Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've heard that putting cuttle bone in with juvenile torts helps them tp ingest more calcium and to keep their beaks from over growing. I have 2 stars housed seperately and i added half a bone to each one and they are gnawing like mad. this is normal and desirable right?

...their bottom shell (the raw ones) are quite tough for your juvies, remove them if you can just on the safe side

whats bad about it tho. and what do u mean tough bottom shell....

I think he's saying the tough shell that is sometimes on the outside of the bone. Remove that if it's there. It can be tough on the little guys' stomach...the inner soft part is fine.

Cuttlebones are a great thing for your torts to have. It does keep there beaks down and gives them extra calcium. My torts are almost one year old and they love to chew on there cuttlebones.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

Discard the bone shell (left side in pic),.....if ingested could cause tear/rupture in the passing of it as it's rather sharp.

graham (UK)

Is this bone part the colored part on the left? The cuttle bone that I got seems to be the same consistancy throughout, and I broke it in half, one for each tort. The whole cuttle seems to be the consistancy of soft side walk style chalk.

Sounds like the hard shell was taken off yours. If it was still there you would notice it. The shell is hard and brittle like a sea shell. I usually use pliers to break it off.
jbly

Where can I purchase Cuttlebone from?

You can purchase at any pet store / supply. People buy them
for their parakeets / parrots, keeps their bill's sharp.

If you want to save some hassle and confusion, try using the Ectotherm Tortoise Mineral Block. It has a soft powdery texture and contain calcium carbonate (like the cuttlebone) plus some other minerals and vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Panthoric Acid) which the cuttlebone lacks.

I feel this a much better alternative, and have had great success with my tortoises gnawing on them. Here is a link to where you can find this and other great tortoise product...

http://ectotherm.com/ect/mineralblock.htm

Enjoy!