Giant Tortoises Should Use the Mud Pool

[NZFanatic]

It's been bothering me - I've literally sat and watched both Galapagos giant tortoises and smaller species like the leopard tortoise use shallow pools both in zoos and in the wild. The giant tortoises ought to be able to use the mud wallow, same as the crocodiles and large herbivores.

 

[eulemur]

+1, worked briefly with chelonians and making sure the galapagos giant tortoises mud wallows were topped up was part of the daily husbandry.

 

[NZFanatic]

+1, worked briefly with chelonians and making sure the galapagos giant tortoises mud wallows were topped up was part of the daily husbandry.

Indeed I do some work with leopard tortoises and Greek tortoises. While the latter don't tend to use their shallow pool for anything but the odd drink, the former quite often will wade in and just sit there for a bit if it gets too hot.