Tryin to eat rocks

[cjicollectibles]

I've had my torts over a year now, but just the past two days, my female Mint is trying to eat large rocks.  I've never seen this before this week. Is this indicative of anything? (something missing in diet or something?). She's well taking care of according to the guidlines on this site, but just wondering why after never seeing this before, suddenly she is trying to chew off big rocks?

[Didi]

Does she have a cuttlebone?

[Joe H]

It can mean she is low on calcium. Didi's suggestion is good. Keep cuttlebone with her at all times.

Although for some torts that just seems to be normal behavior.

[atomic punk]

Yeah, my female has done that too.  One day I saw her gnawing on one of the rocks in her enclosure, so I put a piece of cuttlebone down right next to her.  She sniffed at it, looked up at me, and then went back to gnawing on the rock.  I guess some torts just like to gnaw on rocks.   

[cjicollectibles]

Yeah, I have a cuttlebone in there. Tried to get her to eat it, but no.

[Joe H]

Just leave it with her. If she needs extra calcium, she'll eat it.

[ChiKat]

Although for some torts that just seems to be normal behavior.

Unfortunately it's normal behavior for my 1-year old Russian!  I sprinkle TNT on his greens as well as calcium powder occasionally.  I also leave a cuttlebone in his enclosure.  But whenever he is outside he tries to eat tiny little rocks!  I swear he's worse than a toddler

[Lunartwist]

My Redfoot does it too! I sprinkle her greens regularly, and have a cuttlebone in her enclosure, but when I take her out, she likes to walk on the concrete and bite at it, like she's picking out teeny, tiny, pieces of loose concrete to munch on. Or maybe she's filing down her beak? Who knows!