Why is Gomez obsessed with bird poop

[thatrebecca]

Gomez, my 5-year-old CDT, eats bird poop any time be can find it -- even when there's edible weeds, grasses and flowers all around. Could this mean there's something missing from his diet or is this just a tort being a tort? Can the bird poop hurt him?

He seems to be going through a growth spurt right now and is munching on the weirdest stuff. I'm the one who recently posted about my DT eating a cricket -- which I now know was a grasshopper (thanks Tom).

FYI, most of his diet is the grasses and weeds in the yard, but he also gets some spring mix, veggies (zucchini is his favorite) and cactus pads in his bowl in the morning, dusted with calcium 2-3 times a week.

 

[wellington]

Maybe the white color attracts him. I know my leopard will bite at anything white.

 

[JoesMum]

Try some cuttlebone on him. He might be on a calcium craving.

 

[EchoTheLeoTort]

ive never heard of this happening lol. maybe because birds are eating berries, like mulberries it might taste like the berries? hmm not sure.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Tortoises naturally eat poop in the wild all the time. For example, Greek tortoises are known to eat the droppings of goats. I have caught my female Russian eat dry cat poop as well, but I stopped her from doing that. In nature, it helps tortoises (and other herbivores) get more protein, but it can also lead to parasitic infestation. Best not to let them do it, and just give them a good diet instead.

 

[thatrebecca]

Thanks for the input everybody. He gets calcium dusted on his food 2 or 3 times a week, but he doesn't have a cuttlebone. I'll add one. He definitely tries to eat anything white -- including pebbles, paint flakes and my tennis shoes.

I've been considering adding some Mazuri to his diet once or twice a week in case there's still something missing. I try to feed a good variety and have lots of grazing opportunities in the yard, but maybe he's craving some nutrient he just isn't getting. On the upside, he had some pyramiding when he came to live with us in April, and as he grows it seems to be smoothing out.

 

[zman7590]

it must just taste that good maybe we should all try a little!

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lol XD