Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's common knowledge around here that turtles must be in water to eat, because they must have the water to swallow. So I've gotta ask...

Why?? What does the water do that makes it essential for swallowing? Does it act to flush the food down?? If I am correct I believe that water squirts out his nose when he is swallowing?

It's funny....I have had turtles for almost 5 years now and I suddenly wondering how this works! The little things that we sometimes pass over

I thought they just really really really preferred to be in the water while eating, not that they physically had to be. I've got an aquatic turtle (not RES), who will catch and swallow pellets with his head completely above the water line. I'm sure I could be wrong, that's just what I always thought.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

I have heard that RES have to be in the water too... mine ALWAYS are when they eat! but i never thought about why they have to be.... i thought i read somewhere it's because they dont have a tongue, so the water helps flush the food down their throat! but i'm not sure.... i may have just dug that outta nowhere, honestly i can't remember!
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~ Evie

Pets:
German Shephard {Dusty}
German Shephard/Collie mix {Shadoe}
2 RES turtles {Booger and Snot}
African Clawed Frog {Bingo}
Snail {Gary}

They do have tongues, but they are attached (not moveable like ours are). They therefore need to be in water to swallow their food. I forget the details, but the way they are constructed, water will come out of their noses (liquid will come out of their noses if they eat something really juicy as well). My turtle will climb out of the water on to the basking area to grab a piece of food I'm holding, but he will hold it in his mouth until he's back in the water before actually eating it.

Not really pertaining to RES's, but my snapper will grab food on her basking spot, and then walk into the water to eat.... they literally suck the food in with water. Then she spits the water. I saw on a show once that they use the water instead of a tongue.
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Coastal Carpet Python 0.1 (Lillith)
Albino Burm 0.1 (Kimba)
Columbian RedTail 0.1 (Squishy)
Kenyan Sand Boa 1.0 (Shai'hulud)
Common Snapping Turtle 1.1 (Sherman and Abrahms)
RES 1.0 (speedy)