Do desert tortoises urinate?

Do desert tortoises urinate?

Desert tortoise are able to burrow to escape heat. They can store water in their bladder, and are able to tolerate high levels of urea in their blood to keep from losing moisture through excess urinating. They can go for long periods of time without food or water.

What color is desert tortoise urine?

Normal urine of tortoises consists of a liquid clear portion and of small to moderate amounts of white urates. The color of the liquid part varies from colorless to pale yellow. Tortoises with liver disease may show a yellow-brown to yellow-green urine due to biliverdin, and to a lesser extent to bilirubin.

Is tortoise wee toxic?

Tortoises convert this ammonia to uric acid, which is less toxic to the bladder wall and lets them hold water in their bladder for long periods of time.

Why will my tortoise not eat?

Temperature: One of the most common reasons for pet tortoises losing their appetite is that their surroundings are too cold. Doesn’t like his food: There is always the possibility that the tortoise may simply not like or recognise its food.

Do desert tortoises drink water?

Yes. Tortoises drink free water where it collects in pools near rocks or in depressions. Tortoises will dig depressions to collect the water and such depressions can often be seen on areas of desert pavement. Tortoises can store water in the bladder, where it can be reabsorbed.

What is the white stuff in my tortoises wee?

it’s excreting urates — a combination of excess uric acid, minerals, and other body waste products that the tortoise’s kidneys have filtered out and excreted. Urates can vary in consistency from totally liquid to about the same consistency as toothpaste.

Why does my tortoise poop white?

When the tortoise urinates, it will pass the liquid urine and the semi-solid urates at the same time. A tortoise may urinate and defecate at the same time, which may leave urate deposits on the fecal material. This will make the feces appear as if it is white or off-white.

What kind of urine does a tortoise have?

A urinalysis can help clarify if the tortoise has been eating or not; a healthy tortoise has urine with an alkaline pH, a tortoise in a catabolic state typically has neutral to acidic urine. A wet mount of the urine may pick up Hexamitaand other abnormalities.

How is the age of a tortoise determined?

There is a common belief that counting the rings that appear on the shell of a tortoise yields the number of years the turtle has been alive, but the formation of rings on a tortoise shell is not regular. The rings on a tortoise shell, also known as scutes, develop during times of growth.

What happens when a tortoise has a bladder stone?

Bladder stones may be hard and firm or hard and friable. There is no single sign that indicates a tortoise has a bladder stone. Some tortoises may lose their appetites; others may simply be less active.

Which is better for a tortoise urea or uric acid?

Uric acid requires an additional investment of energy but is relatively insoluble in water and much less toxic than urea. Uric acid will crystallize out of solution at low concentrations and can be voided from the body in a paste that allows the tortoise to retain much more water per unit of nitrogen excreted than for urea.

What kind of urine does a tortoise produce?

Aside from urine, tortoises also produce a waste product called urates, which are part of a natural byproduct of your tortoise digesting the protein that makes up part of their daily diet. Urates will generally range from a stark white to a very pale yellow in color, and can be anywhere from the consistency of toothpaste to very thin and watery.

Why does my tortoise keep passing hard urates?

If your tortoise is passing gritty, hard, or chunky urates, that is a sign that he is dehydrated and needs to be given water more often. If your tortoise continues to pass only urates and no urine or feces when given a proper diet, take it to a vet to see what the underlying problem is.

How old is a 20 year old tortoise?

So, if you count 20 of these ring pairs, you might estimate the tortoise is 20 years old. Many experts view this as a very unreliable (or even useless) method for determining age, since rings develop during growth spurts, which don’t necessarily happen annually.

Why does my tortoise Pee yellow and brown?

Normal urates are white or pale yellow, but darker or more varied colors may indicate underlying disease. If your tortoise is leaving behind dark yellow-brown or greenish-yellow urates along with its waste, this can be a sign of liver disease and you should take your tortoise to a medical professional to be screened for health issues.

How often should a desert tortoise pee?

Sulcatas are, like most turtles and tortoises native to dry areas, extremely efficient in their use of water. A sulcata may urinate just 0.64 ml a day, significantly less than their spur-thighed cousins living in the relatively lush Mediterranean countries who may urinate 1-2 ml a day.

Why does my tortoise keep waking up?

The most common reason that a tortoise will wake early from hibernation is because the temperature has become too high. If temperatures consistently stay above 10 degrees Celsius, it is likely that your tortoise will wake up.

What are tortoises scared of?

Tortoise are scared of worms! Tortoises don’t have to be afraid of much when they are are full grown, with their thick skin and fully hardened shell to protect them. However, when they are babies, they realize naturally, instinctively maybe, that things that are bigger than them can hurt them.

Is Turtle Pee dangerous?

Additionally, since turtles swim where they eat, drink and use the bathroom, it stands to reason that you should wash your hands afterwards. “Turtle urine causes brain damage in humans when it comes in contact with your skin.”