Pebble eating

[Smartie123]

Hi guys
Now the weather has started to improve here in the Uk I am able to get Donny outside a lot more but he is always supervised. I have noticed that when ever out side exploring he would sniff around and try and dig our small pebbles in the soil but today I actually caught him eating one. I tried to get it out of his mouth but he swallowed it before I could. It was only a small pebble but I am worried it might cause him issues. Is there a reason he might be eating them?

 

[Moozillion]

I have heard 2 different thoughts about this, both probably right.
One is that tortoises will sample or eat a lot of things, whether they're properly edible or not. That's one reason we try to eliminate the use of granular fertilizers and the water-conserving beads that come in some potted plants.
The other is that he may be missing some minerals and may need mineral supplements. I have not had this problem, so I don't know which ones are used most by forum members. I think I've see Miner-all mentioned.
Tortoises pass small rocks and pieces of their substrate through their systems all the time. I bet your little guy will pass this.

Hopefully some keepers more experienced with this will add in some comments!

 

[StuMac]

Could it be he likes the mineral smell from it and is mistaking it for something else? Maybe he is lacking something and the smell appealed to him. Could be needing calcium. I have a cuttlebone in Slash enclosure and he can nibble whenever he wants. That would maybe help. I also got a very fine sieve which I use to scoop through the soil and sift out any stones. Bit time consuming but worth it to save any health issues. I may well be totally wrong with my theory though!!

 

[Smartie123]

Thanks guys, he certainly spends a lot of time sniffing the soil and gets very excited when he comes across these small pebbles so maybe your right. He has a cuttle bone and a lump of natural calcium but he ignores both. He also won't eat his food when I sprinkle the supplement on it but this week I have started him on a blueberry flavoured calcium which seems to be going down well. I'll continue to keep a vigil watch when he's outside for now just to be on the safe side

 

[dmmj]

Couple of theories, though I don't think no one knows for sure. 1., they are missing something in their diet, and they eat the pebbles/rocks for added nutrition. Problem is rocks don't digest, so if it is true, eating rocks won't fix that. Some people swear by miner-all, and say it works. 2. They are curious/rocks smell good. Anyone who owns aa tortoise knows they can be very curious, and like to sample/taste everything. I have personal exp. with a CDT that tries to eat my toes every time he sees them. Not quite sure how to fix a curious tortoise though. 3. Tortoises don't have teeth, so they swallow rocks to help them digest food, like birds do with their gizzard.