I have noticed that tortoises (leopards, deserts and african spurred more particularly) seem to love eating dog poo. I have heard that this is rather common and it's okay for them to consume; but I guess my question is what brings them to want to eat that over grass or other healthy yummy veggies? Thanks for any input. Oh, and if it ISN'T ok for them to consume, PLEASE let me know!! This is just what I've heard from one individual (and I try to get more than a few sources of answers just to be sure).. Jennifer
I'd say no, that's not okay. Many animals eat dung as a way of making up for something missing in their diet. I have never heard of a turtle/tortoise eating dog poop. I can't imagine they would do so willing, they'd have to be starving. It's not exactly something they'd come across very often (dog poop specifically that is) so I can't imagine they'd have a natural tendency to consume it. Especially in captivity...there's no reason for it. The exchange of parasites alone could be fatal. I wouldn't say it's common, and it's certainly not okay. I think your source is a bit confused.
some other people i know who have tortoises say that they eat their own poop a lot, but i've never known any that eat other animals' poop. i'd say they are probably drawn to eat fecal matter due to instincts related to diet and proper mineral and vitamin consumption (like biochic said). most tortoises (all??) are herbivorous to some degree and plant matter is *very* difficult for vertebrates to digest because of plants' thick cell walls. i know that many herbivorous herps are known to occasionally eat their own feces (especially when food is scarce) so that their bodies have a second chance to digest the plant matter that wasn't taken in the first time through. :wink: poop can actually be quite healthy to some animals sometimes - especially some herbivorous herps in, for example, the dry season in the tropics. HOWEVER, when they are in captivity they should be stopped from doing this if at all possible. not only are we humans making sure they have the proper nutrients (so they shouldn't need to get it from feces), but poop is full of germs, protozoans, etc that should not be consumed. because of disease, we should not let our animals eat their own poop. as for *other animals'* poop - never never! dogs carry diseases that herps don't have and herps carry diseases that dogs don't have. you wouldn't let your dogs eat your tortoise poop . . . would you???? there can also be mites and other harmful insects/diseases on the fecal matter that could get on/in your pet - even if he *doesn't* eat it! being near poop can be dangerous, too. please try to keep your tort(s) from eating their own poop as well as the poop of others. sometimes it can be impossible, but the vast majority of the time it is quite possible to keep feces away from your animals.
biochic, hummingbird- you guys are my new heros....lol. As you know I am reserching torts/turtles, trying to be a good little girl and get one that can stay with my famliy forever. In this search I have pulled out ALL back Reptiles mags.....In 2003 USA Reptiles annual buyers guide, a artical on Ornate box turtles honestly has a pic of cow poopie...under the caption it reads 'Cowflop is loaded with maggots, flies, beetles and moisture-no wonder ornate box turtles love the stuff.' In the artical body--'Other documented food items eaten in the wild include a freshly killed black rat, bird carrion, a land snail, June beetle, persimmons, stick insects, mulberries, prickly pear catus and cow dung. The affliliations this species seems to have with cow dung is quite significant, as dung beetles supply much of the ornate box turtles diet. It is interesting to imagine what species of herpetofauna must have been present when millions of bison roamed the N American plains.' So ya ladies get 10 bonus points for figuring that one out! lol..and havoc..... forget the dog poo.....imagine COW poopie...yum. (btw, in the captive care section it makes no mention of purposely feeding any type of poopie...so I think we can all support biochick and hummingbird on their hypotisis)
In that case the turtle isn't eating the feces for the sake of eating the feces, they are really after the insects and larva associated with it. I'll have to look that article up. Thanks for sharing GeckoQueen!
Dog Poo Hi, My family have been keeping tortoises for approximately 40 years now. In that time as you can imagine we have gained some experience in what can and what cant be fed to our armoured friends. It is true !!! in all cases our tortoises would queue up to sample the delights of our dogs waste products should we ever let them become exposed to it. Our tortoises have always been well fed and hopefully given all the nutrients thay need..(our oldest is in the region of 60 years old and still going strong). It would seem that whatever you feed and supplement their diet with, they will always get a fetish for something unusual. My mother cannot wander in the back garden for fear of at least two of our (what do you call a group of tortoises ?) herd wanting to munch on her toe nails...... Another will dig n the garden for calcified bones and eat them whole if she can. Thats not to say she is not provided with more calcium in different forms than she can shake a stick at. However ,,, given the possibilities of virus, bacteria and worm infestation I would not encourage feeding your tortoise dog , cat or any POO !!.
RE: Dog Poo Absolutly not! Consuming feces is a sign that your tortoise is not getting enough food , vitamins, or minerals. Doo Feces SHOUDL NEVER BE FED?!?!? WOULD YOU WANT TO EAT CAT POOP!???! I think not! If you do feed it your nuts and your vet will tell you the same. Heck your vet will probably tell you what an idiot you are! lolz! -Tabitha
RE: Dog Poo Bad idea to let them eat dog feces period. Eating its own feces, it is not going to take in much of anything it does not already have, but eating the feces of other tortoises is not a good idea either, as many parasites are often species or genus specific and some species react badly to other parasites within the same genus. For example, one species can be killed by a parasite that lives in another species of the genus which lives normally with that same parasite or possibly one specimen has a bad reaction to a parasite that does not bother another specimen of the same species. Cheers, Michael
RE: Dog Poo It is actually quite common for a turtle or tortoise (or any animal) to eat the feces of another animal, it's called coprophagy. Turtles have a short digestive system compared to that of other animals that eat vegetation and it enables them to absorb certain nutrients where there digestive system cannot get at in one go around. Coprophagy is actually necessary for sulcatas.
RE: Dog Poo But not in regards to eating dog feces. Captive bred torts will naturally have different immune systems than wild. As will domestic dogs. So the differences in GI tract bacteria and tolerance levels will be waaayyyy different. A tort eating it's own feces isn't as shocking a concept, many animals do that, such as rabbits. But eating the feces of a completely different species could lead to major disease and infection spread.
RE: Dog Poo It's not uncommon for torts to eat their own poop, but still, try to keep it to a minimum, if for no other reason than it's fecal matter and they have better stuff to eat. But in the wild it's a way to conserve nutrients, like how cows have 4 stomachs.
Well I find that my spur thigh tortoise love dog and cat food. I had a cat and he wouldn't leave its food alone. I have a dog and the turtle is always trying to stick his head in its bowl. The cat food was hard meow mix usually and the dog food is soft canned puppy food. I think that its attracted to the food that dogs and cats eat and since its poop is that digested thats why they are so attracted to it. I think the tortoise would rather eat the dog food or cat food but i don't really think its good for them since they are suppose to eat vegetables and lettuce leafy greens and stuff like that. The tortoise would crap a lot when he got to the cat food. He hasn't successfully gotten to the dog food yet but he seems pretty eager. As for dog poop I doubt its good for them
