Yes, that is pretty much the deal there. Humans can consume all sorts of other things to make up for what distilled water doesn't contain. Distilled water is basically water with nothing else in it at all, and is pure H2O. That means that there are ZERO essential dissolved salts and minerals. This is a type of water that a wild animal would never be exposed to. All water found in nature has some salt and minerals dissolved in it, and this is very important for something called osmotic regulation. Suffice it to say that this term means how water passes into and out of cells and is regulated, in part, by the dissolved solids in the water. Water routinely passes in and out of cells, which is how the body regulates almost all bodily functions. So, dissolved minerals and salts are very important for normal physiological functions. Distilled water, with no dissolved salts and minerals, cannot support those normal bodily functions. As the other poster replied to Joe, prolonged consumption by a herp will make these cruciual minerals to be drawn out of the bones of the animal for the tissue cells to utilize. I recall reading somewhere that the cells can actually swell to the point of rupturing with amphibians because the minerals regulate the absorbtion, and without them the cells will simply continue absorbing without this very necessary regulation.

I'm sure it would take a bit of time, and more than a few drinks of Distilled water to start affecting the animals cells, but it would eventually have a very negative impact on herps body. I'bve heard of salamanders swelling up like ballons because of it too.

Distilled water being demineralized, contains more hydrogen and is considered an acid, with a pH of less than 7.0. Any time a human or animal consumes or, in the case of an amphibian, is soaked in distilled water, the body pulls minerals from teeth (if they have them) and bones to produce bicarbonate to neutralize the acid. This can prove very dangerous over time. Another problem with distilled water is that acidic liquids will result in the production of more free-radicals, which are molecules that can increase the risk for cancer. There are people who feel that distilled water is safe and healthful to drink, but the mainstream medical community discourages the consumption of distilled water. Likewise, providing pet herps with distilled water is not recommended. Because amphibians respire through their skin and also absorb water through the skin, distilled water can be particularly dangerous to them.




cheers, ~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

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