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Indian/Sri Lankan Star Tortoise (G. elegans)
Burmese Star Tortoise
(G. platynota)
Other Starred Tortoises
Angulate Tortoise
(C. angulata)
Misc. Pages
The Allergy-Free Gardening book includes the complete OPALS aka Ogren Plant Allergy Scale. Over 5,000 plants are individually allergy-ranked.
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Are you an allergic tortoise owner? Share your story and tips with other visitors. Post on the comments bb or guestbook.
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Allergic & Asthmatic Tortoise Keepers p.1
indoor substrates
Sri Lankan Star tortoise
Turtles, tortoises & allergies
I am very allergic to animals with fur or feathers, but I love my tortoises and turtles. No allergy or asthma aggravation! :O)
Tortoises and box turtles make great hypoallergenic pets for people (not young children) who are allergic to dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and other furred animals.
Water turtles may be less suitable for allergy sufferers because they live in large water tanks. Humidity from indoor water tanks may encourage mold growth and increase dust mite populations. In addition, people can be allergic to the seafood pellets and flakes fed to water turtles.
Pretesting substrates
I personally have no allergy problems with my tortoises. It's their supplies that bother my allergies! The biggest problem for me is the substrate, probably because there is so much of it! It is difficult to find a substrate that is good for my tortoises AND doesn't aggravate my allergies. :O(
Before I put any substrate in a tortoise indoor pen, I pretest it for my allergies. I put a fair amount of the substrate in a large, low sided box (e.g. underbed storage box), and then put the box in the room where I spend most of my time. If I smell any unpleasant odor, or if the substrate irritates my eyes, nose, or airways, I won’t use it. With some substrates, especially ones with strong odors, the reaction is almost immediate. With other substrates, it may take longer before I really notice my increasing allergic reaction to them.
Substrates & allergic keepers
Dry grass and hay
- I cannot use any hay or dry grass substrate products because I am allergic to them. Hay irritates my airways, eyes, and skin. Dry hay can be dusty and wet hay molds easily; both are bad for allergic people. Even some tortoises get stuffy noses living on hay.
- Hay has a very strong 'hay odor' which can be irritating to people with hay fever and asthma. Just walking through the rabbit and guinea pig supply aisle in a pet store aggravates my allergies. And these packages are still closed!
Rabbit pellets
- Rabbit pellets (e.g. alfalfa or timothy hay) used to be a popular substrate for tortoises, but they are not recommended anymore because they are very drying, mold quickly, can cause infections, and may induce walking problems.
- Many years ago, when rabbit pellets were still a popular substrate, I did try them in an indoor pen, but the strong hay odor irritated my allergies severely. Using them was out of the question for me.
Coconut fiber
- Coconut fiber
substrate (coir) is available loose or  compressed. The expandable coconut fiber substrate comes as a compressed brick that will multiply in volume when soaked.
- Coconut fiber is a popular substrate product, but it can be quite dusty when dry. It seems to leave a fine layer of 'dust' everywhere. When wet, it has a fairly strong odor. It smells kind of like moldy, moist leaves and dirt. Unfortunately, this odor is irritating to my allergies. Coconut fiber also makes my hands itch.
- Many tortoise keepers mix coconut coir with sand or dirt to use as indoor substrate, and some people use it only for humid hides.
- If used as a substrate by itself, the sponginess and fluffiness of coconut fiber may make walking more difficult. Coconut fiber does not provide firm footage, and it gets easily pushed around in the enclosure.
Coconut bark
- Coconut bark
is another popular indoor tortoise enclosure substrate. Coconut bark looks nice and is almost odor free when dry. The bad news is that it is quite dusty. Each package of coconut bark can contain a fair amount of very fine bark dust. This dust can be irritating to allergic persons, and it's probably possible to be allergic to the coconut shell itself.
- Coconut bark can be moistened to increase the humidity level. Moist coconut bark has a mild, wet wood smell.
