Pavement

[seanwilson1]

Hi whenever I put my leopard tortoise onto the front lawn during the summer some of the time she will hightail it to the driveway and immediately she will dive her head into the pavement and try to eat it. She doesnt like cuttlebone so she doesnt trim her beek that way. Could she be trying to shave her beek by using the pavement? Is it even safe to allow her to bite at the pavement?

 

[mike taylor]

It sounds to me she is missing minerals in her diet . There is a product call mineral all or something like that that will help this.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I tried MinerAll with mine when they went through a rock eating phase. I'm not sure if that is specifically what helped stop it because they also ate the cuttlebone.
Keep cuttlebone in the enclosure at all times, try the above product and make sure you provide a good varied diet. You don't want him eating pavement rocks.

 

[seanwilson1]

Thats the thing ive tried cuttlebone. Tried sprinkling it over her food, she smelt it in discussment and refused to eat that food. Tried leaving it in her cage, even tried putting it right outside her hide so she would have to climb over it to get out. Never took a bite

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Regardless, keep cuttlebone in there. It's cheap and someday he just might try it.

Purchase the MinerAll and tell us how it goes.

 

[Tom]

Sometimes they will ignore cuttle bones for months and then eat the whole thing in a day. Like Heather recommended, just leave it in there.

I typically see this sort of "eating inappropriate things" behavior in tortoises that are primarily fed grocery store greens. I rarely see it in tortoises that are fed grass, weeds, leaves and succulents. Does your tortoise's diet sound like the former?

MinerAll is made by a company called Sticky Tongue Farms, and it does seem to help reduce this. Adding some fiber to the diet in the form of real grass, weeds and leaves, blended grass hay, ZooMed Grassland pellets, spineless opuntia, etc., might also help.

 

[seanwilson1]

I wish I could get some fresh grasses and weeds but unfortunately its under 4feet of snow outside :-( the only source of food during the winter is from farmboy. I tried zoomed cuttlebone ill go out and get the minerall this weekend for her. And as for the hayshe will only eat alf alfa hay. And only the leafy parts of it. Anything that too strawy for her she avoids

---

My front yard

 

[seanwilson1]

We always buy organic kale, and dandilion from farm boy and wash it. We know freshly grown would be best but during canadas winter its organic greens is our best choice

 

[Tom]

You can grow your own grass and weeds in pots of trays. If you use trays you can sink them into your substrate and continually switch them out as they get grazed. Or you can just use scissors and cut off what you need daily.

Few tortoises, with the notable exception of adult sulcatas, are going to walk up to a dry pile of hay and eat it. You have to blend it up, rehydrate it, and then thoroughly mix very small amounts with favored grocery store greens. Over time, you can begin to add more. You can buy a product called "salad style" here: http://www.tortoisesupply.com/salad-style-food-topper/
This stuff is ready to go. Just mix in a little pinch at first and gradually up the ratio over time.

 

[JDM4]

I agree, just keep the cuttlefish bone in at all times. It was ages before mine tried it. She ignored it for a long time but eventually tried it and liked it.
One thing I have found though is that I have to put a new one in even though the current one might not of hardly been used. Its as if it has to be fresh for her or she isn't interested in it.

 

[ascott]

Could she be trying to shave her beek by using the pavement? Is it even safe to allow her to bite at the pavement?

Also, yes, the tort maybe trying to maintain the beak...perhaps feels good...you are talking about concrete right? Not Asphalt....if concrete, then not a problem....

 

[seanwilson1]

I think its ashphalt. The stuff that they mostly use for driveways is diferent than regular pavent right? And I bought her some slate tile last week at home hardware. Still need to get more cuttlebone.