Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anybodys Aldabra sweat from the face? Sometimes mine will under every different type of humidity and temprature. Could this be a problem or is this normal?

Hi, I dont know about sweating, but my two aldabs will constanty tear when in the sun or its just very hot out(normal condition when they are getting too hot). They also drink through their nose so they will have a nasal discharge for several hours after drinking that sometimes runs over their mouth and looks like frothing from the mouth(also normal after drinking). After drinking through the nose the water in the nasal cavity will work into the mouth and also the tear duct so you will have water coming out of everywhere you dont want it to on a tortoise. This looks very bad but after six years of watching it I concluded it is normal. Hope this helps, I wouldnt worry about it. Mike

redfoots "sweat" about the head to rid themselves of
potassium salts
especially notice this phenomenon at night

I'll check mine out tonight. Thanks,I did not know this. Vic

Reptiles do not sweat.Tortoises dont drink through their nose. They may get water in their nose but they dont drink as it would go into their lungs. They will "tear up" from being to dry, from dust/sand in eyes, from low humidity or high wind. There might be some tearing from hormones relieced during egg laying as reported in Sea Turtles. If this is cronic perhaps you could ask a Vet that knowes this species or a Zoo tortoise "keeper". There could be something in the enviroment irratating the eyes/nose. Please let us know what you find out,as sweating would be quite weird. Vic M

When you watch an aldabra put their face flat into an 1/16 of an inch of water and watch the dirt particles that are in the water get sucked up from either side of the face with their mouth not even touching the water, I not a zoo "keeper", but I would say that is drinking from their nose.

I say "sweating" I will try and take a good pic of it so yall can see. Some times its so much the moisture gets into the collar bone area. I was thinking for a while that the "tearing" was a way of him trying to cool ones self (hence the sweating referance). But it will do it in all climates cool, dry, hot, humid. I will keep an eye on the dust in his area. Keep yall posted with a pic soon. thanks for the responses!

Using the term "sweating" loosely

for lack of a better word, I call what
I have observed with redfoots "sweating" -
the skin of the entire head is moistened

tortoises do take up water through their nares
and mouth simultaneously and separately - the nares
open up into the oral cavity - water does not
go into the lungs.

In my experience with my two aldabs, I find they do tear alot. Mostly when they get too warm, this happens alot when they are small and are in the sun they heat up quickly and start to tear and look for shade. Even if its only 60 deg. out, their body temp could be alot higher than the ambient temp. especially if the just came out of a heated tort. shed or a warm place.
Also if they are inside or in a heated tort shed. the heating device could be drying out their eyes. I found this to be true especially with che and basking bulbs. This will cause them to tear also.
I think if you try to keep an eye on their body temp. not the ambient temp. that could rule out getting too warm. Though it is natural for them to do this. Also if you use an electric heating device try figure out if that can be causing "dry eye". Again good luck and I hope this helped without offending anyone.

Thanks it does help alot!

Sounds like snort'in water to me. That's interesting,and you explaned it well. I wounder why they do that? That might get you on Worlds Funny'est Pets or whatever on TV. Vic

Mine do this mostly in the rain. Maybe this is how they get most of their fresh drinking water on the seychelles?

Nope... reptiles do not sweat. Both my Redfoots and Aldabs do this... scared the heck out of me the first time I saw it. It doesn't even come out of the nares but out of the mouth. They salavate to the extreme where the front of the body gets wet. They do this in extreme cool or hot temperatures.

Note... tortoises definately do drink through the nares as if it was a straw but that is probably not the cause of the wetness you are seeing.

>>Does anybodys Aldabra sweat from the face? Sometimes mine will under every different type of humidity and temprature. Could this be a problem or is this normal?
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

not salivation here
have read that this is attributed to excretion of
potassium salts or "sweating"
while this "sweating" is most noticeable about the head,
all skin surfaces are moist -

don't believe it could be from excessive salivation
from the mouth

Ok... I understand what you read... They do not sweat. Some desert reptiles excrete these salts via the tear ducts or nares. They do not have pores... they do not sweat.

What is being observed in Redfoots and Aldabras... is excessive salivation... at least in my experience.

Considering the Aldabra is not a Desert animal I suspect what you are witnessing is what I've seen.

