# Tortoises - do they damage the garden?



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Hello everybody!

I have a question. Sadly, my grandpa is in a home now, and someone needs to take care of his three turtles. Me and my mom would like to bring them home, but my dad thinks they'll damage the garden by pooping everywhere and eating his plants. So, the pro of our garden is that it would be safe for them - it's completely walled, so it's impossible for them to escape; but the con is that my parents don't have a walled-in vegetable garden and instead have planted things here and there - zucchini, tomatoes, blueberries (now berryless). Plus there are the usual flowers and trees - roses, apples, jasmin, bamboo and stuff. Is my father right? Will the turtles eat all these plants? My grandpa's garden is rather - empty - the turtles leave his plants alone, but, then again, so would I. But zucchini...I don't know.

The second question concerns hibernation - I've done some online research and they say you should have shelter and a box in case they wake up? Our turtles have been around for more than 40 years and they've always dug themselves in around October-November and never woken up before spring (I should mention that I live in Northern Italy, so the climate is a bit different from the UK).

And third - my family used to have four turtles, two couples. One died of natural causes quite a few years ago, and I always feel bad when I see the situation because the remaining couple is quite close and tends to exclude the other one, who basically spends its days walking around on its own. Is it really miserable, or am I projecting? I read tortoises are not very sociable?

Anyway, thank you so much fo your help!!


----------



## Millerlite (Sep 6, 2016)

Hi. Tortoises will kill your garden. There is a chance won't eat your garden. But it's slim. More likely he will eat the plants. The poop on would assume wouldn't kill the plants

Greeks Hermann and Russians will dig into the ground to get away from the cool weather and to sleep. I would still provide a hide for him to have the option. 

Turtles Do fine alone. If not better off solo. In the wild they are solitary animals. Don't worry about him feeling alone to much 

Kyle


----------



## JoesMum (Sep 6, 2016)

Tort poop is great fertiliser. It's like horse manure for the vegetarian species. 

No they don't kill plants - they may trample them as they tend not to go round things. They will eat some plants. You learn to replace them with ones they ignore


----------



## JoesMum (Sep 6, 2016)

With regard to hibernation- have they always self hibernated?

They won't hibernate until temperatures are consistently below 10C and need to stay frost free around 5C to stop them waking. 

I double-box mine (tort in a small straw filled box, that box put in a big straw filled box) in the garage to keep temperatures stable until he wakes. There is more to safe hibernation than simply letting your tort go to sleep... empty stomach, stable temperature, monitoring weight loss for example. 

You can also hibernate a tortoise in a fridge. The main household one isn't recommended as the door is opened too frequently for the temperature to be stable.


----------



## JoesMum (Sep 6, 2016)

Third point: Tortoises are solitary creatures. They don't need, want or particularly like company. Don't feel guilty as your solitary tort is probably much happier without competition for food and space. 

Please post pictures (both topside and underside) of your torts so we can confirm the species as we may need to change our advice


----------



## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 6, 2016)

Welcome and happy birthday! 
Assuming they're a Mediterranean species they won't do much damage to the garden other than maybe dig a hole or two, but may eat some of the plants they find tasty.
if your temps are the same as where they came from, let them hibernate as they've always done. 
Tortoises don't need friends, they are solitary animals and are better off alone.


----------



## Tom (Sep 6, 2016)

What species are we talking about?

What are the sexes of these three adult tortoises or turtles?

As far as housing them, you will need to identify all the plants in the garden and make sure none of them are toxic. They will likely eat anything that they can reach and sometimes they will even ear toxic plants that they should not. Ideally, you should make an enclosure to contain them away from all of those plants.


----------



## dmmj (Sep 6, 2016)

a beautifully maintained Garden is like a 5 Star restaurant for a tortoise


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 6, 2016)

Hi! Welcome to the Forum, and Happy Birthday!!!

Of course, it all depends upon turtles or tortoises, and what species. If you're talking the smaller, mediterranean species of Tortoise, then I would have to say that your dad won't even notice the tort poop. Also, with established plants, the tortoises may eat the leaves and fruit, but probably won't harm the plant in general.

Shoot us some pictures of the tortoises so we can really give you the help you're asking for.


----------



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Millerlite said:


> Hi. Tortoises will kill your garden. There is a chance won't eat your garden. But it's slim. More likely he will eat the plants. The poop on would assume wouldn't kill the plants
> 
> Greeks Hermann and Russians will dig into the ground to get away from the cool weather and to sleep. I would still provide a hide for him to have the option.
> 
> ...




