# Eating Substrate



## dragonmetalhead (Aug 28, 2011)

So I noticed Kodo eating little bits of the substrate today. He's house on Zoo Med Eco Earth. He's only had a few little nibbles over the last two days and isn't consuming that much, but I don't want him to block himself and I'd rather stop this before it becomes a medical issue. I do not feed him in his tank and I clean out the poop daily. What would be causing him to eat the mulch?


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## Kebechet (Aug 28, 2011)

From what I have observed in my tegu, tegus like to scratch around for gravel to help them digest their food after they have eaten. This is why I use topsoil and not mulch, because eating substrate seems to be a natural behavior to aid digestion. It only becomes problematic when they are housed in a mulch, and risk impaction, or hurting the insides of their mouths on wood chips.


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## dragonmetalhead (Aug 29, 2011)

That makes sense. I know they find gastroliths in crocodiles. Thanks for the info, Kebechet.


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