# should I be worried about pinestraw?



## jojay327 (Mar 25, 2012)

I have this area where i want to build a big outside pen for my sulcatta. There is a 12x12 area with pinestraw the rest is grass and weeds. This area gets the most shade and my garden shed is there and i am going to give her half of it. It would be easier if i could include this space due to the way its landscaped. Any issues with it? she would have a 50x50 foot space only a very small part has the straw. Thanks for the help, Jay


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## Laura (Mar 25, 2012)

what is Pine Straw? you mean pine needles that fall off the tree?


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## jojay327 (Mar 25, 2012)

Laura said:


> what is Pine Straw? you mean pine needles that fall off the tree?



Yes, we call it pinestraw. My concern was that for reptiles like snakes and lizards people don't use cedar or pine just aspen. pine and cedar shavings sold in pet stores have oils in them that cause harm to reptiles. So I was just curious if she found a shady place in the pineneedles would it cause any health problems. Jay


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## ascott (Mar 26, 2012)

Yes they can create a problem if ingested over a long period of time .....but you can easily solve this problem by making it a regular habit of raking them up and also avoid feeding in the area where the food offerings may get mixed in with the pine needles....


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## Jacqui (Mar 26, 2012)

TerryO and I had a short talk on this last fall. I was commenting on how you read that pine needles should be bad for turtles and tortoises, yet she had been handed down from her father using the pine straw for box turtle bedding for hibernation. I had worried about this same issue, due to in particular my Ornate box turtle enclosure being under on one side a pine tree. Neither of us either had problems with the pine straw. I will say I have not ever witnessed any of my turtles or tortoises even tasting let alone eating the pine needles.


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## Tom (Mar 26, 2012)

One of my adult sulcata pens has several pine trees and a nice soft bed of needles under each one. I never rake them up or do anything and my tortoise eat any grass or weeds that manage to sprout up around the margins. They also lay on the needles when they want to be in the shade. Been this way for years. No problems.

Your pine tree should cause you no issues at all.


... and TerryO is the one who taught me what Easterners mean by "pinestraw" too. Out West we just call them "pine needles".


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