Zoo Med’s Turtle Bone is a natural calcium source that lets your turtle get extra calcium as needed. It’s cuttlebone (from the cuttle fish, which is actually a squid), so there’s nothing unnatural or dangerous in it. It also helps keep his beak trimmed, because the rough surface wears the beak down as your pet eats it. It floats, so it works for both land and water turtles.
You get 2 cuttlebones in each pack.
Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Turtle Bone:
Jump to the Section You’re Most Interested In
. Is it Necessary? Do Turtles Eat it? Use Regular Cuttle Bone?
. Places to Buy
Does Your Box Turtle Really Need This?
Strictly speaking, no. At least not as long as she’s getting plenty of calcium in her diet, either from food or calcium supplements sprinkled on the food.
On the other hand, if you regularly forget to add calcium, or she’s not fond of calcium-rich foods, this can be a good addition.
Other instances where it might help:
- Young (juvenile) turtles need much more calcium than adults. So having this available may help them get it.
- Gravid (carrying eggs) females also need extra calcium for egg development
- If your turtle’s beak is getting overgrown, this can help keep it trimmed
Also, some turtles will chew on various items in their habitat, including wood-chip substrates. This is not always safe for them. Adding this bone to their homes can give them an alternative to chew on … something that’s actually good for them!
Do Box Turtles Really Eat Turtle Bone?
Short answer: Sometimes.
Longer answer: Just like people, box turtles have their own preferences and habits. Some eat it happily. Others ignore it completely.
A number of reviewers raved about these bones, stating that their turtles love them and eat one a week. Some turtles may eat them slower but still eat them.
And still other turtles want nothing to do with them. They might inspect the bone but otherwise ignore it. That includes our turtles, who can’t even be bothered to walk around it if it’s their way … they just bulldoze right over it.
For the most part, they’re not too expensive, so if you think your boxie or other turtles might benefit, it’s worth getting a pack to see if they’ll eat it.
Can I Use Bird Cuttle Bones Instead?
Yes. Cuttlebone is cuttlebone.
And bird cuttlebone is often cheaper for some reason.
Although …
Some reviewers claim their turtles won’t eat cuttlebone marketed for birds but will eat these. It’s possible they’re processed differently, but we haven’t confirmed this, and can’t see why they would be.
Several reviewers did say these were thicker than other cuttlebones they’d tried. We can’t imagine how thickness would affect a turtle’s desire to eat them. But maybe it speaks to quality…
You may just need to experiment if you’re interested in giving your boxie cuttlebone.
Check Turtle Bone Prices & Availability
If you’d like to see if Turtle Bone will work for your pet, here are a few stores that sell it:
- PetSmart offers free shipping on any order size through ShopRunner.
- EntirelyPets had the Turtle Bone on sale when we visited.
- Amazon sells multi-packs of these Turtle Bones.
You may also want to browse these options: