Ayushjain101
Member
My tortoise have food available to him(even his favourite food items) and still he will reject them and try to eat stones. What do you think is the reason for it? Have you ever faced such problem...
he doesn't like calcium in his food but I trick himGreen leafy vegies and 2 drops of this every alternative day and he gets sunlight... So he can digest calcium. View attachment 259177
normal stones when I make him walk on the terrace and also he tried to eat peigon poop...Buy this:
Zoo Med Laboratories SZMTB1 Turtle Bone, 2 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CCVLUS/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
What kind of rocks?
which vitamin are you giving?So, my sulcata did this even with calcium supplements and cuttlebone. Tom suggested a vitamin deficiency. I began adding vitasol drops in his soak or a drop in his mazuri and I haven't seen her try eat stone or rocks since then. Mind you she is a hatchling and the stones in her enclosure are too big to eat. But she tried.
This rock eating behavior is typically seen in tortoises that are fed mostly grocery store type leafy greens. From what I can tell it is due to either mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance, and/or lack of fiber.My tortoise have food available to him(even his favourite food items) and still he will reject them and try to eat stones. What do you think is the reason for it? Have you ever faced such problem...
I feed vegetables alot. Which leafs should I try? hibiscus will do?This rock eating behavior is typically seen in tortoises that are fed mostly grocery store type leafy greens. From what I can tell it is due to either mineral deficiency, mineral imbalance, and/or lack of fiber.
Adding a calcium supplement often makes it worse. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other necessary minerals and trace elements, like zinc for example, so adding more calcium further increases the imbalance.
The solution is to improve the diet with more of the correct weeds, grasses (for some species) and leaves to add the necessary fiber, and to add a balanced mineral supplement. I have found "MinerAll" from Sticky Tongue Farms to be the best for this.
View attachment 259210
What species have you got? This thread is for sulcatas or other grass eating species. If you don't have a grass eating species, just skip to the food list, which is good for all species.I feed vegetables alot. Which leafs should I try? hibiscus will do?