Tortoise poop questions?

[Flipper]

I'm sorry if this is gross, but I want to make sure my Tallula is healthy.

I got her on Wednesday 6/11/14 and I haven't seen poop in here enclosure, but maybe it's blending into the dirt/pete moss mixture. I did see white urate yesterday during her soak. It was a runny toothpaste consistency.

Questions: 1) how often should my baby be pooping? 2) What does it look like (grassy dry cow poop or more like dog poop)

 

[ascott]

The torts here poo about once a day and it is tootsie roll appearance (color can vary depending on what they eat) also, keep in mind, that if the tort eats fruits from time to time or heavy amounts of wet greens then the consistency can vary a bit....

Rancid and gooey should not be descriptives that come to mind when coming upon tort poo...also, young torts seem to be big believers in recycling....now, that is gross.

 

[Flipper]

The torts here poo about once a day and it is tootsie roll appearance (color can vary depending on what they eat) also, keep in mind, that if the tort eats fruits from time to time or heavy amounts of wet greens then the consistency can vary a bit....

Rancid and gooey should not be descriptives that come to mind when coming upon tort poo...also, young torts seem to be big believers in recycling....now, that is gross.

Thanks for your reply. By recycling.... Do you mean baby torts eat their poo??!

 

[ascott]

Do you mean baby torts eat their poo??!

Repulsive, but yes.....still grosses me out...kinda like when you see a dog licking its own butt .....ewww

 

[Yvonne G]

Just an FYI...a tortoise may poop every day, but the pile you see coming out today wasn't put inside the tortoise yesterday. It sometimes takes a couple of weeks for food to travel through the digestive process. Try it with cantaloup seeds sometimes. Feed cantaloup seeds today and watch every day to see how long it takes for them to make their way out.

So, if the tortoise wasn't fed well prior to you getting him, it may take a while for you to start seeing poop.

 

[Flipper]

Just an FYI...a tortoise may poop every day, but the pile you see coming out today wasn't put inside the tortoise yesterday. It sometimes takes a couple of weeks for food to travel through the digestive process. Try it with cantaloup seeds sometimes. Feed cantaloup seeds today and watch every day to see how long it takes for them to make their way out.

So, if the tortoise wasn't fed well prior to you getting him, it may take a while for you to start seeing poop.

Thanks! That's good to know it would stink having such a slow gut

 

[Tom]

Most of mine poop once a day or every other day, but it really does depend on how much they are eating and what.

 

[Flipper]

Most of mine poop once a day or every other day, but it really does depend on how much they are eating and what.

Tallula is eating and there is always left over. I'm planning on ordering Mazuri tort diet too to supplement with and maybe some dried herbs too I can't find any poop.

She tucks herself into her hide between 3-4 pm and she's out for the count until the next morning :love: such a baby.

 

[Flipper]

Update: Tallula pooped for the first time today since I've had her In her water dish I'm happy to know everything is in working order!