see ure doctor...