I picked today to belly up to the hose and gulp down as much water as I could, nearly 500 grams worth. I only stopped to smack my beak, take a breath and drink some more.
But I really wish it was rainwater. Mmmmm, it tastes so good. Even Dr. Johnson says desert tortoises can't resist rain water as it is part of how we've survived for eons. Besides there are no hoses or sprinkers or drip systems running out in the desert. So we dig burrows to manage our body temperature and we drink rainwater out of small depressions in the ground to refill our bladders. And did you know that we can retain that water and just flush out the urates (calcium byproducts)? Pretty handy when you live in a desert and never know when or if there will be any fresh water to drink. No wonder we can't resist rainwater!
