Why I now believe in water dishes...
- Thread starter D.B.Johnson
- Start date
pakinjak
Member
Just when I thought this thread was about tapped out, I noticed something surprising the other night. Both of my fimbriatus drink from their water dish, but I've always seen them lapping with their tongues before. I watched the female for about ten minutes the other night, and she was just sticking her nose in the water and drinking without lapping. This was really a surprise to me since I've never seen them drink this way before.
Last edited:
Suspensefulsteve
New member
Sorry for the quality but, here's a short video of one of my fimbriatus drinking from a bowl...
Uroplatus fimbriatus drinking from waterbowl - YouTube
Uroplatus fimbriatus drinking from waterbowl - YouTube
thorrshamri
Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
I am sure many of you have other herps and have already found poops from snakes or monitor lizards in their water dishes!
It's not only a matter of being inside water. Human constipation was formerly treated by WARM baths instead of our modern laxatives. Personal theory: the reduced gravity in water PLUS the heat has a mechanical action on any land-based vertebrate's digestive tract. The metabolism is stimulated by heat, including the intestines, which work faster. There is also a small amount of water likely to go inside the rectum (or cloaca for reptiles) which then triggers defecation, as stools are first stored inside such "natural chambers" before being eliminated.
My Uroplatus all drink from water dishes to, by the way. My lineatus tend to do it even more than the other species I keep.
As for the "vent soaking" debate, I once had a dehydrated henkeli male. Before talking about rehydrating him per os with electrolyte solutions, my vet recommended that I give 1-2 baths a day to this animal with lukewarm water and insisted on the role of the vent part as having a high water absorption capacity.
Considering the anatomy of reptiles, this really makes sense: the cloaca is in contact with the colon, or low intestine; the sole purpose of the colon on vertebrates is to absorb water, the small intestine does all the digestion/nutrient assimilation job prior to sending fecal maters into the colon. The colon mainly absorbs water, and you can live without one. But then, you have to be hydrated by artificial means. The inside of the cloaca and the terminal part of the intestine are particularly rich in nervous cells, of specialized ciliated cells which push the feces down to the cloacal opening, and of other specialized cells able to absorb a huge amount of water compared to their size. In humans, the rectum is like a cavity able to enlarge considerably, thanks to these cells which absorb the remains of water so as to make the feces solid- when you suffer from diarrhea, the digestive tract is working too fast and thus it doesn't leave enough time for the colon and rectum to retain most of the water in feces, that's the reason why diarrheas are semi-liquid. I know enough about human enterology and proctology to be sure of what I am saying, and this applies to reptiles as well, as the cellular structure of the lower intestine is pretty similar in most vertebrates. Only its length may differ according to the diets of each species.
Hope that helps answering the observations made by several Uro keepers here. When you see your uros inside their water dish, and this is clearly shown in photos posted on this thread, they instinctively put their vent inside the water
It's not only a matter of being inside water. Human constipation was formerly treated by WARM baths instead of our modern laxatives. Personal theory: the reduced gravity in water PLUS the heat has a mechanical action on any land-based vertebrate's digestive tract. The metabolism is stimulated by heat, including the intestines, which work faster. There is also a small amount of water likely to go inside the rectum (or cloaca for reptiles) which then triggers defecation, as stools are first stored inside such "natural chambers" before being eliminated.
My Uroplatus all drink from water dishes to, by the way. My lineatus tend to do it even more than the other species I keep.
As for the "vent soaking" debate, I once had a dehydrated henkeli male. Before talking about rehydrating him per os with electrolyte solutions, my vet recommended that I give 1-2 baths a day to this animal with lukewarm water and insisted on the role of the vent part as having a high water absorption capacity.
Considering the anatomy of reptiles, this really makes sense: the cloaca is in contact with the colon, or low intestine; the sole purpose of the colon on vertebrates is to absorb water, the small intestine does all the digestion/nutrient assimilation job prior to sending fecal maters into the colon. The colon mainly absorbs water, and you can live without one. But then, you have to be hydrated by artificial means. The inside of the cloaca and the terminal part of the intestine are particularly rich in nervous cells, of specialized ciliated cells which push the feces down to the cloacal opening, and of other specialized cells able to absorb a huge amount of water compared to their size. In humans, the rectum is like a cavity able to enlarge considerably, thanks to these cells which absorb the remains of water so as to make the feces solid- when you suffer from diarrhea, the digestive tract is working too fast and thus it doesn't leave enough time for the colon and rectum to retain most of the water in feces, that's the reason why diarrheas are semi-liquid. I know enough about human enterology and proctology to be sure of what I am saying, and this applies to reptiles as well, as the cellular structure of the lower intestine is pretty similar in most vertebrates. Only its length may differ according to the diets of each species.
