Give your box turtle easy access to water for soaking and drinking with this Repti Ramp Bowl by Zoo Med.
Soaking is an important part of a box turtle’s day, but finding suitable bowls isn’t always easy. They’re too small, or too shallow, or too hard to climb in and out of. Not to mention too easy to knock over and spill (box turtles can be a bit like bulls in a china shop—destructive!).
This bowl solves those problems. Most adult box turtles can fit into the extra-large size. And the gently sloping “steps” provide easy access.
It’s even environmentally friendly—made from 100% recycled plastic.
Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Repti Ramp Bowl:
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Size & Construction Ease of Use How Turtles Like it
Pros & Cons Places to Find it Pros & Cons
Repti Ramp Bowl Size and Construction
Zoo Med makes the Repti Ramp Bowl in three sizes, to accommodate most kinds of water-loving critters.
According to their website:
- Small is good for hermit crabs and amphibians
- Large is big enough for lizards and small tortoises (it’s probably also about the right size for juvenile boxies
- Extra-large works for larger tortoises and box turtles
The water area of this bowl is square, and the ramp on one end makes the whole thing rectangular. The extra-large appears to be almost 13 inches long and about 9 inches wide in total. The large is a couple inches smaller.
It’s made from recycled plastic, which is strong and resistant to breaking.
It’s made to look like rock and comes in a variety of colors. Some colors are natural looking (brown, grey, etc) while others are not (bright green, pink, etc). If you care about the color, pay attention when you’re ordering. In some cases the store will send you a random color, not necessarily the one pictured on the site.
Ease of Use for Humans
Obviously it’s a water bowl. Not too hard to place in your pet’s habitat and keep filled!
But it’s also easy to clean. The recycled plastic is washable and (mostly) unbreakable. And unlike resin bowls, you won’t get micro pitting (tiny pits in the surface that make it look dull/worn).
It’s also heavy enough that it doesn’t tip over easily.
One common complaint is that it’s too big, and it takes up too much room in the habitat.
For the most part though, any bowl big enough for your pet to soak is going to take up some space. Admittedly, the ramp takes up extra space, but if your boxie has an easier time getting in and out of it, that could be worth it. That’s something you and your turtle will have to decide for yourselves.
Ease of Use for Turtles
As far as how easy it is for your pet to use … well the reviews we saw were mixed. Some tortoises had trouble climbing the ramp. At least one reviewer thought the ramp was too slippery. Several others thought it was too steep. And a few turtles would ignore the ramp when climbing out—so they’d fall over the side instead.
Many more box turtles and other tortoises loved it, spending hours soaking and even sleeping. Some apparently also coming running as it’s being refilled.
How your turtle will react is something you won’t know until you try it.
Pros and Cons Summary for the Zoo Med Repti Ramp Bowl
For the most part, more people (and their pets) seem to like this bowl than not.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest potential problems is also one you won’t know until you’ve tried it: i.e. whether or not your pet can/will actually use it.
Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Hard to tip over
- Ramp can make it easier to climb into the bowl
- Made from recycled plastic
- Big enough for most sizes of box turtle
Cons:
- Some turtles have trouble using the ramp
- Extra-large is very big and may overwhelm some habitats
- You may not get the color pictured on the website (and some colors are not natural-looking)
Where to Find the Repti Ramp Bowl
Want to give this bowl a try? Here are some popular retailers that had it in stock when we visited.
Pick your favorite, or check them all to see if anyone has a sale today.
- EntirelyPets was having a sale when we visited
- Amazon had the Extra Large bowls in stock
- So did PetSmart, which was also having a free shipping promotion