Cuttle bone

[bettinge]

Is there a way to encourge the use of a cuttle bone or ZooMeds turtle bone? I have read in many places that some torts like it and others do not. I guess mine does not!

 

[Yvonne G]

It seems like it has to "season" for a while before they give it a try. I've notice that they smell really fishy. Maybe after sitting out in the air for a few weeks that fish smell goes away and makes it more inviting to munch on.

Yvonne

 

[richalisoviejo]

Mine didn’t touch his for a week, I broke it in half, now he’s at it once in a while. He’ll pick it up a bang it on the glass.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

It's my belief and what I was taught that chelonia have instincts and they will only munch on the cuttle bone when their instinct tells them that they are low on calcium...kinda like the oil light coming on in your car when your engine is low on oil. So they can go for months without biting on the cuttlebone, then it will be gone in a day. So it's always my advice to leave the cuttlebone in the habitat and when the tortoise or turtle needs calcium they will eat it...
some keepers recommend taking off the hard backing but I don't do that. But there is a right side and a wrong side...so lay it down with the right side up...

 

[tortoisenerd]

Mine walked over his and around his for months before finally starting to nibble a little. I still give calcium almost daily so this would just be extra for him (hatchling). So, you may think the tort doesn't like it but later on they may stop ignoring it. Leave a little piece at least in there in case they get the idea to eat it.

 

[galvinkaos]

Jefferson and Maude wanted nothing to do with it when I first put one in with them. Even though it was obvious the were both calcium deficient. Now I have seen her munching on it even though she gets calcium daily with food. Some seem to figure it out.

Dawna

 

[Weloveourtortoise]

I have the same belief that Maggie has, Charlie goes for his when he needs it. When we first got him almost 2 years ago now, he attacked the poor thing. Now every once in a while I will see that he has been using.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I use powder calcium for Bob and yet when I put a cuttlebone in with him he eats it all right then. I know he is not calcium deficient...but it runs in my family that they all like to show me wrong in public...bob with the calcium and my sister in 'wrong' advice...

 

[Meg90]

My little hatchling LOVED cuttle bone from day one. There are little nibble marks all down the thing, on all the edges. It was funny, she seemed to prefer it over spring mix her first day home. Nigel, on the other hand, my adult greek, HATES his cuttle bone. He has smeared poop on two of them and I had to throw them away.

I would just leave it in there for your baby. He may surprise you. It seems like they like to taste everything, so one day, maybe you'll get lucky and he'll wrap his beak around something he should, like the cuttle bone!