Red colored - Stool/Waste/excreta

[star-tortoise]

My star tortoise has downloaded excreta which is rusty brown / red colored. This is the 3rd time in 3 years he/she has done this.

Is there a problem because the waste should be dark green or black color right? which it usually is.

See attached image.

 

[Yvonne G]

It all depends upon what the tortoise has been eating. And bear in mind it sometimes takes days for today's meal to pass through.

 

[star-tortoise]

It all depends upon what the tortoise has been eating. And bear in mind it sometimes takes days for today's meal to pass through.

Thanks.

My tortoise eats only french beans (3 sticks a day) and nothing else. There is always a bowl of water beside him 24/7.
So you mean to say that if the tortoise takes longer period to take a dump, the excreta will be reddish brown as seen above?

 

[Yvonne G]

No, that's not what I mean at all. I was merely letting you know that because of a tortoise's slow metabolism it takes a long time for the food to move through the digestive tract, so what you see coming out today, was eaten several days or a week ago.

A diet of only french beans is not healthy. Your tortoise needs a variety. In the wild they wander all over and eat a bit of this and a bit of that. Here's a list of the different types of foods you can offer your tortoise:

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

 

[star-tortoise]

No, that's not what I mean at all. I was merely letting you know that because of a tortoise's slow metabolism it takes a long time for the food to move through the digestive tract, so what you see coming out today, was eaten several days or a week ago.

A diet of only french beans is not healthy. Your tortoise needs a variety. In the wild they wander all over and eat a bit of this and a bit of that. Here's a list of the different types of foods you can offer your tortoise:

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

that is lot of info and very helpful.

But still waiting for the reason for the colour change.

 

[star-tortoise]

Btw, how to know the gender of a star tortoise?