Rock identification

[Kori5]

I found this nice looking rock in a forest nearby but want to be sure it is safe for my tort enclosure. Does anyone know what it is?

 

[N2TORTS]

Looks like white marble but my other guess quartz. Can you scratch it easily...? Quartz is harder than marble. Quartz has a hardness of 7 on Moh’s scale whereas Marble comes with a hardness of 3 to 4 on the scale.....a good test/starting point. Also where live in the country/world and other geological strata (rocks) will aid in identifying your rock. Without going into detail with rocks.....
Marble....Marble is a granular metamorphic rock formed due to the metamorphic process of limestone and dolostone.
Quartz however is a crystalline rock and is found in other rocks such as granite and gneiss.

 

[Kori5]

Thanks! I tried to scratch it but it is too hard. I live in Croatia. This rock was found in a continental type of forest just on a pile of leaves during a walk with my dog. What else can I do to help with identification?

 

[N2TORTS]

Thanks! I tried to scratch it but it is too hard. I live in Croatia. This rock was found in a continental type of forest just on a pile of leaves during a walk with my dog. What else can I do to help with identification?

Department of Geology in Croatia

 

[keepergale]

It is safe unless it falls on your tortoise.

 

[Tom]

You could boil it for a few minutes if you are worried about any hitchhikers.

 

[TerrapinStation]

Definitely Alien Brain...... Definitely. Didn't you ever see Mars Attacks?

 

[Kori5]

Thanks everyone. I did plan to boil it or to pour boiling water on it but wanted to be sure it is not toxic. I'm a newish owner and am super paranoid about my tort . He does need rocks in his enclousure because it is too plain.

 

[Anyfoot]

Are there any rocks that are toxic to tortoises?

 

[Loohan]

definitely quartzite

 

[Kori5]

I read an article about reptile enclousures and they said to avoid rocks with iron, copper and sulphur traces. They can be toxic.

 

[Loohan]

Quartzite often has iron impurities that show up as dark grey or silver/gold (pyrite) but the qtz is too hard for them to bite into, and the iron is too.

 

[Kori5]

Will my rock when cleaned with boiled water be safe then? I searched the net and it does look like quartzite.

 

[Loohan]

yes, safe. I doubt extreme cleansing is necessary unless your pet is very immune-compromised.

 

[Kori5]

Great! He is healthy but the forest where I found it is a common dog walk route so just to make it urine clear .

 

[Loohan]

Good plan in that case. Could also just drench in bleach and leave out in sun a couple days to offgas.

 

[Kori5]

Thank you for helping me

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I found this nice looking rock in a forest nearby but want to be sure it is safe for my tort enclosure. Does anyone know what it is?

View attachment 158350

It's milky quartz, rather than a true quartzite.
Just silicon dioxide (SiO2) and completely harmless.
The impurities are almost certainly iron oxide and possibly a dash of manganese and titanium.
Fine for your tortoise.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Are there any rocks that are toxic to tortoises?

I have some lovely pieces of cinnabar in my collection here.
That is mercury ore and certainly toxic, even a little dangerous to handle.
Galena is fairly common and is a lead ore, also poisonous.
i have some radioactive meteorite pieces, i wouldn't recommend chewing.
Then there is arsenopyrite which contains arsenic and stibnite that contains antimony sulfide which can be lethal.
Not to mention various asbestos ores.
CINNABAR (the reddish bits are lethal.)

GALENA (the black cubic bits) Lead. Not good.


There are many others.

 

[Anyfoot]

I have some lovely pieces of cinnabar in my collection here.
That is mercury ore and certainly toxic, even a little dangerous to handle.
Galena is fairly common and is a lead ore, also poisonous.
i have some radioactive meteorite pieces, i wouldn't recommend chewing.
Then there is arsenopyrite which contains arsenic and stibnite that contains antimony sulfide which can be lethal.
Not to mention various asbestos ores.
CINNABAR (the reddish bits are lethal.)
View attachment 158454
GALENA (the black cubic bits) Lead. Not good.
View attachment 158455

There are many others.

Omg. That's unreal. The only Rock I have that is dangerous for torts. Is the Blackpool type. . Thanks Adam. That is very interesting stuff.