General Care Discussion :: eating rocks?

[RunninWideOpen]

Squirt, our new turtle, pooped out a bunch of black and blue gravel this morning that must of come from his old home (cause we don't have any of that in our tanks). Should I be concerned that he might try to eat our bigger rocks? They're natural, light colored rocks that are almost as big as his head. I'm concerned because I thought I saw him bite at one yesterday, but my wife thinks he was just finishing off a piece of carrot he dropped.

Our other Turtle, Crush has never been interested in the rocks. But, Squirt tries to eat anything and everything in sight. He tried to eat the fake plants, the large plastic clip that holds the veggies, and the shoe lace that holds the clip.

[kneenuh]

I think the rocks should be larger than the head. I'm not sure what the rule of thumb is there, but that would be safest.

I don't have gravel in my tank. Just minnows to chase and fake leaves for her to ruffle around in.

[SpotsMama]

If it were me, if I had any doubt about the rocks I'd take them out. The consequences of making a mistake are too awful to risk. Have you seen some of the other threads on the subject?

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... ght=gravel

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... ght=gravel

In addition, you'll find it easier to keep our tank clean without a bunch of rocks on the bottom. If you have just a few large river rocks on the bottom, it will add interest to the tank, give the turts something to play with and be much easier to keep clean.

[PinkyTurtle]

M turtle did the same thing. I have him in a differnt tank at school and gravel appered in the bottom. Which he must have pooped, from ehrn my boyfrined had him in the tank. Now i have river rockes. he loves them! Pushes them around all the time. If your worried about cleaning only puta few in lik 5 or six. Nipping at the rocks once or twice if they are bigger then his head they ill figure out fast thet they are not food.

[aeo]

I think that's no need to worry. Mine have done the same too, they prefer darker color rocks. But the RES are smart enough to know that rock is not food after nipping once or twice. I think there are small rocks around them in their natural life.

[SpotsMama]

Aeo, if you're talking about a turtle nipping at large rocks and learning that they are not edible, I'd agree with you. But if you're thinking that they won't eat rocks small enough to fit in their mouths, then you'd better take a look at some of the other threads on here. You might think they would instinctively know not to eat small rocks, but they do it and it kills them. Someone suggested that they eat the rocks in captivity because they're bored. Maybe that's it.

[aeo]

Because in RES natural life, there are small rocks everywhere around them. So, If you say RES eat small rocks and to be killed, there's no RES anymore. But in fact RES is having good life now, I think that they're smart enough to know what they can't eat.

[RunninWideOpen]

aeo,
I wish what you're saying is true but it's not. my turt's been pooping out small rocks all day. luckily they're small enough they're not killing him. but, obviously he's eating them.

i'm gonna get big enough rocks that he can't eat

[SpotsMama]

Aeo, I know it doesn't seem logical, but they are harmed by eating rocks. Check out these threads:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... ght=gravel

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... ght=gravel

Maybe what someone said is true and they eat them in captivity because they are bored, or maybe a lot of them are killed by eating rocks in the wild and we just don't see it.

[aeo]

I checked out those threads and they changed my mind. So I'll remove all the small rocks to avoid risks. But It is still hard to believe that. Anyway, safety first.

[SpotsMama]

Good for you. I agree with you that it doesn't make sense but there's no denying that others have had the bad experiences.

[scripta_elegans]

You'd think they would have a natural aversion to poisonous plants after so many years on earth too, wouldn't you? I've been hunting in my spare time for any case where a turtle shows aversion to eating plants that will hurt it.

[RunninWideOpen]

Well my question was answered tonight. I was watching the fellas swim around when out of no where Squirt starts going after a rock almost as big as his head. He had it in his mouth but dropped it when I reached in and pulled him out. I put him back in the little tank that's got nothing in it but water. Luckily I got him before he tried to swallow that rock. I just spent 3 hours emptying the big tank and cleaning out all the rocks.

Lesson learned. Nothing but large river rock going into the tank now.

[RunninWideOpen]

If anyone's interested I found some great small river rock (still way bigger than the turtle's head) at the Dollar Tree. It was around the arts and crafts stuff.