Cuttlebone?

[Maggie Cummings]

It doesn't go bad and I have always floated it in with my aquatic turtles and it gets soggy after floating around in there for a time but they eat it anyway. Tortoises need calcium for maximum growth. You should always have a cuttlebone in their habitats. Believe me...I am experienced and i know what I'm talking about... Sulcata are my favorite species, I wouldn't give you bad advice about them...

 

[DAC8671]

I keep one in Ralph's enclosure. I've just been replacing it when it's been out there for awhile. I guess I don't need to replace it now.

 

[floridajake]

The soil here has a lot of limestone(calcium)in it. I have seen my male munch on tiny bits that he digs up while excavating his burrow. I would venture that eating calcium rich soil/rocks is a natural behavior in the wild, and a cuttlebone is a great way to simulate this in a captive environment.

 

[savanna]

I take a grater and put it on the food then the rest just put it in the enclosure. Cuttlebones are the same as the stuff in the bottle.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I've never used a calcium supplement on my torotises food (I keep leopards, but will have my sulcata one day ) and the cuttlebone just sits there, has been for years. Not the same piece but you get the picture. I would imagine that if you feed a varied diet that meets their needs-no matter the species, they may not use the cuttelbone at all either IMO.

Sara