Pooping in Food Dish - Dominance?

[ChloeCrull]

Hello, everyone!

My oldest female Russian tortoise (wild caught, I believe) has been pooping and peeing in the food dish for a few days now. She lives with a male (wild caught) and a younger female (captive bred).

Is this an early sign of dominance? She'll sit in the food dish and eat for hours (literally, hours) and poop and pee all over it.

P.S. She was not quarantined. I was unaware of that necessity at the time.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Tell us about your set up.

Try using a second dish in another spot. That will help you see if it's dominance or greed, and will let the others eat in any case.

I don't use a dish at all, but make a pile big enough around that all of them can eat at the same time if they want to. Others use a slate or tile as a dish.

 

[dmmj]

I don't know?
" I am in charge, (poop). though to be honest if some tranger comes into my house and poops on my lasagna, I guess he wins.
We have discussed before why they poop on the food, no real clear answer. but I feel pretty confident saying it is not agression related.

 

[ChloeCrull]

Thanks for the opinions, everyone!

I don't know?
" I am in charge, (poop). though to be honest if some tranger comes into my house and poops on my lasagna, I guess he wins.
We have discussed before why they poop on the food, no real clear answer. but I feel pretty confident saying it is not agression related.

Hehe, it does sound silly! I was just worried about "scent marking" I suppose. Thank you for the reply!

 

[tortdad]

Mine do it every now and then too.

Try soaking her prior to feeding time so she can go while she soaks.

 

[Tom]

My tortoises tend to poop when eating sometimes, sooooo.... It ends up on, in, or near the food bowl.

I'm not ready to completely dismiss territorial marking, however. Russians are a very territorial, scrappy species, and I really would not be surprised if this was some sort of territorial behavior, but that would be difficult to confirm or prove.