Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I dont know if i should add my tortoises to my garden or not because the possible transfer of salmonella, doese anyone have any experience, solutions or way to avoid salmonella with still putting them in the garden. Thanks a lot Ryan

I haven't any scientific info to help you, but this is one of those situations where I say "Why take the risk?"

The tortoises are not only going to be defecating and urinating all around your food supply, but they will also be chewing on it and digging through it. If the animal is shedding salmonella at the time, he may not only shed it onto the surface of the food but also inject it INTO the food with his beak and claws.

You can wash off what is on the food, but you may not be able to clean out or cook away what is in the food.

Plus, your herbivorous tortoises could really destroy a garden full of vegetables. In fact, I think this may be the most logical reason to keep them out of your garden.

In SoCal a good amount of veggies are grown in the Imperial Valley. This is an area that is Desert used for agriculture by way of the Colorado river. You really can't imagine the life this area attracts in the way of birds (major salmonella carriers). The veggies produced there also go to the markets throughout the SW.

Point being you can say don't do it or you can say there should not be a problem if you take reasonable precautions.

Isolate the garden and wash the veggies before use.

>>I haven't any scientific info to help you, but this is one of those situations where I say "Why take the risk?"
>>
>>The tortoises are not only going to be defecating and urinating all around your food supply, but they will also be chewing on it and digging through it. If the animal is shedding salmonella at the time, he may not only shed it onto the surface of the food but also inject it INTO the food with his beak and claws.
>>
>>You can wash off what is on the food, but you may not be able to clean out or cook away what is in the food.
>>
>>Plus, your herbivorous tortoises could really destroy a garden full of vegetables. In fact, I think this may be the most logical reason to keep them out of your garden.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I wasnt planning on allowing them to be in the ground vegetable part, i was planning on blocking that part off with a fence or cinder blocks. I was going to put them where my lemon trees and some other bushes i grow are so my question is that if they are defecating in the soil will it be passed through the roots up to the lemons and other trees and herbs i have. Thanks for your reply, i would just like them to be outside and have natural sunlight and my garden is the only place i really have available. Ryan

Sorry don't mean to be sarcastic...but a farmer would roll on the ground laughing himself to death. He would tell you the best ferlizer (sp?) that he ever used in his garden was cow dung...I would imagine that it has it's share of salmonella in it and you have probably eaten it more often than you know. Dung is... pretty much dung. LOL
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Judy

I believe chicken crap is used just as much.

>>Sorry don't mean to be sarcastic...but a farmer would roll on the ground laughing himself to death. He would tell you the best ferlizer (sp?) that he ever used in his garden was cow dung...I would imagine that it has it's share of salmonella in it and you have probably eaten it more often than you know. Dung is... pretty much dung. LOL
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>>Judy
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

LOL Ed...as I said, crap is crap. What crap depends on the user. How's life been treating you?
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Judy

well a cow is a mammal like humans and a tortoise is a reptile there is a little bit of a difference cows and tortoises arent the same.