Can African spurred tortoises swim?

Tortoises do not swim, and can drown easily. You need to make sure they can easily access the water but that it is not any deeper than the tortoise's bridge, the section of shell that joins the carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell). This should be changed daily.

Do African spurred tortoise need water?

They need to be soaked outside the enclosure in shallow, warm water once or twice a week for 15 to 30 minutes to get fully hydrated. Baby and juvenile sulcata tortoises tend to dry out much quicker than larger, more established tortoises.