Will Tortoise urine damage soil and kill my plants

[shamierc]

Hi All,

So im new and got my son a little, id say 3 yr tortoise. I haven just redone my garden with new lawn and new youngling plants that i plan to keep in a tidy and manicured state. I could build him a nice nuke area in the corner of the garden but i would prefer him to rather roam free which im sure he will appreciate more. However, my only concerns are, will his urine damage the soil and kill my youngling plants and new lawn??

most is saying, that they are not problematic to have in the open garden - but i need to know the negatives as well (if any)

please help. your advise will be greatly appreciated.

thanks again

 

[N2TORTS]

Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts, and waste products, but it is free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.The volume a tortoise produces is not enough to change the PH levels in an outdoor type garden and lawn setting .

JD~

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

The purpose of urine is to get rid of excess nitrogen in the body, which comes from protein. The urine of mammals like humans, dogs, and cats contains urea, a nitrogen-containing compound that fairly quickly breaks down to ammonia in the soil. Although the nitrogen in animal urine and dung is good for plants as a fertilizer, too much of it is bad because it dehydrates them. That's why plants that have receive too much fertilizer (or urine) get "burned" and turn yellow.

Many birds and reptiles, however, use uric acid (urate) to get rid of nitrogenous waste instead of urea, because it doesn't require as much water to be flushed out of the body, and allows them to hold onto their body's moisture. Because urate is a more complex compound, it breaks down much more slowly. Therefore, it is less likely to "burn" plants, and can even be beneficial as a fertilizer. And indeed, bird guano is used as manure or fertilizer.

Another factor is size. Many tortoise species are smaller than many breeds of dog, so they will produce less waste. If your tortoises are going to damage your plants, then it might be by digging or by browsing on the edible ones if he has access to such areas. Overall, though, keeping a tortoise in a garden is a good idea, because it allows them to forage freely, and it can even help fertilize your soil. Having said that, there is one potential problem with keeping a free-roaming tortoise, and it has to do with the tortoise's safety, not the condition of your garden. For one thing, if you apply pesticides and herbicides to your edible plants, your tortoise could become ill or even die if he ingests them. Finally, if there are predators in your area, namely raccoons, foxes, or coyotes, they might injure or even kill and eat your tortoise (cats are rarely a threat to them). Tortoises have evolved defenses against them, but depending on the size of the tortoise, and the size and hunger of the carnivore, your tortoise might get gobbled up. That's why most folks who keep their tortoises outside keep them in a special, designated pen, often with a mesh flip-top to keep out predators.

 

[Yvonne G]

May I suggest you do lots of reading and learn about the species of tortoise that you might be getting. It's not as easy as 1. buy the tortoise, 2. put the tortoise in the back yard.

Here's a good place for you to start:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-22635.html

 

[Laura]

I'd more worried about your plants you want to keep pretty and manicured. They might get eaten or could be toxic. Build a nice large pen.

 

[N2TORTS]

May I suggest you do lots of reading and learn about the species of tortoise that you might be getting. It's not as easy as 1. buy the tortoise, 2. put the tortoise in the back yard.

Here's a good place for you to start:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-22635.html

once again Y'vonne .... your right on the money ! ....

and Geo .....nice post and excellent detail ....I tried to leave all the tech stuff out earlier <grin>

 

[Laura]

look here for ideas..
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-65797.html

 

[N2TORTS]

Here is a great link for tortoise " safe" plants ....
http://www.africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

JD~

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

and Geo .....nice post and excellent detail ....I tried to leave all the tech stuff out earlier <grin>

I guess you're right. I did put kind of a lot in my last post. Basically, all I'm saying is that, although certain types or amounts of animal waste can damage plants, others can be beneficial, and tortoise waste is not as harmful to plants as dog waste. The main thing with a tortoise would be the digging and feeding on those plants that are edible. But again, depending on where you live, it might not be such a good idea to let the tortoise run free, because you might lose it, or it could get attacked by a predator. That's why outdoor pens are advisable. Better?

 

[N2TORTS]

and Geo .....nice post and excellent detail ....I tried to leave all the tech stuff out earlier <grin>

I guess you're right. I did put kind of a lot in my last post. Basically, all I'm saying is that, although certain types or amounts of animal waste can damage plants, others can be beneficial, and tortoise waste is not as harmful to plants as dog waste. The main thing with a tortoise would be the digging and feeding on those plants that are edible. But again, depending on where you live, it might not be such a good idea to let the tortoise run free, because you might lose it, or it could get attacked by a predator. That's why outdoor pens are advisable. Better?

now I can understand that one .....<slygrin> ....Geo your one smart cookie .. write very well and I always enjoy your posts and information!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

now I can understand that one .....<slygrin> ....Geo your one smart cookie .. write very well and I always enjoy your posts and information!

Thanks, man! You're a smart cookie, yourself!

 

[Zamric]

Mmmmmmm Cookies!