Eating Dirt?

[lisab_83]

I just gave my 1.1 cresteds a container of pure potting soil to lay in and the female went crazy! She keeps burrowing in it and is now eating the soil. Is this ok/normal? Should I be using some other medium that she can't eat so readily?

Thanks,
Lisa

[HeatherRose]

My female did that when she was digging to lay eggs in her enclosure. I use potting soil too (or did, until I made a lay box) because she used a potted plant. I found her eating the soil all the time, and it never led to any problems. She should be fine, she knows what she's doing :)

Although if you do find yourself getting worried, try using eco earth. That's what I put in my lay box. It's cheap and a bit safer. But as I said, she will be fine.

[DragnDrop]

Chances are she could be digging holes to lay egg and just happens to ingest some dirt in the process. I've seen it before, never had a problem.
One thing to mention though, eating dirt is sometimes a desparate attempt at finding minerals otherwise missing in the diet. That's where the impaction from sand and other unsuitable subtrates starts. Make sure she's getting a good mineral supplement so she doesn't have to resort to eating dirt.

[Painted Desert]

I've seen it before as well. Ok, not cresties...fatties. The first time i supplied a new format hide/lay area done with peat moss...every last one of them rushed over and started to eat it! It seemed to be an isolated event, never caught them again. And, their diet, to the best of my ability, should have been fine. I've always wondered why they did it as well.....

[little_dragon_]

If they have the space gravid females will create large tunnels. I have seen my females with a mouthfull of dirt from digging and there was no problem. But I've also seen a gravid satanic leaf gecko eatting large amounts of soil for nutrients. She choked and died. To rule out your female searching for minerals what supplements are you using?

[lisab_83]

She laid her two eggs overnight and they look perfect! This morning she was guarding them, so I waited till now to move them into perlite. As for minerals, I am giving them Herpcare Cricket dust with calcium, as well as dusting crickets with Crested Gecko Diet as they won't eat it any other way. Are there any more supplements I should be giving them? By the way, she stopped eating the dirt now :)

[Manitoban Herps]

Awesome congrats!

[little_dragon_]

Congrats on the eggs. Dusting crickets with cgd is a great idea I do that myself sometimes. I use leopard gecko icb as a supplement with calcium and d3 because it contains ingredients similar to CGD. You don't need to switch your supplement but you might want to give it a try when you run out of herpcare dust.

[DragnDrop]

Congrats on the eggs, and get the camera ready to post pictures of the babies :)

I have been using Minerall-I for indoor critters almost since it first came out, wouldn't think of changing to another brand even though I know there are other good ones out there.

[CDN-Cresties]

Congrats on the eggs, best of luck!