Stones!

[Sunshine]

Hi all,

Herbie and I live in the UK and am getting him ready for the garden because it's starting to warm up over here. Thing is, whenever he goes out the ALWAYS tries to eat stones, big , small, doesn't matter he tries to swallow. Am worried sick and watch him constantly picking the stones out when he tries to gulp them down. Mostly, he grazes on the grass but he's usually straight to the soil border digging and picking up things with his mouth and 9 times out of 10 they he tries to get it down his gullet! He has a cuttle bone which he uses and mineral supplement on his food but it's more about me wanting him to enjoy his time outside without me worrying he's going to choke every 5 minutes! Does anyone else have the same problem? How do you all cope with yours in the US as they seem to be in the garden all the time?

Many thanks
Helen

 

[ascott]

I keep the torts here well hydrated....also, I don't stress myself by following them around the entire time they are outside...keep in mind though that the CDTs here are all adults and the RFs are a fair size and are in a more controlled area still till they are bigger....

Does your tort have a couple large rounded rocks that he can use to file down his beak and keep it trimmed up....sometimes they will use rocks for this purpose...they will sit and scrape their beaks and also they will open their mouth and bite at the rock which helps to maintain their beak....

 

[Sunshine]

Thankyou!

Yes have noticed he does like to gnaw at big stones and has a smooth beak because he does it a lot! I do bathe him every other day and will keep him well hydrated. He is only 5/6 years old so I think I will keep him in a more controlled area outside where there are fewer larger stones until he's bigger. At least then I won't have to follow him around like an over anxious Mum! It's more that he actually tried to swallow everything ... I hope he grows out of it ;-)

 

[JoesMum]

Try leaving some cutlebone in the garden. Hopefully it will distract him and he can file his beak safely

 

[GBtortoises]

Northern Mediterranean tortoises (Hermann's and others) will consume stones in an effort to gain additional minerals in their diet. They will also consume soil for the same reason. It is difficult to determine exactly what minerals may be lacking without out knowing what foods they're being fed. But the vitamin and mineral concentrations of all the foods that we feed them can be found on nutritional data sites on the internet. I personally don't put much trust (or faith) in supplemental vitamins & minerals. Instead I prefer to feed them a good quality, highly varied diet.
Cuttlebone or other calcium source present all the time for them to consume may stop the stone eating, if calcium is what they're craving. If it is another mineral then they may consume the calcium as well as continue to consume stones.
Some also believe that small stones may aid in digestion of some foods by physically breaking the the foods down within the gut. Much like poultry do.
It's also very likely that your tortoise is gnawing at larger stones in an attempt to bite some off for mineral purposes. It's doubtful that tortoises make a conscientious effort to keep their beaks trimmed. The result just happens to be a by product of the abrasive materials that they come in contact with naturally.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

I agree, leave some big stones in his enclosure.

 

[Tom]

GB's post is brilliant. I have come across a few tortoises that just wanna ingest rocks. I followed a recommendation from here on the forum and started offering a supplement called "MinerAll" and that reduced the stone eating for me. If I forget to supplement them enough, I will start finding more gravel at the bottom of their soaking tub.