Strangest Foreign Object Consumed by a Tortoise

[MichiganFrog]

What is the strangest foreign object ever consumed by a tortoise that you've heard of?

Obviously, this is not an ideal situation and is something to be avoided. But some torts are like goats and have no qualms about eating things they shouldn't, namely anything they can get down their throats. So aside from general interest, perhaps this thread will make some newer tortoise caretakers aware of this problem and help them to take steps to avoid it.

For example, we keep the environment for our torts as clean and free of debris as possible, but we do have one male sulcata named Beasty Boy who is like a goat, and we've found that he's eaten (and passed, thankfully) at least one latex glove. He also likes to eat cardboard and bits of paper towels. We recently had him x-rayed at the vet's office, and were shocked to find that he has a small metal washer inside of him. In light of this, we're now extra careful to avoid leaving anything in his path that he might be tempted to consume.

So, now that I've kicked it off, what's the strangest foreign object that you've heard of a tortoise having consumed?

 

[dmmj]

Mardi Gras beads and drywall

 

[sibi]

Mardi Gras beads and drywall

I hope he was able to poop it all out

 

[dmmj]

I hope he was able to poop it all out

how do you think they knew he ate it?

 

[Big Charlie]

A sock

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My own experience: A dead rat from a fallen rat trap, some rocks and a plastic flower.

 

[Pokeymeg]

My own experience: A dead rat from a fallen rat trap, some rocks and a plastic flower.

I hope the rat wasn't poisoned?? That could've been disastrous :-(

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I hope the rat wasn't poisoned?? That could've been disastrous :-(

I don't use poison for that very reason. (They also ate part of the trap.)

 

[sibi]

how do you think they knew he ate it?

They could have caught him eating it, duh

 

[sibi]

My own experience: A dead rat from a fallen rat trap, some rocks and a plastic flower.

Wow! The rat is so poisonous? Did he require a vet?

 

[motero]

Plastic grocery bag that blew into the yard. Yes they passed it fine. It was shredded and mixed in with the grass when it came out.

 

[sibi]

Plastic grocery bag that blew into the yard. Yes they passed it fine. It was shredded and mixed in with the grass when it came out.

That would be a major concern for me. I mean, couldn't they choke on the plastic? Now, I've got another thing to look out for.

 

[Anyfoot]

What is the strangest foreign object ever consumed by a tortoise that you've heard of?

Obviously, this is not an ideal situation and is something to be avoided. But some torts are like goats and have no qualms about eating things they shouldn't, namely anything they can get down their throats. So aside from general interest, perhaps this thread will make some newer tortoise caretakers aware of this problem and help them to take steps to avoid it.

For example, we keep the environment for our torts as clean and free of debris as possible, but we do have one male sulcata named Beasty Boy who is like a goat, and we've found that he's eaten (and passed, thankfully) at least one latex glove. He also likes to eat cardboard and bits of paper towels. We recently had him x-rayed at the vet's office, and were shocked to find that he has a small metal washer inside of him. In light of this, we're now extra careful to avoid leaving anything in his path that he might be tempted to consume.

So, now that I've kicked it off, what's the strangest foreign object that you've heard of a tortoise having consumed?

Mine once tried eating a nerf bullet that my kids left on the grass. I caught it just in time, I just managed to get the end and pull it out of her mouth. Scared me to death. Hence I need to get a move on with outdoor enclosure, and stop kids playing nerf near the new enclosure. Lucky escape.

 

[sibi]

Mine once tried eating a nerf bullet that my kids left on the grass. I caught it just in time, I just managed to get the end and pull it out of her mouth. Scared me to death. Hence I need to get a move on with outdoor enclosure, and stop kids playing nerf near the new enclosure. Lucky escape.

Wow! How were able to grab it out of her mouth? I know you said you were able to grab the tail end of it, but when my Billy goat tort tried to eat a large stone, he was so quick to swallow it down that I couldn't grab it in time. He also tried to swallow a facecloth, and when I ran to get it out of his mouth, it was nearly down his throat by then. Scared me half to death.

 

[Anyfoot]

Wow! How were able to grab it out of her mouth? I know you said you were able to grab the tail end of it, but when my Billy goat tort tried to eat a large stone, he was so quick to swallow it down that I couldn't grab it in time. He also tried to swallow a facecloth, and when I ran to get it out of his mouth, it was nearly down his throat by then. Scared me half to death.

The nerf bullet is about 3" long. Her mouth was open with the orange nib trapped between beak, the rest down her throat. Dread to think what would have happened if didn't see her.
Also it's another reason for the neighbours to think I'm a nutter, watching me scour the garden for foreign objects. Lol.
So up to now my neighbours watch me pick flowers out of the weed bed, listen to me talking to the torts, watch me collecting slugs and worms with a torch at night, watch me scour garden. God knows what they are going to think when I'm going up to my new Tortoise house in Bermuda shorts and vest in the middle of the winter. Lol.

 

[sibi]

The nerf bullet is about 3" long. Her mouth was open with the orange nib trapped between beak, the rest down her throat. Dread to think what would have happened if didn't see her.
Also it's another reason for the neighbours to think I'm a nutter, watching me scour the garden for foreign objects. Lol.
So up to now my neighbours watch me pick flowers out of the weed bed, listen to me talking to the torts, watch me collecting slugs and worms with a torch at night, watch me scour garden. God knows what they are going to think when I'm going up to my new Tortoise house in Bermuda shorts and vest in the middle of the winter. Lol.

LOL Sounds like me. I have pretty much removed all foreign debris from the yard. So, what does my billy goat do? I usually throw old, sometimes moldy hay outside from their pens. Billy goat finds the moldy hay and swallows it down before I can stop him. He's still recovering from some intestinal illness and is on meds from the vet. What's a girl to do?

 

[MichiganFrog]

Well, I guess we can add part of a foam soccer ball to the list of items consumed thus far. Just one more thing to keep out of the yard...

 

[sibi]

Well, there goes his entertainment time! He used to love attacking the ball, buy never thought he'd bite a chunk off...LOL

 

[Maggie Cummings]

One of my desert tortoises was basking and spotted a bluebelly lizard sleeping on the cement wall, the tort caught him and ate him. Another of mine, digs thru his substrate when he's having to be inside and eats the shower curtain liner, yea, he craps it out so far

Well, there goes his entertainment time! He used to love attacking the ball, buy never thought he'd bite a chunk off...LOL

Bob's favorite toy was a 5 gallon metal bucket. Can't eat it but can beat the heck out of it....

 

[sibi]

One of my desert tortoises was basking and spotted a bluebelly lizard sleeping on the cement wall, the tort caught him and ate him. Another of mine, digs thru his substrate when he's having to be inside and eats the shower curtain liner, yea, he craps it out so far


Bob's favorite toy was a 5 gallon metal bucket. Can't eat it but can beat the heck out of it....

Bob sounds like my Beasty Boy. He' the explorer, protector of his domain, billy goat, and yet, he' so obedient and super smart. Was Bob like that?