Popping noise

[gmayor]

So my baby Leopard is making a popping noise every time she eats and it's loud I can sit on my couch and hear it when she is eating. It sounds like when you snap your tongue off the the top of your mouth, that is what the sound is. Does anyone have an idea of what that might be from?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Sounds like it might be the beak. I normally tell people that the sound tortoises and boxies make with their beak is normal, but based on your description, this sounds louder than usual. Is your tortoise's beak of the proper length, or does it need to be trimmed?

 

[ascott]

I have heard tortoise make that sound when they eat....swear that they are munching down a pbj sandwich...LOL Only one of my guys has made that noise...well, that I know of anyway... I don't know that I would be worried about it (especially if it is when eating and no other issues)

 

[gmayor]

Sounds like it might be the beak. I normally tell people that the sound tortoises and boxies make with their beak is normal, but based on your description, this sounds louder than usual. Is your tortoise's beak of the proper length, or does it need to be trimmed?

Yeah she is eating normal no problems with that. But idk if it is a beak issue though, that does make sense that it would be the beak but I was thinking that she is only two months old so how long can her beak be already but I'll check to make sure to see if it is or not. And if it is the beak how the heck do I trim a two month old baby Leo beak?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Sounds like it might be the beak. I normally tell people that the sound tortoises and boxies make with their beak is normal, but based on your description, this sounds louder than usual. Is your tortoise's beak of the proper length, or does it need to be trimmed?

Yeah she is eating normal no problems with that. But idk if it is a beak issue though, that does make sense that it would be the beak but I was thinking that she is only two months old so how long can her beak be already but I'll check to make sure to see if it is or not. And if it is the beak how the heck do I trim a two month old baby Leo beak?

Very carefully with a file, or if you're not comfortable with that, a vet can do it. However, there is another thread or two here showing how even veterinarians can botch a simple beak-filing procedure, so be careful.

But you're right; it's unlikely that a 2-month old baby tortoise would have an overgrown beak. That's really tiny! She's unlikely to have a beak problem, and at that size, she's probably too young to trim the beak safely anyway, so I wouldn't do it unless, for some unusual reason, it's absolutely necessary. In that case, I don't really know what could be causing that loud popping sound you report.

 

[gmayor]

Thanks for the tip on the beak though it does make sense that it is that, I am at work right now though when I get home I'll check that out to see if it might be that but if it's not that, do you have any other thoughts on what it could be?

 

[yagyujubei]

Don't try to trim the beak. I hear this occasionally with my juvies. I believe it's normal.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yeah, probably just normal. As I said, every box turtle and tortoise I've ever had liked to make sounds with their beak. Your's sounds a bit louder than I would expect, but it's probably intentional. I wouldn't take any steps to try and stop it. I'm sure it's quite normal.

 

[wrmitchell22]

I was worried that Boulders beak may get to long so I started putting his food on a cement service instead of plastic, just to be on the safe side, so that is always an idea

 

[Neal]

Don't try to trim the beak.

I'll echo that, no need to trim the beak as this is completly normal. I believe it's from the top and bottom jaws rubbing together...something like that.

 

[gmayor]

So after her soak this morning I inspected her beak and it does look a bit longer then what it should be, but if you guys are saying not to worry then sweet cuz it was making me worry, should I get cuttle bone or something that might help to bring it down?

 

[Neal]

You could, some tortoises won't go for the cuttle bone. Feeding the tortoise on a hard surface would help trim down the beak. Have you offered the tortoise any carrots? I feed mine raw carrots from time to time, I think that helps trim their beaks a bit. Also, if you have an outside enclosure with plants and grass growing in it, the tortoise will graze and that will help out too.

 

[gmayor]

You could, some tortoises won't go for the cuttle bone. Feeding the tortoise on a hard surface would help trim down the beak. Have you offered the tortoise any carrots? I feed mine raw carrots from time to time, I think that helps trim their beaks a bit. Also, if you have an outside enclosure with plants and grass growing in it, the tortoise will graze and that will help out too.

Ok i will do the feeding on a hard surface for sure, no i havent feed her any carrots i thought we werent suppose to feed them that?... yeah i made her a small outdoor pen that i made her i have being putting her out for about two to four hours every day.

 

[Neal]

Carrots are OK.

 

[gmayor]

Carrots are OK.

should they be in there every day diet or ever now and then?

 

[Fernando]

I don't personally feed my tortoises carrots in the diet normally. That usually only occurs now and then. Like today, it was in a mix of greens that I had so it was okay.

 

[Neal]

I do every now and then. I don't provide any one type of food on a regular basis for my adults and hatchlings except for Mazuri. Basically it's whatever I have in my fridge or whatever is growing type of thing.

 

[gmayor]

I do every now and then. I don't provide any one type of food on a regular basis for my adults and hatchlings except for Mazuri. Basically it's whatever I have in my fridge or whatever is growing type of thing.

haha yeah really whats ever in the fridge i do that too. just a quick question again how do you get your hatchlings to eat the Mazuri i cant get mine to eat it by itself she has to eat it with her greens? any suggestions on that?

 

[Neal]

My experience with mazuri is that they will either eat it or they won't. I have about 40 tortoises now, there are only about 5 that will not eat it at all, even when it's mixed in with other stuff. Mazuri isn't necessary by any means, all the research I've done indicates that it is a very good staple diet though and it's a hell of a lot easier then mixing different types of food and making guesses on the amounts of supplementation to provide.

 

[gmayor]

My experience with mazuri is that they will either eat it or they won't. I have about 40 tortoises now, there are only about 5 that will not eat it at all, even when it's mixed in with other stuff. Mazuri isn't necessary by any means, all the research I've done indicates that it is a very good staple diet though and it's a hell of a lot easier then mixing different types of food and making guesses on the amounts of supplementation to provide.

Dang thats a lot of torts brother! lol thats sweet though! Again i thought mazuri should always be given, she will eat it with her greens so maybe i will just keep giving it to her that way then, and hopefully as she gets older her taste buds will change or something hahaha.