- Coconut bark also contains a lot of short, stiff fibers. If you use a felt-like reptile carpet underneath the coconut bark, it will be almost impossible to get these fibers off the carpet. They stick very tightly. They may poke a tiny baby tortoise in sensitive areas, like eyes or throat, as well.
Coconut substrate is available in various forms, including shredded, compressed brick, and bark. Dry coconut bark is almost odorless and may thus be a suitable substrate for allergic tortoise keepers to use. I have tried all forms of coconut substrate in hopes of finding a non-allergenic one. Unfortunately, all of them are more of less dusty when dry. This fine, dry shell dust is bothersome to me. Plus, the odor from wet coconut coir is also irritating to me allergy wise.
Mosses
- Sphagnum moss
is often recommended as a good substrate for humid hides. Unfortunately, it makes my hands itch. The odor of moist, clean sphagnum moss is mild and tolerable though.
- Dry sphagnum moss is very dry and flaky. When handling dry moss, some of it breaks into tiny, dry flakes that may get into eyes and airways.
- If you do use moss, change it frequently because fungus growth and fungal spores in mosses can be a concern. For example, Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by the the fungus Sporothrix schenckii. S. schenckii is found in soil, hay, sphagnum moss, and plants. Moss has been implicated as a source of the fungus in a number of outbreaks.
Paper pellets
- In the past, I have also tried small animal (i.e. rodent and
 rabbit) bedding made from reclaimed wood pulp waste. My allergies were ok with it, but I felt it was very drying for my animals. Their skin looked super dried out.
- The sponginess of paper pellets makes walking more difficult.
- Many other substrates seem to be dehydrating to tortoises as well, including newspaper, other recycled paper products, alfalfa pellets (not recom), dry coconut fibers, and calci-sand (not recom for tortoises).
Paper
- Paper is convenient, but the slippery surface may cause walking problems. Sleek paper gives no grip for feet and nails.
- Plain, thick paper with a ribbed, indented, grooved, or embossed surface will provide a bit more stable walking surface. This kind of paper is available in many sizes as rolls or sheets. Some reptile suppliers even sell embossed 'paper mats' precut in specific reptile enclosure sizes. Indented Kraft paper in 60 lb thickness is a popular choice.
- Paper is very dry. It does not provide any humidity, and it's not suitable for high humidity pens. If you use paper, take extra precautions to keep your tortoises hydrated. Soak your tortoises frequently, mist them, provide humid hides, and keep water dishes in the enclosures.
- Some tortoise keepers use piles of shredded paper for burrowing, but touching paper shreds makes my fingers feel very dry and itchy! Feels like the shredded paper sucks all the moisture out of my skin.
- Paper substrates need to be changed whenever they are soiled. When changed frequently, embossed paper and paper towels (especially for tiny babies) are an allergy-free choice for sensitive owners. Kraft embossed paper and paper towels are odorless.
- It's a good idea to weigh the floor paper down with flat tiles to secure it. My Stars don't eat paper, but they do like to munch on damp paper towels.
- Caution! Paper, dry hay, dry wood chips, and other dry substrate materials can be fire hazards. The substrate may be too close to a hot heat source (e.g. a tortoise pushes a pile of shredded paper or hay under the lamp) or the heat lamp may fall into the enclosure if it's not securely attached.
- See the lighting & heating for examples on how to improve the security of your heat lamps.
Towels
- Some tortoise keepers use towels as a substrate, especially for babies. You can use heavy, large bath towels on the floor and/or small wash cloths piled up into a heap for digging. Putting heavy tiles in the corners will help keep the bottom towel in place. Towels can be washed and disinfected, and they can be used dry, moist, or wet.
- Sometimes, I use wet towels or washcloths under the hot MVB bulbs to increase the local humidity level (scroll down to pic), especially in the winter when central heating dries up the indoor air.
