The Tortoise Table

So having gone from posting because Fergus wouldn’t eat anything, he is now eating anything I put down including the calcium powder. I have started restricting how much I have to give him, going with a generous covering of his shell but unfortunately he has also now started eating his own poo! Talk about one extreme to another!! I don’t know if it is because he is hungry or if it is just a strange habit.

Is this a problem? Our only other pet is a dog and so this behaviour isn’t a new thing for us to deal with.

Thanks as always
Nic

Hi Nic,

They're full of constant surprises, aren't they! I'm so pleased to hear that he's eating now, and he seems to have gone into turbo mode. The best way to judge if he is eating the right amount is to keep a record of his weight, and aim for a gain of between 1g - 3g or 4g per month (that's just an average, as some months he will gain more and some less). When Horsfields get going they can eat for England and soon develop bumpy shells, so keep an eye on the intake.

Tortoises do sometimes eat poo (although not that often), and I've read that other animals sometimes do this too. I don't think it hurts them, and in fact there is a theory that it enables them to get a bit more nourishment, because the second time that stuff goes through their digestive system the bits of nourishment that hadn't been utilised the first time were aborbed this time. I wouldn't encourage it though, so if you can spot clean and remove the bits of poo when you see them, that's probably a good idea, but it's nothing to worry about.

Nina