cuttle bone vs. mammal bone (deer)

[Saloli]

okay I'm curious I know EBT chew on deer bones sometimes in the wild so sometimes I put one in for mine. But I recently (the other day) put a cuttle bone in which I have read of being used. So what sort of bones if any do y'all use?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't know that they can get calcium from deer bone, I use cuttlebone

 

[Jacob]

I Also use cuttlebone!

 

[Saloli]

deer bones are "56% of inorganic matter [11, 12]. The inorganic part contains 48% calcium phosphate, 5% calcium carbonate, 2% magnesium carbonate and the rest is made up by other mineral compounds" http://www.pjoes.com/pdf/15.2/297-301.pdf[hr]
cuttle bones are about 35% calcium compounds (don't kow the ratio)

 

[Balboa]

A deer bone makes sense, that's a natural type thing, cuttle bones are just convenient.

Thinking on it, the cuttle bone is softer, may be they can utilize it better because of that who knows.

I've also read how some folks in the uk use something called "lime-flour" that is sold for horses. Just pure calcium carbonate as I recall, and wet it and pour it into molds to harden for their torts. I really like that idea, but as I recall when I looked into it, here in america the similar type commonly available products have other additives we may not want. I'm sure if I try hard enough I could come up with some bulk calcium carbonate and may go that route someday.

 

[dmarcus]

I use cuttle bone, my tort enjoys it and it doesnt cost much at the feed store.

 

[Len B]

I wonder what happens to all the antlers that the bucks drop every year I have never seen a dropped rack in the wild.Some believe that squirrels and mice chew on them or they may just dissolve away, never thought about turtles chewing on them.Len

 

[Jessicap]

I wonder what happens to all the antlers that the bucks drop every year I have never seen a dropped rack in the wild.Some believe that squirrels and mice chew on them or they may just dissolve away, never thought about turtles chewing on them.Len

My nephew goes out in the spring and finds several sheds each year. Mice do tend to chew on them. I am sure fox and coyotes chew on them also.

 

[Saloli]

yeah i've seen a few sheds. speeking of which i found a deer the other night (the majority of the skeleton) minus the head which leads me to believe it was taken by a human it didn't appear to have been butchered which is a waste, but i guess the local carnivores benifited (there were some americancarion beatles on it). mice, or some other small rodent do chew the antlers

 

[SnakeyeZ]

I have a cuttle bone in my tortoise and turtle enclosures all the time.

 

[DeanS]

I've seen pics of leopards working on gazelle bones...I've seen pics of DTs going at pronghorn bones...obviously, most of us use cuttlebone, because it's more readily accessible...but if you have access to deer...I say 'Why Not?!?!'

 

[Robert]

I've seen pics of leopards working on gazelle bones...I've seen pics of DTs going at pronghorn bones...obviously, most of us use cuttlebone, because it's more readily accessible...but if you have access to deer...I say 'Why Not?!?!'

I'd like to see the leopards pic. Time for me to start doing some googling!

 

[GBtortoises]

I've placed animal bones in my outdoor tortoise enclosures in the past and have never seen any of the tortoises show any interest in the bones. That could be due to them having plenty of calcium available to them in the form of cuttlebone which is by comparison, probably easier to gnaw on than most bone. Or most of them may have had the amount of calcium they needed at the time and didn't have the need to consume more. Most of what I have read on Mediterranean species like I keep is that in the wild they get most of their calcium needs from the limestone soil areas that they inhabit and the higher concentration of calcium found in the local plants.

 

[Saloli]

I've placed animal bones in my outdoor tortoise enclosures in the past and have never seen any of the tortoises show any interest in the bones. That could be due to them having plenty of calcium available to them in the form of cuttlebone which is by comparison, probably easier to gnaw on than most bone. Or most of them may have had the amount of calcium they needed at the time and didn't have the need to consume more. Most of what I have read on Mediterranean species like I keep is that in the wild they get most of their calcium needs from the limestone soil areas that they inhabit and the higher concentration of calcium found in the local plants.

thats interesting i was doing some research for a garden i'm plannig for my step dad he is from Sicily so i decided to make a garden at my mom's and his new house i texas that has plants native to the mediterrean scrub like in Sicily. what i found is that a lot of them need alkaline soils (also parallel research for a hermanns tortoise). they may also use lime stome directly like some mammals and birds do

 

[GBtortoises]

Limestone is an acid neutralizer. Soil pH in most of the regions that Hermann's are found in the wild are high in limestone deposits. These same areas also generally have a neutral soil pH ranging from 6.6-7.3. Some smaller pockets of their wild geographical range are on the acidic side with pH values as low as 5.6 and upward. It's very likely that these areas have less natural limestone present. Acidic soil can block plants from receiving certain nutrients, the addition of limestone and other calcium based products neutralizes the acid allowing for better nutrient absorbtion by the plant. Plants that grow in soil with a high pH value, such as those with a high limestone content, will absorb larger quantities of the calcium from the soil if there is no alkai neutralizer present. Most plants grow best in a soil pH of 5.8-7.2.

 

[Saloli]

yeah except the native plants here live on soil with a pH range of 4.0 to 6.5 (i test soil pH and major nutrients). europe at least southern europe has higher pH. though ironically european grapes do very well here

 

[bettinge]

The books on Hermanns I read recommend providing bones that are well broken down from nature. I have three that will be in their enclosure this summer, so I will know more later.

 

[Saloli]

you have western's? where from i've been trying to find some. yeah the bones i've seen boxers chew on have been weathered so i guess i'm not the only one who uses bones.

 

[dmmj]

I would think cuttle is easier to use for a box turtle then bone, but I don't see any problems with it.

 

[bettinge]

you have western's? where from i've been trying to find some. yeah the bones i've seen boxers chew on have been weathered so i guess i'm not the only one who uses bones.

Yes, I breed Westerns! Feel free to PM me anytime for more info. They are a very cool breed of tortoise, I love them!