 |
|
| Star Tortoise Treasury | * Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other tortoises... |
|
Indian/Sri Lankan Star Tortoise (G. elegans)
Burmese Star Tortoise Other Starred Tortoises Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
Tips:
Get THE Star tortoise book on amazon or eBay (direct links to the book). It covers all aspects of Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star tortoise care. A must-have book for all current and prospective Star owners! * * *
* * * Submit your Star tortoise care tips. Post your message on the comments bb or guestbook. |
Food & water dishes for Tortoises bowls, dishes, and pans
Sri Lankan Star in his water dish Safety If you use a water dish with a hatchling, check that the baby tortoise can get in and out of it easily. You don't want him to get trapped in it or flip over and drown. I keep the food and water dishes at the cool end of the enclosure, not under the heat lamps. Hard surface Eating on a hard surface may help prevent beak and nail overgrowth. To provide a hard eating surface, you can also feed your tortoise on a large tile or a big, flat rock. I buy tiles that have a somewhat rough surface and rounded corners for safety. Flat dishes I prefer Exo Terra's Granite Rock Another low reptile dish I use as a water dish for babies is Zoo Med's Repti Rock Corner dishes Petco sells a fab corner reptile bowl, the Corner Rock Dish Ramp bowls There are a few brands of reptile ramp bowls, i.e., water dishes Poultry waterers Some keepers use non-automated chicken waterers, aka poultry fountains, as indoor water dishes for tortoises. These waterers have a large water reservoir (plastic bottle) attached to a round bowl base. The bowl is only big enough for drinking. It does not allow the tortoise to soak himself so the water stays poop-free. If your tortoise is a self-soaker, this type of water dish is not appropriate for him. Plastic chicken waterers are cheap. The cost of a small, one quart Note: If you use a very small water dish or a fountain/waterer type unit as your tortoise's main water bowl, do provide him regular opportunities for soaking (e.g. a separate soaking pan). Soak baby tortoises daily in warm water, and adults 1-2 times a week. See the care tips page. Reptile waterers There are a few different brands of reptile waterers available, but I mostly use reptile waterers if I leave my tortoises alone overnight. This way they will have plenty of clean water to drink while I'm gone. Reptile waterers work best for small to medium size tortoises. For little babies, these reptile bowls may be too high. Reptile waterfalls Two commonly available reptile waterfalls are the Repti-Rapids Waterfall by Zoo Med and the Natural Waterfall Dog & cat waterers For larger tortoises, the bigger-sized dog waterers Automated, deluxe pet fountains, e.g. Petmate Pet Fountain Drinkwell is another popular brand of automated fountains. The 360 Pet Fountain The sound and movement of running water may encourage some tortoises to drink more, which helps prevent dehydration. Water fountains can also raise the ambient humidity in indoor enclosures. However, they require regular cleanings and water changes, and they should be kept away from loose substrates to prevent clogging. You may also hear the sound of the running motor. Outdoor water dishes Always provide a drinking water dish for tortoises (except maybe not for just born hatchlings), even if you think they are not using it. They may drink when you are not watching.
Plastic flower pot saucer filled with water and rocks I prefer plastic flower pot saucers over clay saucers as outdoor water dishes because plastic is nonabsorbent and easy to clean. The see-through plate also blends in well with the surroundings. The small rocks in the dish give little tortoises a higher and less slippery surface to walk on. They can stand on the rocks and drink the water. You can dig a shallow hole to put the plate in. When the plate is even with the ground, it's easy for small tortoises to get in and out of the dish. Evenings, I dump the water and rocks out of the plates. Mornings, I let the sun dry and disinfect them before refilling.
Granite Rock I use all sizes of Exo Terra's Granite Rock food dishes Garden fountains Garden fountains with shallow bowls at the bottom are suitable as tortoise drinking fountains. Solar powered Soaking pans Frequent soaks (baths) in warm water are beneficial for tortoises, especially if your tortoise is not a self-soaker. Any large enough dish or pan can be used for this purpose. Each group of tortoises should have their own soaking dish to avoid transferring germs and parasites between different groups and species. Soaking tortoises individually helps keep track of their pooping frequency, poop texture, and consistency. Is the poop solid, loose, dark, light, or bloody? Does it have visible worms? See the fecal exams page for info on fecal gross exams.
Star tortoise being soaked in warm water It's beneficial to let the water dishes and soaking tubs dry outside in the sunshine as solar radiation is strongly germicidal (destroys harmful microorganisms).
Read also the indoor housing, lighting & heating, substrates, hideboxes, outdoor housing, diet, care tips, allergic keepers p.1 (more on substrates), and p.2 (enclosure materials, air quality etc.) pages for more Indian/Sri Lankan and Burmese Star tortoise care info. |
| StarTortoises.net | * Star Tortoises - stars, stars, stars everywhere... |
Email: startortoises at yahoo dot com |
|
feeding dishes (not the higher water dishes) for water because they are low, heavy, very stable, and don't tip over when my turtles walk all over them. The smallest size with the lowest sides is best for a baby. Little ones can climb in and out of it fairly easily, but it's still large enough for a baby tortoise to soak himself. These dishes are made of hard, food-grade resin.
It's very sturdy, and it doesn't tip over easily. It's made of heavy-duty poly-resin that looks and feels nice. The dish is about 1 1/3" tall, so it's too high for tiny babies. I use mine as indoor water dishes for small to medium tortoises who are not self-soakers, i.e., they don't need a water dish large enough to climb into. The triangle-shaped dish fits in an unused corner of the tortoise table. A great space saver!
with some kind of built-in steps. My favorite is the Zoo Med 
unit (reservoir and base) is only a few dollars. For example, the Miller 
I like Zoo Med's 
(Hagen). The Repti-Rapids is made of fragile, lightweight urethane foam, but the Natural Waterfall is made of hard resin. The Natural Waterfall is available in three sizes, the largest being 11.4" x 11.4" x 11.8". A fogger can be added to this unit to increase enclosure humidity. These fountains are designed for small lizards, frogs, chameleons etc., not for tortoises.
shape is similar to poultry waterers, but the bowl is rather high (3.5") and only works with larger tortoises. The constant circulation of water through the charcoal filter inhibits bacteria growth, but of course you have to change the water if your tortoise manages to poop in the fountain. :O)
this 