- Towels, just like felt-like reptile carpets, require frequent washing, so using them is quite labor intensive. However, if towels are changed frequently, they can be a low-allergen substrate choice for allergic owners.
Aspen
- Aspen snake and rodent bedding is very dry, but it's a popular choice among some tortoise owners. With dry substrates, like aspen, additional humid areas and/or hides are needed.
 Usually, shredded aspen looks like wood splinters, but it's also available as chips.
- Unfortunately, some tortoises have eaten aspen shavings and become seriously impacted (blocked intestines). Sharp splinters may also pierce the intestinal walls. In wet conditions, aspen can also mildew.
Sand
- Impaction can be a problem with sand as well. Dry sand can be dusty and irritate tortoise's and your eyes and airways. It may also collect in skin folds (tortoise's, not yours :O).
- Sand is very heavy to move around. A small bag of kids' play sand weighs 50 lb! If you do use sand, a sand-free feeding area should be provided to avoid accidental ingestion.
- Generally, straight sand is not recommended as an indoor substrate for Indian Star tortoises.
Crushed walnut shell
- At first glance, crushed English walnut shell substrate may
 seem like a suitable indoor substrate for allergic owners. In general, it's not super dusty, but this may vary by the brand. The odor is noticeable, but not overwhelming.
- Crushed walnut shells are advocated by sellers as a safer substitute for sand for desert reptiles. However, crushed walnut shells are considered by many keepers to be one of the least suitable substrates for tortoises.
- The small pieces may irritate tortoises' eyes or collect in skin folds. When wet, the crushed shell pieces feel very abrasive when rubbed between fingers. In fact, crushed or powdered walnut shells are used in many skin exfoliating beauty products (rubs to remove skin surface cells).
- If eaten, the pieces may clump up and cause a potentially fatal impaction (intestinal blockage). Wet substrate can easily be formed into balls (pic) that keep their shape.
- In addition, if not changed frequently, crushed walnut shells may provide an ideal growth medium for bacteria and fungi.
Tree chips and mulches
- Wood chips and bark mulches are appealing looking substrates. However, they may contain bug eggs, mites, and other parasites. Yikes!
- Bark chips may also harbor mold spores which can irritate airways, yours and your tortoise's. See the allergy links page for more info.
- Some wood and bark chips (e.g. fir, eucalyptus, cypress) have a stronger odor that can be irritating to allergy sufferers. Cypress mulch is one of the more commonly recommended substrates for tortoises, but it is splintery and can mold if kept too wet.
- Furthermore, all chip type substrates may cause fatal intestinal blockages if ingested in larger amounts. Sharp, shredded wood chips may also pierce the intestines.
- I cannot use cypress because I am allergic to it, and I am even more allergic to eucalyptus.
Soil
- Additive-free topsoil (no fertilizer, perlite etc.) is a commonly recommended, natural substrate for indoor tortoise pens, either by itself or mixed with sand or coconut fiber. It provides a good walking surface and allows the tortoise to dig and bury itself. Plain dirt is fire-proof, which is a big plus (see the housing links for links to articles on fires started by tortoises).
- On the negative side, dry soil can be very dusty, so it needs to be kept moist. Wet soil may have a musty odor which can be bothersome to allergic people like me.
- Unsterilized soil may contain various bugs and/or their eggs. If not changed frequently enough, dirt can become a fertile breeding ground for various pathogens.
- Many people are allergic to molds that thrive in moist garden and potting soils. Mold in indoor flower pots can cause severe allergic reactions in people sensitive to molds, and tortoise tables are much larger than flower pots! See the allergy links page for mold info.
- My local garden centers do not sell sterilized topsoil, or even plain soil. They only sell garden soils that are mixed with either fertilizers or animal waste. The fertilizer-free, 'all natural' garden soils have animal poop (e.g. chicken droppings, bat guano) and often shredded wood chips in them. All animal manures may harbor pathogens and parasites, and the odor of the 'all natural' soil is too strong for me to even consider using it in an indoor tortoise enclosure. I don't smell any animal poop per se, but the soil mixture smells like wet, musty, rotting dirt.
