Sulcata Eating Tree Roots

[MichiganFrog]

I caught one of our male sullies munching on a tree root today. He had just finished eating a normal dinner at the time. We're giving them a sprinkle of calcium once a week, so I don't think it's due to a dietary issue. The root is right next to the remnants of an old tree stump, and Sibi conjectured that he might be going after termites, but I've never seen termites in the stump before.

I usually don't like it when I find the boys eating wood and dirt and stuff off of the ground, and I'm thinking of removing the roots with my trusty pickaxe to discourage this behavior. What are your thoughts?

 

[Tom]

That's a new one for me. I've never seen that happen before.

 

[ascott]

I caught one of our male sullies munching on a tree root today. He had just finished eating a normal dinner at the time. We're giving them a sprinkle of calcium once a week, so I don't think it's due to a dietary issue. The root is right next to the remnants of an old tree stump, and Sibi conjectured that he might be going after termites, but I've never seen termites in the stump before.

I usually don't like it when I find the boys eating wood and dirt and stuff off of the ground, and I'm thinking of removing the roots with my trusty pickaxe to discourage this behavior. What are your thoughts?

What type of tree? What was the tree that the root was part of?

 

[MichiganFrog]

What type of tree? What was the tree that the root was part of?

I believe it's from a large cypress tree. I've had to remove a lot of the surface roots because they're a trip hazard for me and Sibi while we're working in the yard.

 

[MichiganFrog]

I believe it's from a large cypress tree. I've had to remove a lot of the surface roots because they're a trip hazard for me and Sibi while we're working in the yard.

I stand corrected. The root is a dead one that was part of the old stump. Also, I believe I may have solved the mystery...

Tonight after his dinner, I noticed my sully going outside to the stump, so I decided to follow him. One thing I noticed is that there are some lichen or type of mushroom growing on the old stump. In fact, if you look closely at the attached image, you can see one laying on the ground underneath his head. He even tried to chew on it moments after I snapped this picture, but it was too hard for him to bite thru. I think it's some kind of lichen.

My guess is that he's looking for mushrooms to eat, and anything that looks like a mushroom is fair game and worth sampling, including, of all things, tree roots! In case you're wondering, we used to feed him mushrooms as a treat, and he absolutely loved them, but we stopped when we noticed they were giving him diarrhea.

But I think he may still be craving mushrooms, and so he goes outside after dinner to look for them. Maybe I should pick him up a couple of portabellas sometime. What do you think, everything in moderation?

 

[Moozillion]

Fascinating!!!
Since I've never kept sulcatas, I have no experience or advice to share, but I think moderation is a good thing!

 

[ascott]

I stand corrected. The root is a dead one that was part of the old stump. Also, I believe I may have solved the mystery...

Tonight after his dinner, I noticed my sully going outside to the stump, so I decided to follow him. One thing I noticed is that there are some lichen or type of mushroom growing on the old stump. In fact, if you look closely at the attached image, you can see one laying on the ground underneath his head. He even tried to chew on it moments after I snapped this picture, but it was too hard for him to bite thru. I think it's some kind of lichen.

My guess is that he's looking for mushrooms to eat, and anything that looks like a mushroom is fair game and worth sampling, including, of all things, tree roots! In case you're wondering, we used to feed him mushrooms as a treat, and he absolutely loved them, but we stopped when we noticed they were giving him diarrhea.

But I think he may still be craving mushrooms, and so he goes outside after dinner to look for them. Maybe I should pick him up a couple of portabellas sometime. What do you think, everything in moderation?

I believe he is a shroom freak...and I personally would offer up some from time to time....have you tried to burry the tree stump deep ?

 

[MichiganFrog]

I believe he is a shroom freak...and I personally would offer up some from time to time....have you tried to burry the tree stump deep ?

The stump is mostly just remnants now. It had been burned by the former owners, but the roots were never completely removed. It looks like I'm going to have to pull out the remaining roots, and that should take care of it.

Oh, and I'm planning to stop by the store today and pick up some shrooms for my little shroom freak!

 

[MichiganFrog]

Here's a picture of my little "shroom freak" enjoying some mushrooms.

 

[MichiganFrog]

To follow up, sibi offered an alternative explanation that Honey Boy was looking for termites to eat. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about this theory at first, but as I was breaking up the stump today with my pick axe in the sweltering heat, I found some parts of the stump that had clearly been eaten by termites. I didn't find any live ones, but I still can't help but wonder if Honey Boy wasn't looking for some extra protein in his diet...?