Err, Banjo just ate a stone (Blue Tongue Lizard)

[Skippii]

It's been an interesting afternoon... I've been out in the yard this afternoon photographing Banjo wandering around, everything was going great and then out of nowhere Banjo's picked up a stone and immediately swallowed it. No warning whatsoever, I was just framing him up for a photo, and suddenly he's chomping at the little stones on the ground and before I can do anything, he's swallowed one. He's been out in the yard many many times, and never once shown interest in eating anything other than a snail he found one time.

After seeing him swallow the first stone, I kind of sat there looking him for a moment, completely stunned. The next thing I know, he's picked up another small stone shock: <-- my face looked a little like this) but I managed to get that one out of his mouth before he swallowed it.

So I guess I've got a few questions: should I be concerned? Will he be able to pass the stone, or should I be getting him to a vet? Is there anything I can do to help him pass it, more fibre in today's feeding (or should I even feed him today)? I'm also kind of curious, is this something other blueys do, or is Banjo a little bit special? And of course if it is something Blueys do, is there a reason for it, like something lacking from the diet? I try to give him a balanced diet, along with supplements, I'd hate to think he's missing something and thinks he needs to resort to eating rocks...

I can't lie, on some level I do find the whole thing a little amusing, but I'm also quite concerned. If anyone can tell me anything about this, you'll be my hero and I will very possibly buy you a cape (Christmas is coming up after all).

Ta

x

[This is the picture I was just taking as he decided the stones looked like lunch. It's not the best quality, since I had already focused it and wasn't anticipating that he'd suddenly hurl his head at the ground]

 

[Chris1]

Id be very concerned, the stone hes eating looks too large to pass through him easily., just think of all the tubes and bends it needs to make it through befoer it reaches the exit.

Id be getting him to the vet asap.

 

[RoryBreaker]

Feed it a big meal, add raw egg to some canned dog food. The raw egg will make its next bowel motion quite moist hence lubricating the bowels. It should past straight through. Although the small rocks aren't totally smooth, from the pic they don't seem to have extremely sharp edges.

Those rocks aren't a lot bigger than say a piece of corn, and corn passes straight through blueys no worries as its indigestible by them. Keep it warm and lots of tucker, you'll see the rock soon enough.

 

[Skippii]

Hey guys, sorry I never got back to you with an outcome. Banjo's just fine, didn't miss a beat. The stone passed straight through him without issue.

 

[Reptiles101]

That must be a relief, glad little banjo is doing alright x

 

[sandfireackie]

has he pooped it out yet

 

[Lawra]

has he pooped it out yet

See below

Hey guys, sorry I never got back to you with an outcome. Banjo's just fine, didn't miss a beat. The stone passed straight through him without issue.

 

[SteveNT]

Many dinosaurs swallowed "gastroliths" i.e. stones to help with the digestive process, as do emus and others today. Don't know about bluies but maybe they do too?

 

[Skippii]

Aww I missed the excitement.. Anyone want to fill me in on the deleted message? In PM of course.....

Anyway, SteveNT I was actually wondering the same thing recently. We used to keep chickens (I have a point, I swear), and as well as the shell-grit in their pellet mix, they used to eat tiny stones to aid digestion. I know birds, having a crop etc, are quite different to most other animals as far as digestion, but it made me wonder. I've taken Banjo outside a few times since, and he's shown interest in eating several other small stones (though I didn't let him swallow them). Bizarre.

Also, thanks Lawra lol

 

[Skippii]

Also yes, in a way he has. I haven't taken Banjo back to the gravel, so instead he apparently decided to go hunting... I had him out in the yard, it looked like all the usual activity: wandering about, pushing his nose under everything to test whether or not he'd found a suitable hidey-hole. Then out of nowhere, his little "arms" start waving around wildly (his version of digging), hurling leaves out of the way only to uncover a little white pebble which he immediately attempted to eat. I managed to pull it out of his mouth before he swallowed it. He's also shown interest in several other little stones in the yard over the past few days, but I've moved them away from him before he could chomp.

He didn't appear to be interested in eating stones until recently, this new habit has me both amused and concerned..

 

[baker]

Hey at least you saw him eat it. My spotted black decided to pass a stone randomly the other day. Thing is he hasn't been outside for 8 months and even then not near stones. So it's a mystery where it came from.
Cheers Cameron

 

[Pythoninfinite]

SteveNT is on the money. Many animals, including birds and reptiles, eat stones to act as grinders in their stomachs (because they don't chew their food in the mouth), and this will be what this creature has done. Keepers may in fact be doing their lizards a disservice by not allowing them access to stones of suitable size, dragons and skinks especially. If he wants to eat them, I would rely on his judgement and allow him to do just that.

Jamie

 

[kamandakill]

I don't really know that much about bluies but like pythoninfinite suggested maybe its something hes instinctively doing for his digestive health, something they do naturally. I have also heard of other animals eating rocks/sand/grit to help digest. If he REALLY wants to eat rocks then maybe you should let him? but just control what rocks he's having, choose ones smaller than the one hes already passed and make sure they're clean and they don't have sharp pointy bits and closely monitor his intake/output? Do some more research first before you decide yay or nay on it, it would be a shame if anything bad happened because you let him eat rocks but it would also be a shame if he had problems because you denied him the rocks he feels he needs... Good luck with it

 

[Chris1]

im always happy for good news, even if it means im wrong!

Glad to hear hes ok.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Crocodiles also do it, both for digestion and to assist with negative bouyancy. They may also instinctively know when they need minerals that come from the earth, that are missing in their diet. I'd let him go for it.

Jamie

 

[Skippii]

Alrighty ta. I'll let him eat a couple small smooth stones next time he goes for them.. Still feels incredibly bizarre saying that haha. I had been wondering if it was some natural behaviour, but until I had the go-ahead from others I didn't want to risk it in case it was just Banjo being weird.

Thanks everyone for all your contributions, especially Jamie & SteveNT, it's been really interesting.

x

 

[Pythoninfinite]

As SteveNT suggested, they're called "gastroliths" - literally "stomach stones." I used to have a Western Bearded Dragon in Perth when I was Kid, and sometimes I'd feed him on earwigs outside in the garden, and he would quite often pick up & eat small stones - it worried me at first, but in the end he knew what he was doing and lived for 10 years!

J

 

[kamandakill]

I just read a post from a reptile vet on another page that said although it is common for bluies to eat small stones it serves no purpose in aiding digestion for them. Birds and crocodiles need them for digestion but not other reptiles as their stomachs are designed differently.... Just thought I'd add that, how its helpful