Hope that helps answering the observations made by several Uro keepers here. When you see your uros inside their water dish, and this is clearly shown in photos posted on this thread, they instinctively put their vent inside the water
D.B.Johnson
New member
Thank you Mighty French Viking Interesting and well said.
@pakinjak...you mean she was sticking her nose down in the water and drinking by opening her mouth, similar to how a snake would do it? I do find that interesting, I haven't seen mine do that.
Interesting and well said. @pakinjak...you mean she was sticking her nose down in the water and drinking by opening her mouth, similar to how a snake would do it? I do find that interesting, I haven't seen mine do that.
pakinjak
Member
Somebody pooped in the water dish night before last, so I took it out to wash it and last night hadn't put it back yet when the lights went out. Within a few minutes the female had climbed down to drink as if it were still there. It really surprised me, but she sat there for about fifteen minutes. I don't know if she's been so conditioned to drink out of that dish right after lights out or what, but I thought it was funny. It was like she'd been programmed to be there in that position at that time, and it just couldn't be helped. Here's the picture-
thorrshamri
Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
She was telepathically summoning the water dish YOU stole from her :evil::biggrin:
nickexotics
New member
Most herps use soaking as a form of hydration and prefer it over drinking. They soak up water thru their cloaca. If you catch them drinking too much to often you might have a problem. Hitting those bottles too hard can do it.
cricket4u
New member
I agree with your first 2 statements, but hitting those bottles????:scratchhead:
pakinjak
Member
I'd be interested to hear why people say they soak water in through their cloaca. There have been tests done? More than that though, I wonder why a herp drinking (and specifically a Uroplatus, since that's the forum we're in) would be a bad sign? Uroplatus live in trees and drink dew/rain water. I don't think any of the three things Nick said make much sense. I'm certainly willing to learn though, so lay it on me.
nickexotics
New member
I was talking about vitamin and mineral supplements. It did sound like I was talking about alcohol, lol
nickexotics
New member
The last part was a bit confusing but how does the rest not make sense? Their kidneys can't produce liquid so many of them use the cloaca to reabsorb water. I don't know if any studies have been done. Alot of herps soak in water I know that.I'd be interested to hear why people say they soak water in through their cloaca. There have been tests done? More than that though, I wonder why a herp drinking (and specifically a Uroplatus, since that's the forum we're in) would be a bad sign? Uroplatus live in trees and drink dew/rain water. I don't think any of the three things Nick said make much sense. I'm certainly willing to learn though, so lay it on me.
cricket4u
New member
:lol: I wasn't sure if it was a joke. That's true about the supplements, but noone complained about excessive drinking. If I recall it was in regards to soaking. I doubt there has been a study done on reptiles soaking. I believe it's based on hypothesis and observation of many reptile species. It's best to provide a water dish to all and not just follow text books. Even some reptiles who people have claimed to not go near water dishes have been observed soaking at some point. There are many reasons according to books I have read in the past and observation. Low humidity, dehydration and constipation.
Their digestive tracts are simple and short for the most part. Here is a simple picture that can allow you to see how it's possible to soak up water through their cloaca.
http://universe-review.ca/I10-82-lizard.jpg
Their digestive tracts are simple and short for the most part. Here is a simple picture that can allow you to see how it's possible to soak up water through their cloaca.
http://universe-review.ca/I10-82-lizard.jpg
pakinjak
Member
Nick, I'm not trying to be argumentative and I understood what you said, it just doesn't make any sense to me and I don't see any evidence that it's true. I've heard it before and think it's an old wive's tale.
So far all I've heard is "they soak in water". I'm not arguing that point, but so far nobody has given me any reason at all to believe they do soak water up their cloaca, and especially not enough to buy that they prefer it to drinking with their mouths.
So far all I've heard is "they soak in water". I'm not arguing that point, but so far nobody has given me any reason at all to believe they do soak water up their cloaca, and especially not enough to buy that they prefer it to drinking with their mouths.
cricket4u
New member
For some reason I thought you wrote some. I know that is a known fact in desert dwelling lizards, but not in most. I am not arguing either, just open to any new information.
cricket4u
New member
Expensive for every day use, but comes in handy for those days disinfecting becomes a drag.
Large Disposable Worm Feeding Dish/ Water Dish
Large Disposable Worm Feeding Dish/ Water Dish
Aimless
Super Moderator
C4U, I'm not sure the document explains anything. yeah, there's an opening at the cloaca...of course. but that's not any more convincing than showing human female anatomy and saying we soak up water through our genito-urinary system.
I'm with PJ; I want to see proof. absorption through the skin actually makes quite a bit more sense?
I'm with PJ; I want to see proof. absorption through the skin actually makes quite a bit more sense?