Eating rocks

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nikk

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Today i put my 1 1/2 year old sulcata out side in a make shift pen (cyinder blocks)and he start eating the sandy soil and a rock so big i had to prye open his mouth and pull it out. i am new at this is this normal should i let him do this like a bird or is he just trying to end it all
 

Kristina

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It might be a sign that he needs more calcium in his diet.

Tortoises are curious, I have seen mine try to take bites out of the sprinkler, while it was running, lol. A few bites of sandy soil shouldn't hurt, but try to remove all the rocks from the pen, and feed a little pumpkin (canned is fine, but it needs to be pure pumpkin, NOT pie filling!) or a little butternut squash to help the sand pass through him.

I would also get some cuttlebone (like you give to pet birds) for him to munch on. In the wild Sulcatas will eat bones and even small pebbles to supplement the calcium in their diet. Cut the hard backing off the cuttlebone and offer it to him in his enclosure.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Nikk:

Welcome to the forum!!

One of the things I used to stress at our club meetings...

Every so often, about 3 or 4 times a year, get down on your hands and knees and crawl over every inch of your Sulcata's habitat. Sulcatas will eat any and everything. Especially white rocks. This is a pretty dangerous pass-time for them, as it may cause an impaction that requires surgery. So, go over that habitat with a fine-toothed comb and you both will be happier and healthier for it.
 

nikk

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Thanks so much

i will get pics up soon of my littel guy or girl we named him savatooch but as he gets old and after visting tom and his tortoises i might have a girl still to early to tell but ill put up pics very soon

i will get pics up soon of my littel guy or girl we named him savatooch but as he gets older and after visting tom and his tortoises i might have a girl still to early to tell but ill put up pics very soon
 

ChiKat

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My Russian tries to eat white rocks all the time! He has cuttlebone available and I regularly sprinkle calcium powder and TNT on his greens. He just loves to go after those white rocks :p
I literally have to "baby proof" the area before letting him out!
 

Tom

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My Daisy does this from time to time too. She has cuttlebone in her indoor enclosure and rarely touches it. She also gets Ca supplementation at least twice a week. She usually poops these out during her soaks, but it still concerns me.

She is the first one I've had that does this. I'm at a loss to explain it.
 
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