Thank you! Maybe my parents can fence off the vegetables...


----------



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Hi! Yes, they've always taken care of themselves. They used to be my great-aunts, then they remained in the garden when my cousins took ownership of the house. And then there was a problem with aggressive crows and my grandpa got them instead.

I don't have pics right now, but I'm pretty sure they're common European tortoises like this one:

http://www.zoochat.com/1620/european-tortoise-341799/

Thank you for your tips!



JoesMum said:


> With regard to hibernation- have they always self hibernated?
> 
> They won't hibernate until temperatures are consistently below 10C and need to stay frost free around 5C to stop them waking.
> 
> ...


----------



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Thank you!! 

They look like this guy -

http://www.zoochat.com/1620/european-tortoise-341799/

- and I think my dad is mostly fretting about his precious pumpkins... 



Tidgy's Dad said:


> Welcome and happy birthday!
> Assuming they're a Mediterranean species they won't do much damage to the garden other than maybe dig a hole or two, but may eat some of the plants they find tasty.
> if your temps are the same as where they came from, let them hibernate as they've always done.
> Tortoises don't need friends, they are solitary animals and are better off alone.


----------



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Thanks for your advice!

I think it's two males and one female, and they look like this guy -

http://www.zoochat.com/1620/european-tortoise-341799/

I don't think there's anything toxic because my parents have cats and were careful with plants, but I'll check the list of plants toxic to tortoises before we do anything. 




Tom said:


> What species are we talking about?
> 
> What are the sexes of these three adult tortoises or turtles?
> 
> As far as housing them, you will need to identify all the plants in the garden and make sure none of them are toxic. They will likely eat anything that they can reach and sometimes they will even ear toxic plants that they should not. Ideally, you should make an enclosure to contain them away from all of those plants.


----------



## melitodes (Sep 6, 2016)

Hi, thank you!!

I don't have pics right one, but they look like this guy -

http://www.zoochat.com/1620/european-tortoise-341799/

- so I assume they're European tortoises. And yep, them eating my dad's zucchini and pumpkin could definitely be a point against them...but maybe we can reorganize the vegetable patch.



Yvonne G said:


> Hi! Welcome to the Forum, and Happy Birthday!!!
> 
> Of course, it all depends upon turtles or tortoises, and what species. If you're talking the smaller, mediterranean species of Tortoise, then I would have to say that your dad won't even notice the tort poop. Also, with established plants, the tortoises may eat the leaves and fruit, but probably won't harm the plant in general.
> 
> Shoot us some pictures of the tortoises so we can really give you the help you're asking for.


----------



## Marinated mamma (Sep 6, 2016)

Yeah tortoises kill your garden! But usually the love you have for the little fellas well and truly make up for it! I would love some grass but it's not to be every time I try to grow some they kill it. wee on it. poop on it, or eat it! But I've accepted my gardens fate as I love my tortoises way loads more than a lovely lawn! it just wasn't to be!


----------



## JoesMum (Sep 6, 2016)

melitodes said:


> Hi, thank you!!
> 
> I don't have pics right one, but they look like this guy -
> 
> ...


I'd defend the vegetable patch! They will be ruined. 

What your torts really want is a nice weedy lawn to graze on with some bushes or shrubs at the side for shade and shelter.


----------



## Tom (Sep 6, 2016)

melitodes said:


> Thanks for your advice!
> 
> I think it's two males and one female, and they look like this guy -
> 
> ...



In your list above, Jasmine is toxic. I know of a Galopagos and an Aladabra tortoise that recently died from eating it.

What you really need to do is divide up the yard three ways. Make large enclosures so they have lots of room to roam and find shade.

Fruit is not good for them, so they should not have access to those area where fruit will drop.

Those tortoises will absolutely destroy your Dad's pumpkins to the point that only a little chewed nub will be visible at ground level.


----------



## Nell100 (Sep 7, 2016)

Hello. If a plant is precious to your dad that will be the one the tortoises will destroy! This summer mine have sat on a fern which now has no leaves, eaten ice plants & geraniums to the ground and burrowed under my tiny new bay tree. However I don't care & have planted anything I really like out of reach.
You do have to be careful about what's planted in the garden. They will taste everything and you don't want to make them ill. Can you protect the vegetable patch so that they can roam around the rest of the garden without you worrying?

I hope you can find a solution as they are really lovely pets! Good luck.


----------