>>not salivation here
>> have read that this is attributed to excretion of
>> potassium salts or "sweating"
>> while this "sweating" is most noticeable about the head,
>> all skin surfaces are moist -
>>
>> don't believe it could be from excessive salivation
>> from the mouth
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Hi Ed, dont know if you remember but we spoke of this a few years ago. I watch mine do it and just think this is all wrong, but its does seem normal for them!

I've seen them do this when they get really cold. It worried me at first but come to find out that it's normal.

>>Hi Ed, dont know if you remember but we spoke of this a few years ago. I watch mine do it and just think this is all wrong, but its does seem normal for them!
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I was careful to place the word "sweat" in quotation marks
throughout this discussion. Obviously reptiles do not sweat.

Nonetheless, I would be very surprised if the so-called
"sweating" I have observed in redfoots is caused by
salivation. I suspect some other mechanism is at play.

Well... there's tear ducts and salivating. Have you got suggestion for another mechanism?

>>I was careful to place the word "sweat" in quotation marks
>> throughout this discussion. Obviously reptiles do not sweat.
>>
>> Nonetheless, I would be very surprised if the so-called
>> "sweating" I have observed in redfoots is caused by
>> salivation. I suspect some other mechanism is at play.
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Just an observation of aldabras, I'm not a vet but I think what tripletoes was witnessing was excessive tearing or salavating. In which case the dry skin around this will become moist from obsorption. The moisture will continue to spread to drier areas untill everything on the head and neck and leg area will appear to be wet(maybe this is the sweating we are speaking of?) Please dont rip me apart for this, its just an observation of mine.

I know its absorption!

I personally don't think there is any absorption going on. This is why you have the wet areas. If there is any it has to be very small. Again... the tortoise is a reptile... with reptilian skin. I would guess that fro the same reason they don't sweat... they can't absorb moisture through the skin... no pores.

I do have to admit that my observations are limited to about 100 animals (Aldabras and Redfoots) over a 10 year period.

>>I know its absorption!
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

well, i know my redfoot's eyes water when she's dry sometimes. and if she pulls her watery-eyed head into her shell, it smears the tears all over her head. sometimes she sleeps with her head in her shell, and when she wakes up, voila: out comes her wet head.

so that's my guess. it's just tears spread around from pulling their head in and out.

Don't know but I am researching it.

Despite the dry nature of reptile skin,
there has to be a physiological process,
and a balance of factors, like diet
and environment, for the nourishment and
maintenance of skin from within the animal.

Reptile skin is still skin.
Built on the cellular level and replaced
through gradual shedding and replenishment,
it must be kept supple and flexible.
That requires moisture.

Your explanation is plausible.
Although I am not sure it accounts
for the extent of the "wet look".

This is only a question because I dont know, If the skin cant absorb moisture why would relative humidity be so important to some species? How would the humidity physically affect the tort? Also what would explain the importance of humid hides to baby torts as well?

Well, they breathe the humid air in.
The skin is affected through physiological
processes from the inside.

This is the answer... respiration. If you have a humid hide/ humid environment there is less loss of internal moisture.

>>Well, they breathe the humid air in.
>> The skin is affected through physiological
>> processes from the inside.
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Where do you think the majority of moisture is lost in reptiles... for the most part there is little to no exchange of moisture through the skin...

The humid hide is a key to reducing the loss of moisture but it is not because of loss through the skin...

>>This is only a question because I dont know, If the skin cant absorb moisture why would relative humidity be so important to some species? How would the humidity physically affect the tort? Also what would explain the importance of humid hides to baby torts as well?
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Key words to your point... from within...

>>Don't know but I am researching it.
>>
>> Despite the dry nature of reptile skin,
>> there has to be a physiological process,
>> and a balance of factors, like diet
>> and environment, for the nourishment and
>> maintenance of skin from within the animal.
>>
>> Reptile skin is still skin.
>> Built on the cellular level and replaced
>> through gradual shedding and replenishment,
>> it must be kept supple and flexible.
>> That requires moisture.
>>
>> Your explanation is plausible.
>> Although I am not sure it accounts
>> for the extent of the "wet look".
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

An important point... they seem to do this when they are stressed... either too cold... or... too hot.

>>Does anybodys Aldabra sweat from the face? Sometimes mine will under every different type of humidity and temprature. Could this be a problem or is this normal?
-----
Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care