General Care Discussion :: Chooses to eat poop over food

[larqw]

Hello! Little Tortuga is growing, and doing very well. She's very energetic...but I realized something. She prefers eating her poop over her food! She will eat the food, but upon swimming through the tank, she goes in search of her poop and eats it. I'm guessing it tastes like the food?? Anyway, just wanted to know if that's normal and alright.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Well, it's normal, but I think it can imply that she's not getting enough nutrients through her food.

[PintoD]

Yup, mine used to do that too but as they got older they let that poop eating go.

[larqw]

Oh okay, thanks!

[baby_bytes]

My turtle has always eaten her poop since a baby, i rarely find any poop in her tank so she always poops and eats it before i can get to and get it out. she's 5 years old now, so it isn't harmful, not that i know of.

[mikee]

Yep! They do eat their own poop. They will eat their own and any other turtles poop it can. I would suggest that you up your food a little, however it would be more harmful to over feed them than their eating the poop. They will also eat any scutes that remains in the tank.