# Eucalyptus...



## jtpaintball5 (Feb 26, 2009)

Does anyone know if Eucalyptus leaves are okay for my small hatchlings? Thanks,
-J


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## Meg90 (Feb 26, 2009)

I wouldn't.....that plant is pretty toxic I think. The only animal that can stomach it as far as I know is a Koala....and even then, doesn't it make them kinda stoned or something?


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## tortelini (Feb 26, 2009)

No, it shouldn't be ingested. Meg is right, Koalas are one of the only animals that can break down it's toxicity! A stoned Koala...LOL I have no idea????


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## jorrow (Feb 26, 2009)

They do look kinda stoned lol


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## jtpaintball5 (Feb 26, 2009)

Awesome. Thanks.


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## Kadaan (Aug 30, 2009)

I have a nice deck where I'd love to set up an enclosure (I have no torts yet, and I'm doing a lot of research before I decide to get one or not,) but there are several large Eucalyptus trees nearby whose leaves/pollen blow onto it.

Since people in this thread mentioned it can be toxic, would the dead leaves/debris cause any issues for a tort? I'm more worried about the pollen/white flake things that also blow onto the deck more than the dead leaves. Here's a photo of the deck, and a closeup of the debris:


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## Maggie Cummings (Aug 30, 2009)

I would not trust all that to be good for a tortoise. 
And...just as an FYI..Eucalyptus trees weep some sort of an almost invisible dropping that leaves measle looking spots on the paint of your car and you have to use a rubbing compound to get it off...So don't park a car underneath a Eucalyptus tree...


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## Crazy1 (Aug 30, 2009)

Hi Kadaan, it doesn't look like there is any dirt or grass area in there for a tort plua I agree with Maggie. on the Deck a tort may eat any leaves or flower parts that drop.


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## Yvonne G (Aug 30, 2009)

I had a very large eucalyptus tree right outside the fence where my Aldabran tortoises lived. The tree was at least 60' tall and the trunk at my level was about 5' diameter. This was a beautiful tree and provided a very nice shade for the Aldabran pen all throughout the year. The bad part was the falling branches. At least 2 large limbs fell a year, breaking my fence, blocking my driveway, and the next limb to fall was the one that would fall on the Aldabran shed and garage! My son-in-law stole the tree when it was first planted by a neighbor in what was supposed to be a firewood forest. That free tree costs me over $2500 to clean up the debris and fix the fences.

I raked out the Aldabran pen once a week. There were many leaves and many, many little acorn-like things. The tortoises didn't eat the stuff from the tree, but if there were too many leaves on the grass, they didn't eat the grass either, so I had to keep it raked up.

I see no reason why you couldn't just keep the area clean for your tortoise. Also, you might consider attaching shade cloth as a "roof" over the deck. This would keep out the tree stuff too. You can figure out some way to attach it up high on the side of the house, then lower on the opposite wall of the deck. 

I noticed the aquarium on the shelves. Never use an aquarium outside. The glass acts like a magnifier for the sun and cooks the inhabitants.

Let us know what type of tortoise you get...and PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES!!

Yvonne


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## Kadaan (Aug 30, 2009)

I would have built an enclosure on the deck, there's a good ~9'x4' rectangle where I could build something and line with some sort of dirt/sand/coconut fiber/etc substrate. If you both say it's not a good idea because of the eucalyptus trees above, I'll have to think of something else (and I'll move on to the enclosures forum for that  )


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## gummybearpoop (Sep 2, 2009)

The aldabras at the zoo sometimes eat a little eucalyptus leaves. A few leaves haven't harmed those tortoises, but those tortoises weigh 200-650 lbs.


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## nelsonturner02 (Sep 15, 2009)

Hi jtpaintball5,

Well dude,Eucalyptus has attracted attention from global development researchers and environmentalists. It is a fast-growing source of wood, its oil can be used for cleaning and functions as a natural insecticide, and it is sometimes used to drain swamps and thereby reduce the risk of malaria. Outside their natural ranges, eucalypts are both lauded for their beneficial economic impact on poor populations and derided for being invasive water-suckers,leading to controversy over their total impact.An essential oil extracted from Eucalyptus leaves contains compounds that are powerful natural disinfectants and can be toxic in large quantities. So it is not safe for your hatchlings and keep safe distance from Eucalyptus.

Thanks


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