In the wild tortoises drink more in the winter and wet season where puddles and steams are available and less in the summer and dry season where they
mainly rely on water from the plants and vegetation they eat.
In captivity however it is important to provide water year around so that they have access at any time. They will regulate and drink what they need so do not worry they will consume too much. Clean the water bowl out every day to several times a week depending on how fast it gets dirty.
One to two times a week put your tortoise is shallow water for around five to fifteen minutes. They will hydrate and also relieve themselves in the water. Because of the relieving part, make sure to do this in a difference water bowl than the one they regularly drink from!
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| Product | Description |
|---|---|
Tortoise Table Starter Kit ULTIMATE | #1 Best bet to get you started the fastest and correctly. Includes everything you need to start. Takes all the guess work out of it! For someone getting their first Horsefield, this saves the hassle of piecing everything together yourself and wondering if it's right! Save by bundling and getting all the correct supplies in one place. |
Tortoise Starter Kit ADVANCED | Excellent. Includes UV-A / UV-B lighting, engraved pets name, furnishings, food, manual and vitamins. |
Grassland Natural Tortoise Food | #1 Best bet for food because it is specifically designed for the Horsefield tortoise and its Testudo Genus. It's formulated just for them with the correct vitamins, minerals and fiber. All natural with no artificial colors or preservatives and mainly consists of their favorite, Dandelion and Yucca. |
uvb, uva, visual light and heat Bulb | Perfect all in one bulb that delivers all the lighting your Horsefield will need when kept inside. |
Pro Rep Tortoise Life Substrate 25 litres | Reliable pro-grade substrate perfect for his housing environment. Buying packaged substrate over wild dirt etc. prevents many possible contamination problems. This is best mixed with other substate sources like Timothy hay, wood chips and sand. Keep dry to prevent shell rot. |
Horsefield Care Made Easy  | Advanced guide. This is the only guide that is made just for the Horsefield Tortoise. Includes everything on buying, housing, food, breeding, hibernation and health issues. All of the information you need to know specifically about your one type of pet, the Horsefield tortoise, is in this care guide. |
Outdoor Water Dish
Even though they could get by without it, this replicates the wild during the wet season when there are puddles and steams from the rain. Being outdoors, it can get dirty faster so make sure it is kept clean, doesn’t overflow from rain and is provided year-round. Being outdoors the water dish can get dirty faster with things falling in so be sure to clean it often.
Make the water level shallow enough so that incase he gets rolled onto his back he will not drowned. Depending on the height of your water dish you may need to sink it into the ground a bit for easy access. For the outdoors a good water dish size is 30.5 cm (1 foot) in diameter and .6 to 1.2 cm (1/4
– ½ inches) off the ground.
Several materials work great including ceramic, metal and plastic. There are many water dishes manufactures especially for reptiles and tortoises or you can find your own from a shallow dog bowl, large lids from containers or bowls from your kitchen set.
Another fun idea is to make a water drinking area out of cement and have it look like a steam or pond! You need to build it correctly to ensure that it will be properly sealed and built to last.
Indoor Water Dish
They need a water dish year-round indoors too. They get a good amount from the food they eat but allowing water all the time will keep your tortoise in top condition. Make sure the water dish is not deep enough that your pet could drowned if it accidentally is on its back in the dish. Be sure to clean the water dish often.
Water is just one of the many lessons you will need to know to take perfect care of your pet. Sign in below to get the rest of the lessons for free!