General Care Discussion :: Beak

[Dein211]

i know that turtle beaks continue to grow like rabbit teeth do, and i was just wondering how to keep it down. I know on the TurtleBone box it says it does that but Rolo doesnt even touch it. What should I do and when would her beak be considered "over grown"?

[BullDog]

I have personally only heard of one or two cases of a beak getting overgrown. Usually it happens when a turtle has been kept in an inadequate habitat for a long time, though not always.
If the beak gets overgrown, it should be taken to a herp vet who can properly trim it up.

As for the turtlebone (or cuttlebone), most turtles go to it when they feel the need for it. Don't worry if she isn't eating it yet. In the long run, females tend to eat a lot more cuttlebone than males, so I'm sure she'll take a shine to it at some point.

[jenaero]

Just to let you know, TurtleBone is the exact same product as the cuttlebone you find in the bird section. They gave it a new name in order to target turtle owners, and they jacked the price up by about 100%.... go buy some cuttlebone and save some cash

[TheComputerGremlin]

And the more cuttlebone you buy at once, the cheaper it is! My hubby was trying to talk me into the six-pack in the bird section when I first went looking for it ("Hey, honey, it's only like 50 cents a piece if you buy this many!") and I was like, Mikey will never go through it that fast ... I guess I was wrong! He loves the stuff!

[Dein211]

thanks guys i just hope she doesnt confuse the sulfa block for the cutle bone O_o

[TheComputerGremlin]

I've read a lot of people's turtles have eaten the sulfa block and then get an upset stomach. If I were to put one of those in my tank, I'd try to find a small cage-like container to put it in so that my turtle couldn't eat it. You can probably find something or modify something ...

[industrial_girl_2000]

i know that turtle beaks continue to grow like rabbit teeth do, and i was just wondering how to keep it down. I know on the TurtleBone box it says it does that but Rolo doesnt even touch it. What should I do and when would her beak be considered "over grown"?

I have never had Sheba's beak grow over like that (& I have had her for 18 yrs). What kind of turtle are you talking about? Just curious.

FYI - Sheba has never had cuttle in her tank. She hates it & won't go near the stuff.

[marisa]

Another member's RES had part of his beak break a while back, and I really think the beak was overgrown relative to most of the RES I've seen. That said, I think overgrown beaks in aquatics are the exception rather than the norm. I don't think they grow as quickly as rabbit teeth or the teeth of rodents.

In addition to the cuttlebone, foods that allow your turtle to move his mouth to bite pieces of it rather than just gulping the food down (as is done with some pellets) will help keep the beak trim.