A Sri Lankan Star tortoise on 'all natural' garden soil. You can clearly see all the wood pieces. If used indoors, this soil has an unpleasant, musty odor when it's damp or wet!
Soft reptile carpets (NOT astroturf type)
- I have not yet found the perfect indoor substrate suitable for my tortoises and my allergies, and maybe I never will. However, in my experience, FELT-LIKE reptile carpets are a safe indoor enclosure ground material for severely allergic owners who keep dry-area species.
- I do NOT use astroturf type cage mats which look like fake, plastic grass (see pics on substrates page). They are plasticky (feel unpleasant), nonabsorbent (stay wet from pee, unhealthy), and unraveling (may wrap around tortoise's feet or neck). My Star tortoises like to eat loose indoor substrates like chips, but they do not eat reptile carpets or fake plants.
- I have used Zoo Med's felt-like cage mats for a long time, and I have no allergy problems whatsoever with them! They are soft, absorbent, unraveling, easy to clean, odorless, and safe. These mats work well with young or small tortoises who are not diggers or burrowers, and don't need high humidity.
- When changed frequently, they keep the tortoises and enclosures very clean, mold-free, mite-free, dust-free, and totally odor-free. That said, reptile carpets do not provide humidity. Keep track of the humidity levels inside the enclosure and provide humid hides and/or moist substrate areas as needed.
- I usually clean the mats outside by hosing them and then letting them dry in the sun (UV radiation is a disinfectant). Reptile carpets can also be disinfected with commercial products, if needed. Just be sure to rinse very, very well afterwards. Cleaning mostly removes visible dirt and debris, but disinfecting destroys invisible disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and fungi (pathogenic microorganisms).
- My tortoise tubs may seem very artificial looking to non-allergic and non-asthmatic tortoise keepers, but it's important to me to keep my indoor enclosures as clean as possible. I am not advocating felt-like reptile carpets as the best substrate to use, but as an acceptable alternative for people who are ALLERGIC to other, more suitable substrates. Using reptile carpets is more labor intensive than using dirt, bark etc. because reptile carpets need to be changed and washed frequently.
- For examples of allergy-friendly, indoor set-ups using felt-like reptile carpets, see indoor housing and housing pics pages.
If you are using a soft reptile carpet in your small tortoise's indoor pen because you are ALLERGIC to other substrates, do check the humidity level in the enclosure. For Stars, around 40-60% is recommended.
One way to temporarily increase the humidity level by about 5-15% is to put a folded, wet cotton towel, or a double layer of washcloths, under the hot MVB light. If I pour 2-3 cups of warm water into the towel, the localized humidity may even increase by 20-40%. Towels and washcloths can be easily changed, washed, and disinfected. Again, this is an alternative for allergic owners.
My Stars try to eat all loose substrates, but they do not eat felt-like reptile carpets, towels, embossed paper, or plastic plants. All of these are easy to clean which is important to sensitive individuals.
Humid hides with moist sponges attached to the ceiling are clean and odorless, if the sponge is changed frequently to prevent fungal growth, and thus they are suitable for allergic owners' enclosures. See the hideboxes page.
Pathogens, excrement etc.
Any mold, bacteria, dust, tortoise poop or pee on any substrate can aggravate sensitive persons' allergies. If you keep the indoor enclosure in your living area, keep it as clean as possible. Ideally, keep the tortoise tub away from your bedroom.
See also the substrates page for additional info on indoor substrates. Plus, allergic keepers p.2 (enclosures etc.) and allergy links pages for more allergy info.
This page is not intended as medical advice. I am just sharing my personal experiences. Always contact your own allergy physician for advice and treatment of your allergies!
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