my redfoot keeps eating the substrate!

[Angrycowgoesmoo]

Ok so for some reason my redfoot would just bite at the substrate and start to swallow sometimes. What's the problem? I feed him each day and he has 2 bowls of water so if one gets dirty in the point of the day he can use the other one. It's been bugging me because I don't want him to choke. Also the substrate is cypress and the ends seems harmful if he swallows it since it's pointy but not like pointy pointy just like normal pointy. please help! I'm worried!

 

[jackrat]

Have you seen him actually eat some?

 

[Madkins007]

There are several possibilities here...
- There are food particles, flavors, or scents on the substrate that it is going for- this can even be fecal matter Try changing it with a different batch of cypress. Consider ways to feed that keep food off the substrate, or consider adding hermit crabs to help control wastes.
- For some reason, the cypress just seems interesting or tasty to it. Again, try changing it with a different batch or type.
- The tortoise is hungry for fiber or other nutrients it senses in the substrate. Analyse the diet for deficiencies.
- The tortoise has never seen cypress before and is just plain curious. If this is the situation, it will quickly grow tired of it.
- The place the tortotise was before fit one of the above categories and the tortoise got used to the stuff. If none of the above ideas work, try a different substrate.

 

[Angrycowgoesmoo]

I did see him eat some but he ate it when he was inside his hide out but I did remember putting a piece of veggie there when he was in it (temporarily) so maybe he smelled it and ate some. But I also think he ate it by accident while he was eating his food