Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 1 female and one m/f pair.

Recently the female from the pair started eating the dried feces in her cage. My other female saw her and has started doing the same thing. They are both in egglaying mode. They are all on seed/pellet diets with handfuls of greens put in every other day. They have access to cuttlebones and calcium perches at all times, but I am wondering if they are doing this due to a mineral/food deficeincy? They mainly go after the white part of the droppings.

My single female has also started trying to eat the few flakes/pellets of fish food that occasionally gets left on top of the aquariums. I now keep an eye on her to prevent this from happening and cover the top of the aquarium up so she cant do this anymore.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

It sounds like it may a defidiency. Alot of people give them extra types of home made foods, mainly cooked foods when they are laying because they require it. If you google you should be able to get some good recipes. They always need extra calcium when laying.

Also a cooked egg (& shell) brown rice, sweet potato, pumpkin all mashed together will benefit them while they're laying.
If you can put a grate at the bottom of the cage to stop them eating their poo. If you can't, you will have to keep on top of the cleaning to stop them.