Tortoises can swim!

[Watermelon]

Maybe a silly question... so do tortoises not breathe when they are in hibernation state if they can survive at the bottom of a pond?

[alley cat]

[QUOTE=Helen M;489611] I have heard of tortoises being revived after being at the bottom of a pond for a few hours. If the water is cool enough their body will shut down into a hibernation like state.

I had heard of this, but I honestly had never heard or read that torts could swim and never really thought about how they got onto islands, I guess if you had asked me that before the new info, then I would have guessed that they were introduced by settlers or floated there on vegetation!

[mrscross78]

Originally Posted by Watermelon

Maybe a silly question... so do tortoises not breathe when they are in hibernation state if they can survive at the bottom of a pond?

Thats a good question.. I just read about hibernation on a tortoise website... Here is what it says..
During hibernation adequate air flow must be maintained. The tortoises breathing is so shallow as to be hardly visible, but some air exchange is necessary and so every few days.

[kreacher]

Ouiji is absolutely nuts he swims so quickly I'm sure he can't possibly be watching where he's going! Lol. He is like a wind up bath toy except one off the nightmare before Christmas, he's got an awesome bite on him! He bit the nail varnish off the end of my nail once!!

[Neddy]

Yes my leo loves a good dip bless him, there is a video of it x

[onarock]

That should be a poster pic. I know leopards and sulcatas can swim also

[Lolly8]

Great picture and video!