Hermans keeps trying to eat stones

[ColinS]

Hi. Quick question. My hermans tortoise seems to keep eating or trying to eat small stones. These are in the topsoil mix I use so are tiny I have picked out as much as I been able to. Is this something to worry about as I’ve not seen him swallow anything yet I’m wondering if he may think they’re the pellets I put in his food ???

 

[Tom]

Those little stones… are they white and can you crush them with your fingernail? If yes, that is perlite and you have a serious problem. Another reason to not use "topsoil" for tortoise substrate.

If it is actual little stones, then your tortoise might be suffering from a mineral deficiency. This is most common when tortoises are fed a lot of grocery store greens without doing enough to add fiber to the diet. What do you typically feed this tortoise?

The cure is adding more fiber to the diet, hopefully by feeding a wide variety of the right weeds and leaves, and by using a mineral supplement. Not calcium. Minerals. Over here we have a product called MinerAll made by a company called Sticky Tongue Farms. I don't know what you might have over there, but if you can find this product or something similar, it will help curb this stone eating behavior.

 

[ColinS]

Defo not them white perlite stuff... your 2nd part makes perfect sense as I do feed a lot of shop bought greens! Will have a look for a mineral supplement for tortoise. Thanks a lot. Massive help. Appreciated.