*to start ill say I'm very new to tortoise care and doing my best to learn quickly, but I dont always known what to look for until something comes up, such as this.
It's actually several questions I've now got in trying to find the answer to 1. Is an under bite normal? Ive tried doing some searches and keep finding info on over grown beaks. I have 3 babies who are almost 9 months old. The largest one "Turtle" makes a clicking noise when he chews and since researching beaks ive noticed its as he (I refer to them all as boys as I have a family of all boys, dog included) shuts his mouth and it hits together then his lower jaw "pops" back into the over bite position. My middle sized one "Thomas" started the pop/click noise yesterday but doesn't do it as often.
My main question is when I heard my middle one, "Thomas" start popping I looked at each ones mouth and noticed my little guy "Kyle" had the under bite and a slight split to the lower beak at what I would call his "lip" area. He also is the only one who gets mazuri all over his face/head when he eats (up by his eyes and nose, I sit by them and use damp fingers to wipe his face as he's eating to help keep it out of his eyes and nose) could it be related to the under bite he has? All 3 eat fine. Mazuri, weeds, grocery greens (i have grass they are learning about and the litte one hasnt tried eating it but even the other 2 cannot bite it off yet, I cut it up and add it to their mazuri)
Im just not sure if I should be doing something about it. I read/learned their beaks continue to grow like our nails? Should I offer something hard for them to chew (ive seen a tortoise block and cuttle bone? Is one better than the other?) Will that help keep their beaks at the appropriate length?
I have a picture of little Kyle's beak but I'm not sure how to add them. It's telling me I dont have permission?
*sorry if that post is all over. First day of summer vacation for my 3 boys (who named the tortoises) and ive had to start and stop this post multipe times to help them as well as to clean tortoise faces.
It's actually several questions I've now got in trying to find the answer to 1. Is an under bite normal? Ive tried doing some searches and keep finding info on over grown beaks. I have 3 babies who are almost 9 months old. The largest one "Turtle" makes a clicking noise when he chews and since researching beaks ive noticed its as he (I refer to them all as boys as I have a family of all boys, dog included) shuts his mouth and it hits together then his lower jaw "pops" back into the over bite position. My middle sized one "Thomas" started the pop/click noise yesterday but doesn't do it as often.
My main question is when I heard my middle one, "Thomas" start popping I looked at each ones mouth and noticed my little guy "Kyle" had the under bite and a slight split to the lower beak at what I would call his "lip" area. He also is the only one who gets mazuri all over his face/head when he eats (up by his eyes and nose, I sit by them and use damp fingers to wipe his face as he's eating to help keep it out of his eyes and nose) could it be related to the under bite he has? All 3 eat fine. Mazuri, weeds, grocery greens (i have grass they are learning about and the litte one hasnt tried eating it but even the other 2 cannot bite it off yet, I cut it up and add it to their mazuri)
Im just not sure if I should be doing something about it. I read/learned their beaks continue to grow like our nails? Should I offer something hard for them to chew (ive seen a tortoise block and cuttle bone? Is one better than the other?) Will that help keep their beaks at the appropriate length?
I have a picture of little Kyle's beak but I'm not sure how to add them. It's telling me I dont have permission?
*sorry if that post is all over. First day of summer vacation for my 3 boys (who named the tortoises) and ive had to start and stop this post multipe times to help them as well as to clean tortoise faces.
