Bathing a tortoise

There is no need to bathe a water turtle; it is already in the water almost all the time. And if it does get dirty in some way, the dirt can be removed with plain water and soap. Rinse the affected area carefully. In the process, be careful not to get soap suds in the turtle’s eyes, mouth, or nose: this can harm it.

If you have a tropical turtle and a bathing place is installed in the terrarium – a special container with water, your pet will bathe on its own and you do not need to bathe it specially. Possible contamination, as in aquatic turtles, is carefully removed with soap and water. If there is no bathing in the terrarium, then it is advisable to spray adult tropical turtles from a spray bottle with plain water once a day. Make sure that the soil in the terrarium does not get wet. Small turtles up to 2 years old benefit from warm baths, 2-3 times a week. But even large turtles will be happy to bathe in warm water in the bath.

But land steppe turtles, which both at home and in nature receive a minimum of moisture, are not only possible, but also necessary. Bathing not only helps to clean the turtle from pollution, but also stimulates the intestines, increases the overall tone of the body. And at the same time it prevents dehydration by absorbing water through the cloacal mucosa.

In captivity, Central Asian tortoises often develop kidney disease, and regular bathing in warm water helps prevent or alleviate the disease.

Turtle Baths

It is better to bathe a land tortoise once or twice a week in a special container or basin. There should be enough water so that the turtle’s head is freely located above the water surface. If you plan to bathe two or more turtles at the same time, measure the depth using the smaller turtle.

The recommended duration of bathing for land turtles is at least half an hour. After bathing, turtles should be thoroughly dried with a towel and placed in a terrarium. It is not recommended to take turtles after bathing to a balcony or street where there is a draft: they can catch a cold and get sick.

Bathing water temperature should be between 30 and 35°C. Such water would seem quite cool to a person, but for a turtle it is very warm. Higher water temperatures can burn it and, worse, lead to lethal overheating on prolonged exposure. Therefore, when preparing a bath, be very careful. For the same reason, it is forbidden to bathe turtles under running water, to leave them in a bathtub or sink with running water without supervision. 

If hot or cold water is suddenly turned off or there is a temperature fluctuation in the tap water, your pet may be seriously injured and die.

For bathing, boiled or plain warm tap water is used. An alternative may be an aqueous infusion of chamomile, which, according to some experts, has a beneficial effect on the skin of turtles.

If you are in doubt about whether the water temperature is right for a turtle, be sure to use a thermometer.

Do not be alarmed if you see that the turtle drinks the water in which it bathes. The same applies to water pollution: during bathing, tortoises empty their intestines, so the water in the tank can become very contaminated. Don’t be scared, it’s normal.

Bathing is very useful for your pets, but only with the right approach. Turtles are small and defenseless, they cannot stand up for themselves, they cannot complain about discomfort or pain. Follow the instructions carefully and take care of your pets.