Even though many tortoise species come from dry environments, water is still an important part of their care. Providing a shallow water dish allows tortoises to drink and helps support proper hydration. If you keep a tropical species a bigger water dish can be added for the tortoise to fully get in and soak.
Many tortoises will also drink during regular soaking sessions, making water access an essential part of a healthy enclosure setup.
Do Tortoises Drink Water?
Yes, tortoises do drink water.
Some tortoises drink directly from a shallow dish, while others prefer to drink during soaking. Access to fresh water allows tortoises to hydrate whenever they need it. I see my tortoises use their dishes multiple times a week.
Providing clean water daily helps support digestion and overall health. Just like any animal fresh water daily is important. Tortoises tend to make their water dirty fairly quickly so a water change everyday is usually the fix. Hopefully this can answer more on Do Tortoises Drink Water?
Why a Water Dish Is Important
A water dish provides several benefits for tortoise care.
It helps:
- maintain hydration– This is one of the more important things to keep up with and easy to do. You want to avoid dehydration as it can lead to death fairly quick.
- support digestion– Just like humans water and hydration helps tortoises digest food and poop. It is important to keep your tortoise hydrated to keep your tortoise regular.
- regulate body functions– Water is needed to regulate a tortoise body function. Tortoise also will use water to cool down if its hot.
- prevent dehydration– Water is the number one way to prevent dehydration. There are other ways to help prevent dehydration but fresh water everyday is one of the big ones.
Even desert tortoise species benefit from access to fresh water. I see my leopard tortoises drink a ton and they are a desert species. If you keep tropical species make sure to have a little bit of a bigger water dish as they tend to like to soak in water dish’s compared to other species.
Choosing the Right Water Dish
A proper tortoise water dish should be:
- shallow and easy to access- Make sure it not deeper than the tortoises shell. It should also have slope sides or easy to step out of sides.
- wide enough for drinking- Wide enough to stick a head and drink in. Some species don’t like getting into the water so a dish just deep enough and big enough for the tortoise to stick their head in can work. Plant saucers work great.
- stable so it cannot tip over- Wide and shallow is the way to go. If you can dig it into the ground so its even with the ground level. This will help prevent your tortoise from tip or moving the water dish around.
The dish should allow the tortoise to drink safely without the risk of slipping or getting stuck. Tortoises can drown and preventing this is just as important as providing water.
Keeping Water Clean
Water dishes should be cleaned and refilled regularly. Daily is what I do.
Because tortoises often walk through their water dishes, the water can quickly become dirty. Providing fresh water daily helps maintain a clean enclosure. Clean water will also promote good health.
Another good reason to change out water dishes and keep them clean is because tortoise also like to use the restroom when in their water dish. I don’t know why but every species I’ve kept has done this. Cleaning water daily will ensure your tortoise has access to fresh clean water.
Soaking and Hydration
In addition to a water dish, many keepers soak their tortoises regularly. I like to soak tortoises daily or 3-4 times a week depending on the age of the tortoise.
Soaking allows tortoises to drink and absorb moisture, which helps maintain proper hydration. This is most important with younger tortoises as younger smaller tortoises can dehydrate quicker.
Most tortoises benefit from soaking for about: 15- 20 minutes several times per week. Make sure to use lukewarm water and monitor your tortoise during the soak so your tortoise doesn’t flip over. How often should you soak a tortoise? Learn now.
Signs of Dehydration
If tortoises do not receive enough water, they may show signs such as:
- sunken eyes- Eyes will look sunken like which can be a sign of dehydration. Tortoise eyes should be clear and not sunk in.
- low activity- Since hydration is so important to a tortoises health, dehydration can cause a tortoise to have low activity levels.
- thick urates- Urates are the white stuff found in a tortoise poop or pee. It can get pretty thick or even solid if your tortoise is dehydrated.
- reduced appetite- Since Hydration is so important to overall health a dehydrated tortoise might not eat or refuse to eat due to the dehydration.
Providing fresh water and regular soaking helps prevent dehydration. Daily soaking can ensure your tortoise is drinking or at least gives the opportunity.
You can learn more Signs of a Dehydration in Tortoises with this article.
FAQ Section
Yes, many tortoises will drink directly from a shallow water dish placed in their enclosure.
Tortoises should have access to fresh water every day.
Yes, tortoises can become dehydrated without proper access to water or regular soaking.
Yes, both soaking and access to fresh water help maintain proper hydration.
Conclusion
Even though tortoises often live in dry environments, they still need access to fresh water. Providing a shallow water dish and regular soaking helps maintain hydration and supports overall tortoise health. Doing a daily soak or a few soaks a week can help you prevent dehydration. Proper hydration is one of the keys to a healthy tortoise, another key is feeding the right foods.
Explore some safe foods for tortoises, be sure to check out our guides on Can Tortoises Eat Hibiscus, Can Tortoises Eat Mango, and our complete guide on What Do Tortoises Eat to learn more about building a balanced tortoise diet.
Next Step
If you’re new to tortoise keeping, start with our Beginner’s Guide to Tortoise Care before choosing your species.
- Full Care Guide →
/care-guides/ - Diet & Nutrition →
/diet/ - Habitat & Enclosures →
/habitat/ - Gear Reviews →
/gear-reviews/
You can also explore more tortoise feeding guides to build a safe and balanced diet:
• Can Tortoises Eat Kale
• Can Tortoises Eat Sweet Potatoes
• Can Tortoises Eat Blueberries